Rolls of grass turf in a tray?

[SapphirePisces]

A family member just had a new lawn laid and has about 4 rolls of grass left over that they’ve asked if the piggies would enjoy.

Has anyone got any experience with rolls of turf? Could I put them in a tray or something and put them in their enclosure during the winter when they can’t get outside as much?

When they aren’t eating grass I would just keep the trays outside so they get water & light.

Any advice welcomed

 

[piggieminder]

There's no harm in trying them in a deep tray they would need some soil or compost underneath. It's not the best time of year for grass to grow now, depending where you are mine grows year round just slower in winter. If you put the trays in a sheltered sunny spot it may still grow if not kept watered it will start growing in the spring. I've only ever done this with grass seed in trays rather than turf, it was fine when I only had two piggies but now I have so many it's easier to cut a big bowl of grass.

 

[Roselina]

A family member just had a new lawn laid and has about 4 rolls of grass left over that they’ve asked if the piggies would enjoy.

Has anyone got any experience with rolls of turf? Could I put them in a tray or something and put them in their enclosure during the winter when they can’t get outside as much?

When they aren’t eating grass I would just keep the trays outside so they get water & light.

Any advice welcomed

Just make sure the turf hasn’t been pre treated with fertiliser
I put compost in the bottom of two large trays and added the turf
It’ll rest over Winter but by spring will start growing nicely

 

[piggieminder]

Spike and Peanut

 

[Janey]

I’ve got a small tray that I planted grass seed in and the piggies love it, but it’s remained very fine/wispy. I was considering getting some turf and saw some advertised the other day, fairly sure it was ‘Happy Hay’, but they hadn’t got any trays that are optional with it at the moment. Mine stops growing over winter, even though I kept it inside on a windowsill, so it’s been relegated to the garden this year!

 

[Mrs Tiggy Winkle]

When I re-seeded bits in the lawn (where I used to live), the grass stayed pretty wispy and thin. If you cut it, it's meant to make it grow back bigger and stronger.

The only caution I'd give for putting grass outside in trays over the winter and then bringing it back in / feeding it to piggos, is the possibility that ants take up residence in it, especially those mini red ants that are everywhere in gardens in Germany these days. I don't know if they exist in those numbers in the UK but they bite/sting really painful... Myrmica rubra, 'common red ant' apparently.

 

[Janey]

When I re-seeded bits in the lawn (where I used to live), the grass stayed pretty wispy and thin. If you cut it, it's meant to make it grow back bigger and stronger.

The only caution I'd give for putting grass outside in trays over the winter and then bringing it back in / feeding it to piggos, is the possibility that ants take up residence in it, especially those mini red ants that are everywhere in gardens in Germany these days. I don't know if they exist in those numbers in the UK but they bite/sting really painful... Myrmica rubra, 'common red ant' apparently.

Thanks for the heads up. Hmm . I’ve never actually seen any red ants - is anybody else in the UK aware of or had issues with them? If so, I’ll just get rid of it and get fresh next year.

 

[Roselina]

Thanks for the heads up. Hmm . I’ve never actually seen any red ants - is anybody else in the UK aware of or had issues with them? If so, I’ll just get rid of it and get fresh next year.

I didn’t get any insects but a few worms made their home there
I did start to get weeds so you might have to check it as it grows
Dandelion and chickweed were welcome

 

[piggieminder]

We get ants in the garden red and black but they are not active in the winter. I used to stand the trays on concrete outside the back door not much makes it that far from the soil beds. The only time I had any problem with the grass at all was when I put the trays in the greenhouse and it went mouldy due to not having enough air circulation.

 

[Mrs Tiggy Winkle]

Thanks for the heads up. Hmm . I’ve never actually seen any red ants - is anybody else in the UK aware of or had issues with them? If so, I’ll just get rid of it and get fresh next year.

They're smaller than the usual garden black ants and they're quite territorial. They bite/sting you for the h*ll of it seemingly and it's quite painful.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I see maybe one colony of red ants in a year (sometimes none) if I move something that has been in the same place in the garden for an extended period. Even then it’s still usually black ants. Ants are not active in winter in the UK in any event. It’s too cold from late autumn until around April.
You will be fine keeping the grass outside in winter - it probably won’t grow but it won’t harm it. Make sure to put soil at the bottom of the tray for the turf to root into

 

[SapphirePisces]

Thanks for all the advice everyone Turf arrived today. Will put some soil in trays, lay it out and see how it goes. I doubt it'll grow much in the next few months, but we'll see. My boys loved being out in their run on the lawn over the summer, I didn't even need to get my lawnmower out! They kept my grass lovely and short So if I can cut them a bit of fresh grass over the winter they'll enjoy it.

 

[Roselina]

Thanks for all the advice everyone Turf arrived today. Will put some soil in trays, lay it out and see how it goes. I doubt it'll grow much in the next few months, but we'll see. My boys loved being out in their run on the lawn over the summer, I didn't even need to get my lawnmower out! They kept my grass lovely and short So if I can cut them a bit of fresh grass over the winter they'll enjoy it.

It’ll be lovely and fresh for them ! What lucky piggies