[pollyanna]

I am currently an art student at manchester metropolitan university in the u.k and my project is growing grass. I have recently heard of a technique that has been used by other artists were clay and grass are put together and then plastered onto an object and the grass grows through the clay. I would like to no how to do this as it would benefit me and my work.

[labman]

The best advice comes from people with experience in the specific area. In other cases, people can suggest things that might work for lack of anybody with real experience.

I would mix in general purpose fertilizer and grass seed to the clay. Annual rye for a coarse, short lived grass that will grow no matter how badly you treat it. A perennial rye for a finer, longer lived grass. Red fescue if you don't want to have to mow as often.

Try a simple shape at first. No sense wasting a bunch of time on something that may not grow. Keep it moist. Clay will dry out, shrink, and crack. Maybe mist it every day with water containing Rapid-Grow. Play around, maybe you can become an expert on it.

Let me know how this works.

[pollyanna]

I was wondering is it a good idea to germinate the grass seeds before I mix them with the clay and if it is, what is the most quick and most effective way. I have seen people put seeds in tissue paper and cotton wool to germinate?

[labman]

Grass seedlings are fragile, and I doubt they would survive beint mixed into clay.