question re: Mixing turf types

im a novice gardener at best, I recently prepared my garden to lay a new lawn luckily the day I was supposed to be ordering the turf I was given 300 sqft of brand new turf that was left over from a photoshoot (I work in advertising) ive laid the lawn and its starting to bed in well. However im a couple of feet short and need to buy some extra turf to fill in, I was told the turf was RYE GOLD but the place the turf came from and everywhere else I can find online that stocks it will only deliver if 10sqm or more and are all outside the M25. I dont have access to a car so need a delivery or to pick up from somewhere relatively near to me in east london.

would it be a mistake to buy a different turf type from say B&Q or Homebase and patch the small section? or do I bite the bullet and over order to make sure its the same type?

Different types will look different- Leaf blade may be wider or narrower, or overall color may be richer green or lighter. One type may grow faster, so need mowing more often, or look too overgrown sooner.
When you first install something really different the line will be really sharp.
Over time each type will spread into each other's area, so the line will blur.

I would make sure they are the same species- rye used for turf around here (SF bay area) is often any of several varieties of Lolium perenne, I have no idea if this is also used in the UK.

Alternate idea: See if anyone near you wants to buy a minimum order, and combine your order with theirs.

Most of turf used in USA is very different from the type we use here, because we have a higher rain fall and cooler climate, the USA states mostly (not always) use a different type of grass that has tougher and wider sheaths / leaf, the roots go down deeper and is NOT as tightly constructed.

For the problem you have, I agree with Diana that adding a different grass sod /Turf onto the type you have already laid with never blend in, the joint will always be self evident no mater what you do to try hide the joints.
All I would suggest you do is to get more top soil, build the bare area up to meet level with the turf already laid and sow seed, you will probably have to shop around to get the same GRASS SEED MIXTURE that the company used for the turf you now have laid. The turf company may even sell boxes of the seed mix you require.
I find it hard to believe the turf company wont be delivering turf anywhere close to your address in the near future, and could also add on the small amount you require to help you out BUT I take on board they maybe dont care anyway as this is a very busy time here i UK for lawn making,
This is the best time of year for sowing new lawns here in UK, the soil is not too dry, it has not been heated up too much from rain and proper prep of the bare area will be the longest part of the whole job as in this weather, the grass seed should germinate in a matter of weeks and around 6-8 weeks later you can give it the first haircut, you need to raise the mowers bladed of-course.

If you feel preparing the bare area is too daunting, you can hire a gardener (with experience) to get the area built up and levelled off, mix in feed etc and then sow the seed, he should give full details of how to care, "Do 's and Don't) and this will be a far better result than spending more money on different types of grass that forever more you will hate every time you look out the window or try enjoy the garden.

Hope this gives you a few ideas as to help fix the problem you find your in.
Good luck and kindest Regards.
WeeNel.

Another suggestion that I have is that you can cut out patches from the existing turf and scatter them around the blank space and let it spread. Over time the open spaces will fill in, and my understanding is that the turf will spread to fill in the gaps. This is what my mother-in-law said they used to do if someone was trying to start a new lawn. They'd just give them plugs out of their existing one.

This message was edited Apr 3, 2015 7:03 AM

Some grasses grow by spreading out fine roots that eventually creep along the soil or just under it.
Here in UK IF we have bare patches in the lawns, within a couple of weeks, weeds have taken over, mainly Dandy Lions,, Creeping Clover, Daisies etc, there are as many types of grasses as there are flowers, so you need to select the type of grass that your soil, temps, light etc will have, no point growing a fine Bowling green grass as a lawn IF your kids will play football on as it just wont stand up to rough treatment, IF you need creeping grass then that's a different type of grass from the Rye Gold, I could be wrong of-course,

Kind Regards.
WeeNel.

Thanks all, I managed to find a Rye based turf, its not Rye Gold but im not 100% if thats not just a name used by certain suppliers so fingers crossed will blend to a degree in time. thanks for the advice will no doubt be back for further advice down the line