Agrivision Equipment Turf Talk- May

If seeding a new lawn in the spring, many challenges come to mind before the weather plays its part.  First is the soil condition.  If the soil is hard and no final grading has been done, then plan on working the soil a few times over in order to make proper seedbed conditions for successful germination.  Once completed, then the lawn is ready for seeding.  Broadcast spreading seed and working the seed into the soil works good but drill seeding the lawn will have a higher germination rate.  There are a few ways around either process, whichever one is chosen.  If broadcast spreading the seed, plan on somewhere around 12 to 14 pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet, depending on what seed mixture is used.  If drill seeding, plan on using 10 to 12 pounds per 1,000 square feet, again depending on what seed mixture is used.  Either process is proven to work.  Resources available, as far as equipment accessibility will determine which process will work out.  Once seed is down, starter fertilizer somewhere in the range of a 12-24-12 will work well to get the roots of the newly germinated seed off to a good start with enough vigor to carry the young seedlings into a mature plant stage.  This starter fertilizer should be applied in the three to four pound per 1,000 square feet range.

By this point in the process, the work may be off and on between rains.  Heavy rains can make or break this project at this point, causing ruts and erosion.  Many times it is best to have straw matting ready to roll out as soon as seed and starter fertilizer are down.  I highly recommend this straw matting on any kind of hill.  If the newly seeded lawn is close to any water sources, then a silt fence around the perimeter is a good idea in order to keep the Nitrogen and Phosphorus in the starter fertilizer from running off into those water sources.   Keeping the new seed damp in this stage is top priority.  Watering until runoff occurs is too much.  A timer on the garden hose sprinkler or irrigation system set with a timer works well.  Once the grass is a couple inches tall, it would be beneficial to remove the straw matting.  It can take three to five years for netting to fully break down and cleaning the netting out of mower blades and aerator tines is not an easy task.  Following the advise of someone experienced will yield a great looking new lawn.  Happy growing!