Professional Lawn Seeding Guide Turf manager, CREYTON LEDBETTER targets what to consider when planning for fall seeding.
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eeding is the quintessential step to any lush, thick, vibrant yard that can capture the attention of any passerby. There are many different aspects to consider when seeding your lawn and each topic should be thought through carefully. Seeding is an expensive project so preparation is important to giving your grass seed the highest chance of germination and providing young grass the best opportunities for maturing. Different facets to consider when seeding are the time of year, grass seed mixes, and type and pressure of noxious weeds. Even lawn elevation and drainage areas can make for challenging germination. Because of the many different components to a successful seed job it is good practice to spend some time during the summer for
mapping out the prep work, understanding of the process when actually seeding, and exploring issues to expect when germination occurs and leaves your yard full of immature, fragile blades of grass. Seeding Preparation Deciding whether a lawn needs grass seed is an important first step during the preparation phase. Large bare dirt areas in a yard are the typical candidates for grass seed, but there are three things you should consider before you move forward with your fall seeding plans. Does the lawn have high weed pressure? High weed pressure is indicative of a weak stand of grass and can usually benefit from a solid seed job. Clearing weeds are essential to a successful germination rate. It is difficult to germinate
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BIRDSEED • FEEDERS • BIRDBATHS • OPTICS • GARDEN ACCENTS
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July 2020 | kcgmag.com
grass through crabgrass and clover patches and even more difficult to provide an ideal growing environment for immature grass. Possibly one of the best cultural practices to keeping a weed-free lawn area is preserving its lush, dense integrity. Does the lawn have undesirable turf contamination like Bermudagrass? Warm-season grasses like Bermuda or zoysia can quickly become a nuisance as they outperform many cool-season turf types during the summer and can leave a lawn looking spotty and non-uniform during the cold months. This is an issue that can take months to rectify as herbicide treatments need to begin during the
summer months to prepare a yard for fall seed. Does the lawn have nice grass uniformity, but lacks thickness? Keep in mind a mature fescue plant can grow out to six inches in length so sometimes, instead of more individual grass plants, a timely fertilizer program will rectify this issue. Seeding Planning Once lawn concerns have been diagnosed and seeding has been committed to, planning may begin for the seeding process. This generally involves three considerations. When to seed. Typically, fall seeding is the most favorable time to start seed projects due to the
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