a. When is it a good time to plant grass seed?
b. What are the steps to planting grass seed?
c. What kind of seed topper do I use?
d. What kind of fertilizer do I use?
e. When can I use a broadleaf herbicide to get rid of weeds?
f. Why is the seed rate so high?
g. How high should I mow the lawn?
h. How much should I water?
i. How do I change my lawn from one type of grass to another?
a. When is it a good time to plant grass seed?
When the soil temperatures are going to remain higher than 50 degrees F and do not exceed 90 degrees F.
b. What are the steps to planting grass seed?
- Spray any weeds with Roundup. Allow to die.Mow or weed eat dead stubble.Rototill soil and compost together. Add gypsum if you have an alkali soil. Add lime if you have an acid soil. Your nursery or garden center will have recommendations for how much to apply. We recommend that you don't use any steer manure for fear of contamination from nonsterilized weed seeds.Install irrigation system.Smooth soil bringing it to final grade. The soil should be level with
curbs and sidewalks. Roll with water roller so there aren't any dips. Spread seed going in a double direction using a drop type spreader.Spread pre-plant fertilizer such as 15-15-15 at 5#/1,000 sq. ft.Spread organic weed-free seed topper at rate of 1/4" deep.Roll with water roller to ensure good seed to soil contact.- Water lightly and frequently until seed germinates. Usually 3 times per day is adequate.
c. What kind of seed topper do I use?
We recommend that you use a product high in wood shavings. Stay away from steer manure, as it is often contaminated with weed seeds.
d. What kind of fertilizer do I use?
We recommend a granular fertilizer viz 15-15-15 as a pre plant at 5#/1,000 sq. ft. You can follow up about 3 weeks after planting with another application of 15-15-15 at 3#/1000 sq ft. In another 3 weeks, fertilize again at the same rate with the same product.
e. When can I use a broadleaf herbicide to get rid of weeds?
Usually it is not recommended by the herbicide manufacture to use chemicals until the lawn has been mowed 3 times. Often, just the process of mowing will kill most annual weeds. More persistent weeds will have to be sprayed or removed by hand. Don't allow them to get too large, because the weeds will retard the growth of the small grasses. Depending on which grass product you choose this could be anywhere from 1.5-3 months after planting.
f. Why is the seed rate so high?
The higher the seed rate the more competition you have against weeds. The faster the fill in time and the sooner you have a full thick lawn.
g. How high should I mow the lawn?
The higher you mow the grass the healthier it is. The less water it needs and the less fertilizer it needs because the root system will be longer. Usually a good height is between 2.5 and 3"
Your lawn will tell you when it is thirsty. It will turn a purplish color. At that point have your automatic system run through a cycle. You will see the color go back to its natural green color. Wait until the purplish color returns and recycle. This will drive the roots deeper for water.
i. How do I change my lawn from one type of grass to another?
Follow these 3 steps:
- Spray out existing lawn with Roundup. Allow a week to pass then respray. Concentrate on those areas that are not dead.When lawn is completely dead, scalp to soil level and remove all dead
organic matter. This may require the use of a power rake.- Seed or hydroseed over dead stubble. Do not rototill as this will
resurrect weed seeds that have been dormant in the soil. Water as for a new lawn.Do you have a question about your lawn?
If you have a question about your lawn, let us try and answer it. Send Doug an email at grassmogul@aol.com.
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