Overseeding Myths & Facts

Nutrite Lawn Care Seminar
Cathy Wall, Quality Seed

Strategy- what is our objective?
Is it thin? Renovate
To thicken turf? Rejuvenate

Site
Soil
Fertility
Moisture
Sun/shade
Competition from other plants

Species
Establishme
Growth habit
Texture
Mtce- low or high
Competitive ability

Kentucky Bluegrass
Slow initial establishment-28 days
Rhizominous growth
Fine texture
Sunny environment, winter hardy
High maintenance
2.2 million seeds per lb

Fine fescues
Rapid establishment
Germination 21 days
Rhizome (creepin red) or basal tillering
Fine texture
Adaptable to soils fertility, moisture winter hardy
Low mtce
640,000 seeds per lb

Perennial Ryegrass
Rapid establishment- esp in existing stand
Germation in 14 days, some in 3-5 days
Tillering, stolons
Fine texture
Adaptable, winter hardy
Moderate mtce
227,000 seeds per lb

Annual Ryegrass
Coarse, medium texture
New SOS variety-to use for quick repair, finer texture darker colour
http://qualityseeds.ca/turf/ryegrasses/sos-brochure.html

New perennial ryegrass
RPR
Repairing
Will fill in more like kentucky
Darker green

Tall Fescue
Rapid
Germinates 14 days
Texture medium

 tillering, rhizomes 

Adaptable, moderately winter hardy

Low mtce - deep roots

RTF-Rhizomatous Tall Fescue- a new self repairing lawn, Drought resistant
http://qualityseeds.ca/turf/tall-fescue/rtf.html

Endophyte enhances seed
Reduces leaf feeding lawn insects
Enhanced stress protection

When Overseeding
Perennial ryegrass is good to renovate or repair
Aggressive
Mixes in colour and texture

Adding multiple varieties
Better to provide the things to cover a wider variety of conditions.

Due to differences in seed size, seeds mixed by weight.
20% 20% 60% kentucky, fescue, perennial rye.

In a 100 lbs - 22 million Kentucky bluegrass seed, 7 million fescues, 7 million Perennial rye seeds

Micro clover- new
Not many flowers, so fits better in a lawn, but hard to get enough seed
Will be available in a few years
Grows below height of grass for most of season


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Time to Plan for Grass Seeding

Seeding a Lawn
Now is the time to start planning for seeding your lawn.

When to Seed?
• Apply seed in Spring when soil temperature reaches 15°C (60°F) - Ideally April to mid June
• Best time for maximum germination is mid August to mid September when soil is warm and the nights are cool.
• If you have spread grass seed in the early spring, it will not germinate until the soil temperature reaches about 15°C (about 59°F).

Why Overseed?
A thick healthy lawn is the best defense against weeds, disease, drought and insect damage. Over-seeding can quickly repair a lawn that is thin and patchy from
• Winter Damage.
• Damage from Drought and Extreme Heat.
• Damage from Grubs, Chinch Bugs and other insects.
• Introduction of a new variety of grass.

Total Lawn Renovation
In some cases the entire lawn may be beyond salvation. This could be due to: the majority of the lawn is dead, undesirable grass species, damaged from construction, etc.
• If required apply a total weed and grass killer to kill off any unwanted weeds and grass.

Soil Preparation
The amount of preparation will greatly affect the final results.
• Remove dead grass and debris.
• Roughen area with a stiff rake to loosen soil.
• Apply 3-5 cm of good quality top soil, Triple Mix or Compost.

Starter Fertilizer
• Spread a Lawn Starter Fertilizer over the area (follow package directions).
• Rake soil level to a final grade.

Applying Seed
• Apply at rate listed on grass seed bag.
• For small areas apply seed by hand.
• For larger areas use a fertilizer spreader, apply in two passes using half the rate of application per pass - one at right angles to the other in a crisscross pattern for complete coverage.
• Use a low spreader setting. You should see approximately 2-3 seeds in a square inch (approximately 2.5 x 2.5 cm).
• Using an empty lawn roller to press the seed in to the soil or raking lightly with a leaf rake.
• Grass seed needs soil contact to germinate and should be covered by no more than 7mm (¼") of soil (If the seed is buried any deeper than this, it will have trouble emerging from the soil. Burying the seed is a common reason for poor lawn establishment.)

Watering
• The most important thing you can do now is to ensure that the lawn receives enough water.
• Keep the lawn moist for the first two weeks. You don't need a lot of water – about 15 minutes with an average sprinkler each day will work. You want to keep the first few centimeters (half an inch) moist.
• Watering in the early morning or the evening works best.
• Use a fine spray so as not to disturb the seedbed.

Next Steps
• During the first few weeks, keep as much traffic off the seedbed as possible. The tender, emerging shoots of grass will not withstand much wear and tear.
• Once the grass has grown up to 3-4 inches (8-10 cm), you can begin cutting it. This should be after about 4 weeks of growth.
• If you need to apply weed control wait until at least 6 weeks after seeding.
• After 6 weeks fertilize with a premium slow release lawn fertilizer.
• If you have a few patches that aren't as thick as the rest, they may not have received enough seed. Don't be afraid to overseed these areas. The longer they stay bare, the more likely that weeds will encroach onto your lawn.
Adapted from http://www.grass-seed.ca/

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Grass types can reduce insect damage

Grass seed- we are looking at a new grass seed supplier. We were discussing the different mixes. We wanted to make sure that the new mix included some endophytic perennial rye grass seed.

What does "endophytic" mean for the lawn? Endophytic grasses reduce chinch bugs and other lawn pests. They contain materials that are either toxic to the insects or that cause the pests to avoid these plants. Perennial rye grasses have been developed to reduce the chances of insect damage. Never use endophytic lawn grasses in pasture areas as the endophytic grasses are harmful to horse and cattle. Our mix uses a "turf-type" perennial rye grass. This designation is to distinguish between fine textured varieties that are suitable for lawn use from those varieties that have coarse, unsightly leaf blades.

Mixes with Annual rye grass are generally not recommended. The annual rye grass is useful in some situations as it germinates rapidly. However, it is not long lived. Generally, turf-type perennial rye grasses will do the same job of germinating quickly and thus providing some cover and protection for the slower germinating grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass.

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