Fall overseeding - Page 9

j4c11 · #81 10-27-2015, 12:08 AM

Well, here's this years crop of grass. All the grass I planted last year was gone by end of summer due to crabrass and heat. This year I planted 90% Speedway tall fescue and 10% Spitfire hybrid Texas x Kentucky bluegrass. Since bluegrass seed is so much smaller than fescue seed, it actually ends up being 50%-50% by seed count. I ran the power dethatcher , pulled all the thatch, seeded, then put the thatch back on top of the seed for cover since it was bare ground. First picture is immediately after seeding , little to no grass, it was basically a complete redo. Second picture is from about a week ago. Hoping that the KBG will begin to spread via rhizomes in the spring and thicken it further. The tall fescue is just beginning to tiller, so it should get nice and thick going into winter.

Next spring I plan on hitting it early with prodiamine to prevent most crabgrass germination and post-emergent as needed. Biggest enemy will be the 95+ degree heat and long periods of no rain. Hope it doesn't get wiped out again.

titleist1 · #82 10-27-2015, 09:23 AM

Looks great! How long was it for you between seeding and that second pic?

I went through the same thing last year, nuked it and started from scratch but had a good bit of crabgrass move in this year. I hope I can reverse the crabgrass trend by over seeding and treating.

Mine has been about two weeks since seeding and it is still in the small sprout stage. I can still see a good bit of seed so I am hoping some more of it will germinate and fill in some more bare spots in the coming weeks. I fertilized this past weekend and have been watering it about every other day. Hope we get some rain this week.

j4c11 · #83 10-27-2015, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by titleist1

Looks great! How long was it for you between seeding and that second pic?

It was seeded September 6th, got full germination around the 10th. It was between 84 and 90 degrees during that period so it germinated quickly. The second picture was taken sometime last week, so about 45-50 days between the two pictures.

Quote:

Originally Posted by titleist1

I went through the same thing last year, nuked it and started from scratch but had a good bit of crabgrass move in this year. I hope I can reverse the crabgrass trend by over seeding and treating.

There's seed in the ground, if you don't hit it with pre-emergent every year for a few years to disrupt the cycle it will keep coming back. I plan on hitting it hard this spring with pre-emergent and a post emergent who's name shall not be spoken. I got a jug of this stuff, at an application rate of 2 tablespoons per 1,000 sq feet it should last me about 15 years

http://www.amazon.com/Prodiamine-Gen...rds=prodiamine

Quote:

Originally Posted by titleist1

Mine has been about two weeks since seeding and it is still in the small sprout stage. I can still see a good bit of seed so I am hoping some more of it will germinate and fill in some more bare spots in the coming weeks. I fertilized this past weekend and have been watering it about every other day. Hope we get some rain this week.

I also seeded a couple patches two weeks ago. Same experience, germination has been about two times slower than when I initially seeded in September. Growth is also not quite as fast. Hopefully they mature enough before the freezing weather comes. Labor Day is a good time to do your seeding.

titleist1 · #84 10-29-2015, 09:28 PM

I am hoping yesterday's warmish rain and the sunny 70* we had here today gives it a growth spurt. Although I had been watering the seed and sprouts, my unscientific theory is that our cold 55* spring fed well water doesn't promote growth as well as a warm rain.

The same affect can be seen with the tomato plants and the flower beds. Hose watering will keep them alive, but once they are hit with a warm rain they grow like they are on steroids.

j4c11 · #85 10-29-2015, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by titleist1

I am hoping yesterday's warmish rain and the sunny 70* we had here today gives it a growth spurt. Although I had been watering the seed and sprouts, my unscientific theory is that our cold 55* spring fed well water doesn't promote growth as well as a warm rain.

The same affect can be seen with the tomato plants and the flower beds. Hose watering will keep them alive, but once they are hit with a warm rain they grow like they are on steroids.

Have you had your well water tested? Could have salt in it.

titleist1 · #86 10-31-2015, 07:18 AM

Water has been tested...no salt, just a little on the hard side but not bad enough to need a softener.

Could be my imagination but looking at it late yesterday afternoon the new grass seemed to have has the growth spurt i was hoping for.

j4c11 · #87 10-31-2015, 04:36 PM

Here's it is as of today, freshly cut ready for the Halloween rush. Approx. 60 days from seeding.

titleist1 · #88 12-21-2015, 03:44 PM

Got lucky with the warmish weather we have been having and the sprouts are still active and growing. I even have some growth from the second batch of seed I put down the second week of November. We are supposed to hit mid to high 60's later this week so the growing season continues!

I had the tractor out to blow leaves two weekends ago and besides the leaves, the grass had grown enough to get a trim too.

I will drop another batch of weed & feed down this week since we are supposed to get some rain.

j4c11 · #89 12-22-2015, 01:15 PM

Crazy weather for this time of the year, it's been and continues to be incredibly warm. I would avoid weed and feed type products, the granules have to stick to the weed in order for it to be effective, which is why they recommend applying to a wet lawn. But then the fertilizer sticks too causing burns. Your best bet is to apply them separately, fertilizer and then weed control, either via ready-to-spray or handheld/backpack sprayer. The big box store stuff is also crazy expensive, you can look into buying a gallon of this stuff:

http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/wa...de-p-9853.html

..which would cost you $0.65/ksf

vs.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_248094-24182...Ntt=bayer+weed

.. which claims to cover 5,000 sq ft, but based on the concentration of active ingredient it's more like 2,500, at least if you want good results, resulting in a cost of $4.5/ksf.

Add some quinclorac for crabgrass control and you got probably 15 years of herbicide for about $100. Big savings in the long run.

If you spray, add a little bit of baby shampoo to the mix, no dish soap or anything antibacterial. It will help it stick to the weed instead of running off and work significantly faster and better.

titleist1 · #90 12-26-2015, 10:21 AM

Crazy for late December, but the grass is almost as green as springtime! If the rain stops and it dries out some next week I will get the tractor out for a spin to trim it which will be the latest I have ever cut grass. The seed I dropped in mid November is still sprouting and filling in nicely. I can't wait until late spring time to see how well it thickens the lawn.