My lazy butt loves the idea of dormant seeding, spread the seed when the grown freezes, cover it with something so the birds do not get it, the melting snow waters it right when it needs it. Have had mixed results, any tips? Thanks
The best is if you can rake the seed into the ground instead of just throwing it on top
You must do that before it freezes-correct?
Yes, now would be a good time to do that before the ground freezes. Most the time when grass seed just gets thrown on the ground it doesn’t germinate. If it’s raked into the ground or covered lightly with dirt/straw/hay or grass clippings it will do a lot better.
Spring would be a good time to do the same thing also and that’s personally what I would do unless we get a bunch of warm weather coming up which is coming to an end quickly
Thanks Cole!
What did you do to prep the seed bed? Grass seed needs good seed to soil contact to optimize germination. If you can broadcast the seed and then run a cultipacker over it, or even wheel pack with your garden tractor/ lawnmower it will help. Firm seed bed is better than a loose seed bed. Grass seeds will germinate in a footprint before those just spread on the surface. It’s not possible to plant too shallow as long as soil contact is good, but it’s entirely possible to plant too deep. Seeding in a cover crop like oats will help hold the seed/ plants in place when spring rains hit. Optimum date for seeding with germination is Sept 1 thru 15.
Thanks for the tips red.
Doing it now also runs the risk that the seeds start to germinate and then freeze. At that stage it isn’t strong enough to survive.
yup, hardware dude said the same thing-might wait a week
If you are seeding in the fall for spring germination, should you add fertilizer also in the fall? Would you put down fall fert or starter fert?
If you have a bare spot ask yourself why its there, lots of possibilities but maybe that soil needs to be ammended, maybe you need a seed that can handle some shade-don’t just throw down seed and hope for the best, that seed could germinate but you might have a problem again later.
In my case, it is a big bare spot due to a 3 season porch-2 stall garage addition and me playing around with a backhoe.
I pull a dethatcher behind the lawn tractor the go over it with the bagger then seed and detach again to rough it in.
Can get seed that is good for high traffic areas-Beiswinger Hardware has many options.
Sounds like you have the plan and the equipement bell
If you are seeding in the fall for spring germination, should you add fertilizer also in the fall? Would you put down fall fert or starter fert?
Milorganite works real good.Plus the smell of it keeps vermin away.
Waiting/hoping for another window, seed in garage, snow on ground.
Waiting/hoping for another window, seed in garage, snow on ground.
same here.
Today maybe tomorrow is your window-dreaded winter mix on the way for the weekend.
Got mine done last Saturday. Hope it comes up next spring.
fingers crossed for 5 months.
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