GRASS
SEEDING TIPS
by
John Fouts
The successful establishment of grasses requires careful planning. In the Pacific Northwest, the most common causes of grass seeding failures are poor or inadequate seedbed preparation, seeding too deeply and seeding too late in the spring or too early in the fall.
Poor seedbed preparation leads to loose soil, dryness near the surface, excessive weed competition and seeding depth problems. When seedbed preparation begins too late, seeding ends up too late.
A firm, weed-free seedbed is
of primary importance for successful establishment of the small seeds
of grasses. A firm seedbed holds the moisture near
the surface, helps control the depth of seeding and provides anchorage
for young seedling roots. Incorporate
surface residue, then disk or harrow until the seedbed is fine. Rolling or cultipacking will develop
the firmness necessary for a solid seedbed. When
walking on a prepared seedbed, your footprints should be no more
than one inch deep. The
goal is for the soil surrounding the seed to be moist.
Weed competition can be controlled with a final cultivation before seeding. A herbicide treatment a few weeks before plowing may be necessary to limit weed competition. In no-till or minimum-till seedings, weed control with herbicides and suppression of existing forage by heavy grazing are critical.
Specialized seeders are normally
required with minimum-till or no-till systems. These
planters have tools for moving crop debris and cutting a furrow for seed
placement.
For most grass seeds and soil
conditions, seeding depth should be between ¼ and ½ inch.
Research has shown that larger seeded varieties,
such as the wheatgrasses, bromegrasses and wildryes,
establish well when seeded up to one inch deep.
The key to successful establishment is getting
the seeds into moist soil that will stay moist, without putting it deeper
than it has energy reserves to grow through.
In dryland
situations, grass can be seeded in the spring or the late fall. Spring seedings have a very narrow window
for cultivation and seeding between soil being too wet and too dry. Fall dormant seeding can be done anytime
after the soil temperature has lowered enough so
that germination won’t
take place. This is usually
when the soil temperature is below 42 degrees. The advantage of fall
dormant seeding is that the grass gets an earlier start to compete
against weeds. The best timing for a fall dormant seeding is the day
before it snows. This timing also allows for better seed soil contact as a
result of frost-crack soil movement.
Good references
for grass seeding include WSU EB1516, Hay Production
Guide for Northeastern Washington, and U of I Bulletin No. 547, Idaho Forage
Handbook.
For more information, contact WSU Extension, (509) 477-2048.
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