Aim:
- To establish new grass plant to help hold pitches together.
- To improve wear tolerance, disease resistant’s and colour.
Method:
- Can be sown by hand, spread by fertiliser spreader or machine.
- In all cases the seed must have good soil seed contact to improve germination.
- Perennial Ryegrass is normally sown at 35 gm-2 when oversowing and 50 gm-2 on bare soil.
Timing:
The two best months to sow grass seed are April and September, but seed can be sown as long as the soil temperature is above 5oC.
Effects of Incorrect Procedure:
Sowing at too higher a rate will cause a disease called damping off which will kill the young grasses.
Equipment Selection:
- Sow by hand out of a bucket or bag.
- Spread the seed with a fertiliser spreader. Or a powered machine that creates a hole or a slot for the seed to drop into.
Practical Tips:
- Good quality seed will not germinate in thatch; this should be removed to the bare soil.
- You only need to plant grass seed to a depth similar to the size of the seed.