Fall Seeding

Garden Gleanings by Bob Hatton

I was talking to a friend a week or so ago and he said he was getting ready to seed some bare areas of his fescue lawn. I urged him to wait a bit. Late summer to early fall is the best time to seed or reseed your lawn if you have one of the cool season grasses such as tall fescue, ryegrass or bluegrass. These grasses germinate best at 60 - 85. It follows that laying sod of cool season grasses is also best done in the late summer to early fall. If seeds germinate too early, it is very difficult to keep the roots damp enough to prevent their dying while not over watering which prevents growth as well as the possibility of killing them by depriving them of air. Once the weather cools and is more moderate, any abnormally hot spells can be dealt with at the time. Once the grass becomes established, the roots will continue to grow through fall and into winter until it becomes too cold. Whether using seed or sod, good soil preparation is essential for best results. Debris and stones should be removed. In our heavy clay soils, organic matter such as composted manure can be added to the top 4 to 6 inches of the seedbed to provide better soil for the new grass roots. Even when laying sod, clay soil may be resistant to the penetration of grass roots which have been growing in good soil. It may also result in water drainage problems. Proper grading is also important to avoid low areas that will tend to hold water too long. I am as guilty as anyone is when it comes to proper soil preparation in my lawn and gardens. I am impatient and this work is not fun. But, just as a good paint job begins with good surface preparation, good soil preparation is also required for the best success when planting anything in the lawn or garden. gardenguy1@suddenlink.net

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Fall Seeding