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How to Prepare a New Seed Bed for Grass

No matter if you are planting sod, seed, springs or stolons, successful grass establishment means proper preparation of the seedbed. It may be labor intensive, but proper preparation is one of the most important factors in establishing a healthy lawn. It is best performed prior to planting because improving soil in an established lawn is much more difficult than improving a newly planted seedbed. Proper seedbed preparation reduces problems involving weeds, fertility, aeration, pH and drainage.

Lely Spreader Settings for Seed Application

The Lely WFR/WGR and HR spreaders can broadcast fertilizer, sand or grass seed. Spreader settings vary depending on the type of material being broadcast. The operators manual lists output rates for multiple settings when spreading fertilizer of slag, but only gives one setting and output rate for each seed type listed. You can overcome this though with a little weighing, measuring and a simple math calculation.

The Natural Reseeding of a Centipede Lawn

A light green color and slow growth distinguishes centipede grass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) from other grass species. Seedheads develop if your lawn grows tall, allowing seeds to dot the soil for possible reseeding. If you have some bare spots in your lawn, natural reseeding does not fill in the space as well as manual seeding or sodding. Centipede is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7b and higher.

When Do You Weed or Seed in Florida?

Because of its north-south orientation, Florida lawns experience much cooler temperatures in northern portions of the state than in South Florida, encouraging the use of both warm- and cool-season grass mixtures in the yard to maintain color throughout the year. For example, a warm-season species, including Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum), is overseeded with cool-season perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), to keep the lawn green almost year-round. The timing of your weed-and-seed turf maintenance in Florida, however, depends on your geographic location for the best results.

Reseeding Lawns in Summer

The best times to reseed a lawn are early fall and mid-to-late spring. Early fall is usually preferable because soil is warm and weed pressure is low, but this time of year is also prone to excessive heat and inadequate moisture. Spring usually provides abundant moisture and mild temperatures, but the soil is cold and weeds are growing vigorously. Summer is the most difficult part of the growing season for reseeding lawns, so you need careful management to increase the likelihood of success.

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