Water Management Tips For Seeding
To germinate and establish, grass seed needs 3 things:
At the moment we definitely have the temperature!
Seed may germinate in compacted soil but will struggle to establish and develop its roots. Ensure that you aerate the soil before seeding.
Ensure that the grass seed is planted at the correct sowing rate and most importantly, at the specified depth.
However, the main issue with poor seed germination and establishment is water. Remember a young seedling has very little root and can dry out in just a few hours if not kept moist. Think of baby seedlings like a new born baby, they need to drink very regularly until they are established, you can’t just leave them for a couple of days.
Water needs to get to the seed where it is and the soil kept moist so it's not allowed to dry out. On fine turf, maintain your regular wetting agent programme and keep moisture levels consistently quite high. Should any areas dry out, apply Aqueduct Flex and water to re-wet it. Better still, when overseeding prevent anything drying out by applying Aqueduct Flex just prior to seeding.
A golf tee suffering drought and correct water management ensuring seed germinates and establishes to maximum potential.
On fairways and sportsgrounds, make sure that water can penetrate the soil so you can make the best use of available water. Dry fairways and sportsgrounds need to be treated with a penetrative wetting agent such as Aqueduct Dispatch, Prestige Super Fairway Wetting Agent or H2Pro AquaSmart.
A dry fairway in need of a penetrative wetting agent.
At a time where water is a precious resource, it is important to make the best use of the water we have to ensure it penetrates the soil so that the seed can benefit from it. Remember that seed does not need to be drowned but must be kept damp.
If you are on a limited budget, consider reducing the amount of seed you purchase by 10% and spending that saving on a quality water management product to make best use of the seed you have. It is a false economy to sow lots of seed and then not water it to full establishment.
Great germination on a newly seeded fairway but not kept moist and as limited rooting, grass will now not recover.
For expert help and advice contact Collier Turf Care on 01328 700600
Chris Humphrey M.I. Soil Sci. M.B.P.R. FQA
Technical Manager