Advice on Grass Planting

[sld]

I have around 4 acres of grass that I want to spruce up. Currently it is a mixture of K-31 and assorted field grass and weeds. The areas where the original K-31 is thriving look pretty good.

I need advice on how to go about this without round up, tilliing, and reseeding. We might be able to water for a couple of weeks but not on a regular basis. I want to get geared up to do this in the fall.

What implements and methods will plant the seed right into the ground and get decent germination? This is a budget project just to make some improvements. I don't need to end up with a golf course.

I was thinking about poking a bunch of holes with a core aerator and then broadcasting the seed. Think this would work? Is the old fashioned K-31 a good choice?

 

[Duffster]

I have around 4 acres of grass that I want to spruce up. Currently it is a mixture of K-31 and assorted field grass and weeds. The areas where the original K-31 is thriving look pretty good.

I need advice on how to go about this without round up, tilliing, and reseeding. We might be able to water for a couple of weeks but not on a regular basis. I want to get geared up to do this in the fall.

What implements and methods will plant the seed right into the ground and get decent germination? This is a budget project just to make some improvements. I don't need to end up with a golf course.

I was thinking about poking a bunch of holes with a core aerator and then broadcasting the seed. Think this would work? Is the old fashioned K-31 a good choice?

I would use a no-till drill or an overseeder

 

[ampsucker]

wait till fall.

amp

 

[Frosty2]

Older neighbor taught me this trick.Wait to right before a big snowstorm and go out and sow seed.The snow covers the seed and birds won't eat it.In the spring the seed is inbedded in the ground and takes off.Now this is in the city and his lawn is great looking.I don't see why this wouldn't work in a field.

 

[aggiehortguy91]

If you want a uniform stand of grass, you are going to have to do it right (kill and till). If less than perfect is ok, then kill and reseed in the fall. I think that you will find that (other than a little tractor time) there will be very little difference in the cost and you will have much better results (and therefore be happier) with the first approach. Also, KY31 is fine for a field, but you might consider a blend with tall fescues and creaping red fescue for better coverage and less weed problems.

 

[DJ54]

Try looking up "frost seeding". I did this on both my pasture, and hay field. On the pasture, I just broadcast seeded it.. I had been mowing it, and kept it mowed, like it was part of the lawn. On the hayfield, old pasture ground, whe we had cattle.. I disked over it twice, with a heavy 3 pt. Massey disc, set to full cut. One pass straight, one at a 45ｺ angle. Just wanted to open the top a bit...

Frost seeding is done in the late winter/early spring. Around here it is done the last two weeks of Feb., or first two weeks of March. Days when it gets down enough to freeze the ground, then warms enough to get muddy on top... Notice in the spring when the ground "honeycombs" This action will pull the seed into the ground.. I had outstanding results on both fields... And they are not on the same place... 25 miles apart.., and different soil.

Ohio State University has good info about this in their agricultural section. I found several other state universities have them to...

Worked great for me, and little overhead, other than fuel and seed.

 

[radioman]

Hmmm, I can see it now- snowmobiler for hire, will broadcast grass seeds for gas and place to ride

 

[aggiehortguy91]

If you want a uniform stand of grass, you are going to have to do it right (kill and till). If less than perfect is ok, then kill and reseed in the fall. I think that you will find that (other than a little tractor time) there will be very little difference in the cost and you will have much better results (and therefore be happier) with the first approach. Also, KY31 is fine for a field, but you might consider a blend with tall fescues and creaping red fescue for better coverage and less weed problems.

I can see that I was less than clear. By "kill and till", I didn't mean that you actually needed to till. I've installed countless numbers of acres of very fine quality lawn with a field cultivator and a york rake. Kill the existing grasses, plow everything up with the field cultivator, then remove the clumps and smooth with the rake.

If the ground is sufficiently smooth and your requirements are not too stringent, you may be able to get away with a targeted herbicide and overseeding. BTW, the "frost seeding" does work very well.

 

[wedge40]

I always find it interesting that the box stores have grass seed in the spring, but none to be found in the fall when it's the best time plant or over seed.
Wedge

 

[J35]

I have around 4 acres of grass that I want to spruce up. Currently it is a mixture of K-31 and assorted field grass and weeds. The areas where the original K-31 is thriving look pretty good.

I need advice on how to go about this without round up, tilliing, and reseeding. We might be able to water for a couple of weeks but not on a regular basis. I want to get geared up to do this in the fall.

What implements and methods will plant the seed right into the ground and get decent germination? This is a budget project just to make some improvements. I don't need to end up with a golf course.

I was thinking about poking a bunch of holes with a core aerator and then broadcasting the seed. Think this would work? Is the old fashioned K-31 a good choice?

It will work after a fashion, I have done it when that was all I had to work with and had more time than money.

Start a couple weeks before you figure you will start plugging and mow right down to dirt with a mulching type blade and keep it mowed, when you get ready to broadcast your seed you don't want a bunch of debris keeping your seed from making contact with the soil.

Then plug the heck out of it when soil condition is such that you can pull two to three inch plugs up, I would plan to go over every square foot a minimum of four times, the more soil you pull up the better.

Then lightly drag the whole area one time, broadcast your seed heavy, and lightly drag one time, if you can figure out someway to roll the whole area it will be worth your trouble and then pray for slow, steady rain.

I have put in six one acre paddocks as outlined above, with Orchard grass, Fescue, Clover and was all grins the following spring.

Around here you can rent over seeder's $150-$200 a day, if you choose this route I would still do everything the same as above but insert over seeder instead of broadcast and no 2nd use of drag ,but rolling after over seeding would still be a good thing to me.

good luck

 

[tatra805]

a couple of things based on my experience..

climate will influence this.

I'll go backwards in the process

Once the grass starts growing you want to keep it short so all seeds get a chance to grow and to stimulate root growth. (and the fast growing vegetation has to stay low to allow the slower growing types to develop) When seeding in fall spring fields can be wet and a pain to work on. You dont want to tear up the field making ruts.

To avoid this i seed in spring and start cutting after 2 weeks of visible growth. Then i keep the grass short, whatever mowing frequence that means. Just before summer i then let the grass grow till seed. After the seed is ready cut it again and keep it maintained.

Drag the field once and leave it, i do not roll and avoid any possible compactation. So, minimal passes and driving.

I seed by hand or spreader, dragging will anyhow create a line effect so i want a so spread as possible seed base to start with.

Ground preparation, wether new field or renovation, i always till at shallow dept (2 to 3 inches) The cut up leafs are nutrients, the roots survive partly and grow back. They also keep structure in the ground so you dont have a sand like base ground which compacts with the first rain.
I do not kill-spray but i am also not talking golf course type lawns.

Another benefit is the aeration of the ground, overseeding does not achieve this in the same amount. And you can level the field before seeding.

Before tilling manure is spread on the field. I know from experience that this works better than artificial fertilizer for starting a lawn. I guess the fertilizer is that concentrated it kind of overkills the young plants.

Start of the sequence is after a good rain, so moist field. The seeds tend to start faster.


hope it helps

 

[spruce Deere]

I have around 4 acres of grass that I want to spruce up. Currently it is a mixture of K-31 and assorted field grass and weeds. The areas where the original K-31 is thriving look pretty good.

I need advice on how to go about this without round up, tilliing, and reseeding. We might be able to water for a couple of weeks but not on a regular basis. I want to get geared up to do this in the fall.

What implements and methods will plant the seed right into the ground and get decent germination? This is a budget project just to make some improvements. I don't need to end up with a golf course.

I was thinking about poking a bunch of holes with a core aerator and then broadcasting the seed. Think this would work? Is the old fashioned K-31 a good choice?

Later in the fall, core aerate then harrow the grass field with your harrow to break-up soil plugs and organic matter, then broadcast your seed. The rain and following snow will work the seed into the roughed up field. Green in the spring should follow.........

 

[sld]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I really appreciate it.

The lawn is my Mom's. I am taking care of the place since my Dad passed away a couple of years ago. When I started running numbers for fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides for the 4 acres of grass I just could not justify trying to make it look like my city lawn. Heck, sometimes I wonder why I go to so much trouble and expense for my 10,000 square feet of "golf course".

With the implements I have now, it looks like plugging the heck out of it, pulling the harrow around, seeding, and then maybe harrow again will be the way to go. I usually like to plant in the fall, but the late winter / early spring time frame is interesting. We can be dry in the fall here, but it is always wet in the spring. BTW, my harrow is pretty aggressive. If the ground is just right, it will leave pretty good cuts if I mow it short.

The biggest expense will be the seed. How many pounds per 1000 sq ft is recommended for an overseed? I am finding conflicting data. I will probably go with a fescue blend, but predominantly K-31. That stuff is very hardy.