New Grass not Growing

[jtette]

I seeded my lawn last Saturday, 4/18, and no sign of any growth today whatsoever. I live in Western New York. Here's the background. Last fall I used round up to kill the grass, then I rototilled it. Total area of about 1.5 acres. In March, I landscape raked and graded it. Last Saturday, I spread triple 10 fertilizer, then had someone harley rake it, then I broadcast seeded, the he blew on mulched straw. The problem is that I've encountered the following conditions since:

Saturday (day of seeding): 20 mph winds, sunny, and around 59. Low in 40's.
Sunday: 20 mph winds, cloudy but no rain, and around mid 50's. Sunday night low in 40's.
Monday: rain all day with highs in the low 40's. Overnight low in mid 30's but no frost.
Tuesday: same as Monday.
Wednesday: Clearing, but still in the 40's. Overnight low in high 30's.
Thursday: Sunny, high in the 50's and winds around 20 mph. Low in the mid 40's.
Friday and Saturday: Sunny and warm, high near 80 and lowes in the mid 60's. Saturday night, heavy rain and low around 58.
Today: sunny and 60 with winds in the 15 mph range.

About 40% of the straw is either gone or setting on other areas where straw remained intact. Where the straw is gone, I don't see any visible grass seed (or grass for that matter). There is no peach fuzz apparent anywhere. If I lift the straw, I see seed underneath, but no visible germination.

My question is at what point do I bail and just reseed? I'm afraid that with the cold nights and heavy rains, the seed may have spoiled. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[hernando]

sounds like you havent given it enough time.i seed yards all the time it takes anywhere from 7 to 21 days im my area,,[ tennessee ] dont give up yet ...just give it time . some my have washed away...but if you are using fescue. it is a cool season grass it loves cold nights.. when it comes up you can go back and scratch the areas that didnt come up with a hand rake and just put more seed on your bare spots..it has happend to me on more than one occasion ,,,good luck Bruce neal tractor works

 

[ampsucker]

germination temps are much higher than regular growth temps for fescue. anywhere from 50 - 60 degrees and plan on 10 days at that temp. lower temps take longer. keep in mind this is soil temp and air temps are usually quite a bit higher.

keep it moist and give it another week or two. unless you used old seed, you should see growth once night time temps stay warm enough that the soil sees a constant 50 degree temp. use a themometer to check the temps first thing in the morning to see what your soil is doing.

also keep in mind that watering will lower the soil temp due to evaporative cooling so even if the day and night temps are warm enough, the moist soil will be cooler. this is one of the many reasons you should seed a lawn in the fall....

amp

 

[RonMar]

Yep, keep it moist and be patient. You might re-seed the areas blown clean, then recover them with straw/grass clippings to retain the moisture. I have found it takes a VERY long time for the seeds to crack if they don't have nearly constant moisture.

 

[jtette]

The area in the pictures behind the new seeding were done in late August a couple of years back and I was mowing before the end of the season. I didn't have the luxury of a fall seeding this time though because I tilled too late in the season. I didn't get my tiller until late October. Thanks for the advice.

 

[radioman]

its been too cold for growing anything. grass finally got to the point where it started to grow last week and grow here in central new York. The soil temps need to be higher for grass seeds to start growing. It may seem warm enough to grow grass, but keep in mind its the air temps warming up the soil temp. How wet or moist is the soil ? If your lawn is clay like, it will take awhile before its ready to grow grass. Give it another two weeks and then evaluate then.

 

[frank_f15]

as others have said give it some time. been kind of cold for new grass to start comming in.

 

[Ford850]

If you dragged the area after seeding it, there will probably be enough seed left in the soil. If you didn't drag it before blowing on the straw, then your seed is likely drifted into the same areas your straw moved from the winds. Either way, time will tell. The soil temps should just now (after the past few warm days) be right for germination. The next good soaking rain should kick it into gear and you'll see the fuzz a few days after that. The difference between now and when you fall seeded is the soild temperature. Fall seeding takes advantage warmer soil left over from summer heat.

 

[MarkV]

I didn't see where you mention the type of grass seed you put down. If fescue, or another cool season grass, then I think everyone is right and it needs more time. With the temps you listed it could take a while until the ground temps get right but it will happen.

Now if you seeded with a warm season grass I think you were too early and will have to wait even longer with over seeding a possible option in a month.

MarkV

 

[wowbw7]

i've seeded many lawns and a few things i've learned over the past....soil must be warm for seed to germinate successfully. keep it moist...once you get the seed wet, keep it wet. you lose 10% of your sprouts everytime you let the soil dry out. i always double the recommended seed amount per area if i do a large area if i know i won't be able to keep up with the watering. you should see 'hair' within 7-10 days, but most seedlings take a while longer. but water daily and you should have good results.hope this helps.

 

[JMER817]

Depending on the type of seed you broadcasted here is the standard germination rate:

Perrenial Rye 5-7 days
Fescue 10-15 days
KY Bluegrass 15-28days

The ground needs to be between 50-70 degrees for optimum germination (60-80 deg outside temp). Wait a couple weeks especially after a couple good rain showers and you will be cutting in no time.

What type and broadcast rate did you use? Did you happen to roll the seed after you broadcast it?

I quit using straw for my installations unless it was very dry conditions and watering was difficult. It ends up being blown around by the wind most of the time and straw usually has a few weed seeds in it as well.

Report back with pictures in a few weeks and we can help you along.

 

[ray66v]

i've seeded many lawns and a few things i've learned over the past....soil must be warm for seed to germinate successfully.

That's what I say. The ground is too cold. And putting straw on top of it, is not going to help the sun warm it up any time soon.

I wait until the ground is about 65 degrees to plant grass, and only use straw or mulch, if it is a dry season. You should get enough rain this time of the year to be able to get by without it. Then the sun can get in there.

 

[jtette]

I used a 33/33/33% mix of fescue, ky bluegrass, and rye (all cold season grass). I saw some patchy peachfuzz today for the first time. Mid 80 degree temps and moist soil helped. Very patchy though with most of the area still barren dirt or piled straw.

I used a total of 90 lbs of seed initially followed by around 10 lbs of additional seed I used to patch areas that blew away. It looks like most of those 10 lbs blew away too. I still have another 10 lbs in the bag.

The total area is around 1 to 1.5 acres so the rate was about 2lbs per 1000 sq ft. I seeded twice that area with 34 lbs 3 years ago, but it was in the fall.

Some of the straw in spots is pretty thick due to the wind blowing it around. I'm somewhat encouraged since I'm getting peachfuzz, but I'll follow up with 2 weeks of patience and post a couple more pictures. At that point, I'm not sure if I should throw down another 50 lbs on all the bare areas, but I don't know the best way to put it down to ensure it stays there instead of seeding all my neighbors lawns. Thanks for all the posts. Additional advice is welcome.

 

[jtette]

Another question: When watering a new lawn, for how long do you let the sprinker run each day? I am watering with a regular 5/8" garden hose using a sprinkler head (the kind you spike into the ground and rotates around in an adjustable pattern (up to 360 degrees). Do you let it run for 10 minutes, an hour, all day, etc...

 

[Duffster]

Another question: When watering a new lawn, for how long do you let the sprinker run each day? I am watering with a regular 5/8" garden hose using a sprinkler head (the kind you spike into the ground and rotates around in an adjustable pattern (up to 360 degrees). Do you let it run for 10 minutes, an hour, all day, etc...

Water until the water just starts to puddle on top, typically ~1 hour

Your seeding rate seems low to me, JMO

 

[dangerdoc]

The area in the pictures behind the new seeding were done in late August a couple of years back and I was mowing before the end of the season. I didn't have the luxury of a fall seeding this time though because I tilled too late in the season. I didn't get my tiller until late October. Thanks for the advice.

When you seed, the seeds need a couple of weeks of warm soil temps for the chemical changes that allow germination. We fall seed in this area, the seed does it's pregermination thing in the fall then germinates weeks earlier than spring seeded lawns. It is done here because of our harsh dry summers, it gives the grass a few more weeks to set root before the summer heat has a chance to kill it.

 

[JMER817]

As far as watering, it is best to keep the seed moist by watering lightly (10-15min) 3 x a day. This is ideal for quick germination. But with other commitments and the size of the area this is next to impossible. You only want to get the seed / straw wet. Too much and the seed will move around in the puddles and run-off. Do the best you can and hope for mother nature to help out. As the grass begins to grow, reduce the number of waterings but increase the length. This promotes good root growth.

I like that you used the 3 way mix. This is what I used to use when I did installs and works the best by adapting to different site conditions. I am concerned that you spread the seed a little too light. I would recommend 5-7lbs per 1000sq ft with this mix. If it were 100% Ky bluegrass you can get away with less.

Lets see how it grows, upload some pictures in the next few weeks, and we'll decide then how to overseed it.

 

[JMER817]

After giving it more thought, I think you need to put more seed down now. Do you have access to "landpride" overseeder? This is ideal in that it cuts little slices in the ground, drops the seed, and then a cultipacker presses the seed in firmly.

Or I have heard of some having success with a plugger which creates little holes in the surface and throw's plugs of dirt on the surface. The seed won't grow in the hole (seed should only be 1/4" deep max) but the plugs of soil on the surface will level out with the watering and rain fall and cover the seed.

 

[jtette]

I do not have access to an overseeder. I would have to broadcast seed it. Would it be worthwhile to do that now? The only problem is that I would be spreading a lot of it on top of the straw.