I’m just trying to get enough grass established to hold me over until I can properly level the yard and install irrigation in a couple of years. A few weeks ago, I seeded a bit more than the recommended amount and tamped it down by walking over it. I’ve been watering it morning and evening given my dry, arid climate. The seed mix is shown in the second picture. Should I put down the same amount of seed again and hope it grows before the frost hits? I’m in Front Range Colorado, zone 5-ish.
Not an expert, but I have lots of fine fescue in shady areas of my property. This looks like normal fine fescue germination. The plants will get bigger and spots will fill in, albeit slowly.
That’s pretty much where I got with mine too. It grows very slowly, so don’t expect outstanding results immediately.
Did you apply any tackifier or mulch? There’s a good chance that some seed got washed away, because that happened to me as well.
It’s always easier to add more than to take away. You could throw down more, but it doesn’t look that bad for a fine fescue mix. You have a good amount of creeping red fescue, which is good for its growth pattern.
The amount of mulch and pebbles is probably affecting the germination. I’m guessing you put down top soil from a big box store?
Avery said:
The amount of mulch and pebbles is probably affecting the germination. I’m guessing you put down top soil from a big box store?
Yes, the plan is to get a couple of cubic yards delivered to level it better, but for now I used bags from a local supplier that mostly processes dairy waste. I’m familiar with vegetables and native species in my area and knew what I was putting down would be okay for native grasses or even weak carrot seeds. Are fine fescues just even more delicate? There are actually no pebbles; that’s all partially decomposed organic material. My actual dirt is primarily clay but not completely terrible.
It seems you did not have good seed-to-soil contact. You should have at least covered the seed with top soil rather than just broadcasting them off debris in the soil.
Ali said:
It seems you did not have good seed-to-soil contact. You should have at least covered the seed with top soil rather than just broadcasting them off debris in the soil.
How much do you personally cover your seed?
@Clove
Enough so the seeds are not visible. Don’t stress over an exact depth, but they should still be fully covered after watering to settle the soil a bit.
Did you aerate, till the soil, or put down any peat moss, compost, or top dressing? Or did you just put down the seed and hope for the best? I’ve never ‘walked on my seed’ as part of my overseed process.
Poor germination is usually due to poor or improper application.
@Finnian
Yeah, I killed the weeds that were there (basically nothing), filled holes, aerated, and put down a compost/top dressing mix, then the seed. I watered it in really well. I walked on it after throwing it down because I read it’s recommended to use a weighted roller for good seed-soil contact, but I couldn’t find one at any stores. It’s just hardware store seed, and I live in a very arid climate, but I’m not home during the workday to water three times a day, so I figured those two factors could hurt germination. Do you think it looks very sparse for fine fescue?
@Finnian
Peat moss is a good soil amendment but a poor choice for seed cover. It causes long-term issues that alternatives don’t.
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