1/23/2015

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How’s and why’s (or why not’s) of Dormant Seedings

Matt Sousek & Luqi Li

http://turf.unl.edu

Dormant Seeding

•Why• Another option• Thanksgiving – Easter • No delay during spring due to weather• Starter fertilizer and herbicides in spring• No irrigation

Dormant Seeding

•Why not• Erodible site• Ground is frozen, snow• Chance for hard spring frost• Wait until late summer or fall

Fundamentals for ALL SEEDINGS

• Right grass, Right place, Right time

• Soil Prep

• Irrigation

• Weed control

• Mowing-early and often

• Post seeding fertilization

The earlier it covers the easier it gets

Methods of seeding Power-Rake/Vertical Mower• Set to disrupt top ¼ inch of soil

• Helps remove small thatch layers

• Promotes good seed to soil contact• Can use before or after seeding or both

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Slit seeding• Minimal soil disruption

• Seed placed directly in slits

• Best to seed in two directions or more

• Promotes good seed to soil contact

• Less prone to erosion

Aerification

• Solid tines or Hollow tines?• Both will work

• Hollow tines promote more soil contact

• More holes the better the seed will take• Target a 2 by 2 inch spacing

• Requires multiple passes with most commercial aerifiers

Conventional tillage

• Best suited on level ground

• Great seed bed

• Labor intensive

• Required when grading needed

Recommended Rates

• Dormant vs. spring seeding: 10 -25% higher rate(??)

Kentucky bluegrass 2.0 - 3.0 lbs/M

Tall fescue 6.0 - 9.0 lbs/M

Buffalograss 2.0 - 3.0 lbs/M

What we did

• Three seeding rates:

Kentucky bluegrass at 2, 3 or 4 lbs/M

Turf-type tall fescue at 6, 9 or 12 lbs/M

‘Sundancer’ buffalograss at 3, 4.5 or 6 lbs/M

• Two seeding dates:

November 20 (Dormant seeding) vs. May 1 (Spring seeding)

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What we did

• Seeds spread by hand, raked with leaf rake

• Tenacity: May 1 and 4 June at 5 oz/A

• Quicksilver: 20 June at 2.0 oz/A

• Irrigation and fertilizer applied after May 1

• Area mowed at 2.5 inch weekly

Take home messages

• Increasing seeding rates may not be necessary for dormant winter seeding of Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue or buffalograss.

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NSTake home messages

• Dormant seeding may not perform well compared to spring seeding with late spring frost

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Don’t forget about weed control

• Treat it like a spring seeding

• Sooner the better

• Apply herbicides before germination or after

Weed Control Options in Seedings

• Tenacity (Mesotrione)• PRE on bare soil• Post over turfed areas• Crab + Broadleaves + Nutsedge

• Drive XLR8 (Quinclorac)• Anytime on TF• 7 days prior and Post 28 days after emergence on KBG• Crab + broadleaves

• SquareOne (Quinclorac+Carfentrazone)• Post 7 DAE• Crab+Broadleaves

• Tupersan (Siduron)• Crab• PRE

• Quicksilver (Carfentrazone)• Post• Broadleaves

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Dormant Seeding KBG May 20 Dormant seeded TF May 20

Spring Seeded TF May 20

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Kentucky bluegrass or large crabgrass cover from dormant or spring-seedings (UNL 2012)

CrabgrassKBG

LSD p=0.05 KBG 18.8 Crab 6.9

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Tall fescue or large crabgrass cover from dormant or spring-seedings (UNL 2012)

CrabgrassTF

LSD p=0.05 TF 4.3 Crab 3.0

If you decide to dormant seed

• Not necessary to raise rates

• Choose the best seeding method

• Think about spring weed control

• TF is preferred over KBG

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Matt Sousek

http://turf.unl.edu/

msousek2@unl.edu