Overseeding in Jan?

[agrostis]

[QUOTE=Smallaxe;4634604]Now again it seems we have a consistancy problem...

My understanding about Southern Grasses is that they go dormant when it becomes a little chilly in the Fall so people had gotten in the habit of sowing cool season grasses to keep their lawns green for the Winter...

In the Spring/Summer it becomes too hot and the Warm Season grasses flourish on the dead bodies of the cool season grasses that could tolerate the heat...

Is this the procedure??? or not???
I suppose I don't need to know,,, but it is a curiosity... [/QUOTE


Seeding for erosion control is totally different than overseeding for color, and this sound's like a case of erosion control. Warm season grass's don't flourish on cool season grass's. It cause's major problem's for warm season grass, competition is the big one. If you overseed with a cool season grass too heavily you can really set back your bermuda, zoysia or st. augustine. I'm a big fan of not overseeding at all, but a lot of homeowner's like that winter color. Seeding at a low rate is the key to making this work right.

[RigglePLC]

Overseeding is fine...BUT...the transition back to Bermuda as the rye dies out in the spring is problematical.
Not my opinion, according to Fred Yelverton:
http://grounds-mag.com/mag/grounds_m...eded_ryegrass/

It appears that considerable skill and experience is needed--along with selection of a perennial or annual rye that will fade out quickly in spring.

And:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...55534169,d.aWM

[agrostis]

Originally Posted by RigglePLC

Overseeding is fine...BUT...the transition back to Bermuda as the rye dies out in the spring is problematical.
Not my opinion, according to Fred Yelverton:
http://grounds-mag.com/mag/grounds_m...eded_ryegrass/

It appears that considerable skill and experience is needed--along with selection of a perennial or annual rye that will fade out quickly in spring.

And:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...55534169,d.aWM

There you go. You might get a green to green transition one year in twenty, the rest of the time, it look's like a$$, that's another big problem.

[Smallaxe]

Now I understand it... thanks...

[RigglePLC]

I planted Scotts perennial ryegrass in plastic containers of potting soil inside the house. After grass sprouts were about 1-inch tall I moved one container to outside at 28 degrees for 24 hours. The second container was moved to a freezer at 19 degrees for 20 hours, (not cold enough), and then moved to a freezer at minus 4 degrees F. for four hours.

48 hours later the seedlings (left) held at 28 degrees were not damaged. Sprouts held at 19 and then four hours... at minus 4 degrees F. (right) were severely damaged. (Perhaps not killed--this will be determined after a few days.)

[Smallaxe]

Ground protection is something you can't get in cups... their entire root system is wrapped in frost like a popsicle, whereas the roots in the earth have opportunity to dormant as the earth feezes over time... the greenery under the snow now, will turn brown when the snow leaves in the Spring, but the roots will be protected from dehydration and alive...

I would guess that the cups you put in the freezer had extensive root damage and dehydration...

[RigglePLC]

I reused the left over sprouts from last week. And I tested the ryegrass in the cup that was healthy, and about 2 inches tall...by placing it in a mild freezer at 19 degrees for 24 hours. The grass was injured. Most of the time it collapsed and bent over at a point about a half inch above the soil surface. I am assuming this was the delicate area of most rapid growth. And yes, the soil froze hard. I am not sure if a more gradual onset of cold would have allowed the new grass to adapt to the cold. Clearly a sudden cold snap to 19 degrees is detrimental.

[ed2hess]

Originally Posted by RigglePLC

Overseeding is fine...BUT...the transition back to Bermuda as the rye dies out in the spring is problematical.
Not my opinion, according to Fred Yelverton:
http://grounds-mag.com/mag/grounds_m...eded_ryegrass/

It appears that considerable skill and experience is needed--along with selection of a perennial or annual rye that will fade out quickly in spring.

I never had any problem getting the rye to die back in bermuda. We fertilized the perennial rye heavy and when temp got to 90F the rye would disappear. And rye does fine when subjected to freezes. It may get a little brown but hardly ever affected it.