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10-10-10 VS Starter Fertilizer

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#2 ·
Should work fine. Low analysis, of course: 30 percent active ingredients--60 percent rock dust. Cheap because--you need more to do any good. The most important part of success with seed is frequent irrigation. Particularly important in hot weather. Plan to water every day for 30 days. Summer weeds are usually a problem, too.
 
#7 ·
My opinion(in the north)--the best date is about 8 weeks before frost. November 15 for your area. Or put another way--when daily high temperatures come down below 85. Prepare about September first. Sow seed about September 15. Seed when the soil temperature is high, for quick germination. Then hopefully, you will get fall rains and cool temperatures. Hot spells will not be a problem. Crabgrass and summer weeds will fade out fast as the weather cools off, and your new grass comes up.
http://www.almanac.com/gardening/frostdates/NY/Long Island City

Plan on starter fertilizer as you seed. Plan on a booster fertilizer to speed up fill-in about four weeks later.

Please do not buy cheap seed. It is disease prone--red thread fungus can be problematical, in humid areas. Ask for disease-resistant. Use Scotts seed or a professional blend from a landscape supply company. Rye, blue, and fescue is good. (Fine fescue and turf-type tall fescue are both good).
 
#10 ·
http://www.deleasod.com/

Delea sod farm is good. Exactly what is in their "Yankee Stadium "grass seed? I do not recommend sowing an all Kentucky bluegrass lawn unless you have excellent irrigation, excellent soil and professional weed control. Leave the all Kentucky bluegrass seed to the professional growers and their crews.
The problem is that Kentucky bluegrass emerges very slowly, and establishes very slowly--takes about a year. Thin and weedy during that year. If you want Yankee Stadium turf--buy professionally raised sod. Most seeded lawns these days contain about 20 percent perennial rye, also some Kentucky bluegrass, also some fine fescue, also some turf-type tall fescue. A seed mix that contains perennial rye and the above species will establish itself very quickly. Be sure to use top quality--disease resistant seed; it is important. A low percentage of weed seed is important.
 
Discussion starter · #11 ·
RigglePLC said:
http://www.deleasod.com/

Delea sod farm is good. Exactly what is in their "Yankee Stadium "grass seed? I do not recommend sowing an all Kentucky bluegrass lawn unless you have excellent irrigation, excellent soil and professional weed control. Leave the all Kentucky bluegrass seed to the professional growers and their crews.
The problem is that Kentucky bluegrass emerges very slowly, and establishes very slowly--takes about a year. Thin and weedy during that year. If you want Yankee Stadium turf--buy professionally raised sod. Most seeded lawns these days contain about 20 percent perennial rye, also some Kentucky bluegrass, also some fine fescue, also some turf-type tall fescue. A seed mix that contains perennial rye and the above species will establish itself very quickly. Be sure to use top quality--disease resistant seed; it is important. A low percentage of weed seed is important.
Click to expand...
can you give me link to the best seeds that you recommend ?
 
#12 · (Edited)
Costs a bit more, but expert advice and large selection. Talk to Drew Kinder in Buffalo, at the
Seedsuperstore.com

At the retail level, avoid anything that is called "contractor's blend". I don't care for home Depot's Vigro brand.
Scotts Turfbuilder seed is fine (although it contains 50 percent non-seed water retention gel). We had a a tree removed. My wife added bagged topsoil and seeded the circle with Scotts Turfbuilder seed June 15. Irrigated. A few sprouts were a quarter-inch tall after 4 days. Here is a photo at beginning and after 16 days. Tallest sprout is about 4 inches. Label photo shows included varieties. They are probably different for different states.

Image


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#14 ·
Don't apply starter fert with seed, if your prep work was done correctly there will be more than enough nutrients to start and sustain germinating seeds. Once the seedlings have been mowed once at the correct mowing height of 3", apply your starter.
For those of you that believe pre-germinating seeds utilize the fertilizer you have applied should take some classes, obviously your cracker jacks box education isn't working for you. I would go to say as far as, these are the same 'professionals' that insist on cutting lawns down to two or less inches and can't understand why its scalped and brown.... REALLY PEOPLE!
 
#15 ·
Here is the same spot at about 5 weeks and two days later. Dappled sunlight spots. Scotts seed. It is colored blue as you can see in the first picture. Weather was hot and dry, but irrigation was running every morning if no rain--coverage was not perfect. This grass was fertilized about an hour ago. Scotts Turfbuilder 32-0-4. Stay tuned.

My opinion is that fertilizer is very important in the first few weeks of seed establishment. So yes, apply starter fertilizer, at seeding, and about 4 weeks and again 8 weeks later. If phosphorus is adequate, I am not sure the high level of phosphorus is needed. (The idea comes from corn growers). Nitrogen is most important, in my view.

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#16 ·
boats47 said:
Don't apply starter fert with seed, if your prep work was done correctly there will be more than enough nutrients to start and sustain germinating seeds. Once the seedlings have been mowed once at the correct mowing height of 3", apply your starter.
For those of you that believe pre-germinating seeds utilize the fertilizer you have applied should take some classes, obviously your cracker jacks box education isn't working for you. I would go to say as far as, these are the same 'professionals' that insist on cutting lawns down to two or less inches and can't understand why its scalped and brown.... REALLY PEOPLE!
Click to expand...
This is terrible advice. Unless your soil is amazing the new grass won't even grow to 3" without starter. True, seed does not need fertilizer to germinate but it begins using it immediately after germination. Unless you can get on a new lawn 1 week after seeding to fertilize just put it down at seeding.
 
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