DAY 0:

Lawn 1 front & side all prepped (about 8K):

 

DAY 0:

Lawn 2 front, rear, blvd all prepped (about 8K front & rear, 1K blvd):

 

I've overseeded only 3 lawns via power rake, aerate, topsoil, broadcast seed, backdrag method all with good success. LOTS of work.

This will be my 1st time using a slice seeder, which many on lawnsite claim does a better job on lawns that really need a heavy duty renovation.

I will post photos after seeding and then weekly for several weeks. I know the KBG can take up to 4 weeks to germinate.
🤞

 

This will be my 1st time using a slice seeder

Are you renting the seeder? If so, get a self propelled model if possible.

 

Great thread. Good luck sir!

 

Good luck. 100% KBG is tough to overseed with.

 

We have a project coming up that requires seeding with only KBG which is pretty rare here. Normally we seed with Rye, Fescue, 10% KBG. What's tough with only using KBG? Pitfalls to watch out for? Thanks!

 

Prg can sprout in three days. Kbg can sprout in three weeks. With the fert and all the watering going on, the existing turf starts growing like crazy. It may seem counterintuitive, but mowing short and frequently is advantageous as it lessens competition from the existing turf and gets more sunlight down to the seeds.

 

Seeding from scratch isn't as difficult as overseeding. There isn't pressure from the existing grass.

 

Both customer lawns are irrigated and I will instruct both to run irrigation daily for 10 minutes at 10 AM, 3 PM, 8PM in order to keep seed moist.

All sounds good except I'd suggest a different schedule. If the lawns get full sun I recommend 10 min every 1-2 hrs from 10AM to 4-5 PM. Sun starts getting weak at 5.
Remember slit seeding only puts the seeds 1/4" - 3/8" deep, so that close to the surface will dry quickly on a hot/sunny day.
10 AM to 3PM is a large window.

If you can only do 3 waterings a day then 10, 12, 2.

Also, slit seed in 2 passes 90 degrees if you can.

Good luck!

 

I agree. I like 10-15 min a day 4-5 times daily. Every 2 to 2.5hrs from 8am to 6pm.
With kgb I water like this for a full 30days to ensure all germination.

 

Patience is the name of the game with kgb. It takes a long time to germinate. It also takes a long time to thicken up and fill out. I've seeded areas before that initially looked like a fail. Twelve months later and they looked amazing.

 

And in an overseed situation--it can be difficult to tell the difference between the new grass and the old grass. If the customer cannot see new grass--he will be unsatisfied.
Try to think of a way to be sure the customer will water every day.
Anybody have good methods? Good ideas?
For instance, tell ms customer that you will stop by and check the moisture level every day and--if it is not wet, you will leave them a note and void any guarantee. No free callbacks. Of course--if the customer is unsatisfied--you have lost a customer for future applications.

 

And in an overseed situation--it can be difficult to tell the difference between the new grass and the old grass. If the customer cannot see new grass--he will be unsatisfied.
Try to think of a way to be sure the customer will water every day.
Anybody have good methods? Good ideas?
For instance, tell ms customer that you will stop by and check the moisture level every day and--if it is not wet, you will leave them a note and void any guarantee. No free callbacks. Of course--if the customer is unsatisfied--you have lost a customer for future applications.

I don’t find frustrated customers with overseeding, but I explain what it does and more importantly doesn’t do. As far as making sure watering happens, if it’s freasible, I set up a set of sprinklers on timers and charge accordingly. I don’t have time to babysit and visit customers on a regular basis.

 

No one mentioned a little annual rye is good for quick establishment until the kbg fills in. Keeps impatient people happy.
Don't expect my slice seeder to see much action this year but I think it's worth keeping around because it does do an excellent job.

 

No one mentioned a little annual rye is good for quick establishment until the kbg fills in. Keeps impatient people happy.
Don't expect my slice seeder to see much action this year but I think it's worth keeping around because it does do an excellent job.
View attachment 520291

Why did my other post make you angry?

 

Zlandman makes a good point--include some annual rye as the quick germination results in greater and quicker customer satisfaction. Perennial rye--works about the same--but is darker green.
Also be sure to plant some of the seed on your property and water it well. So you can say--"Well it is coming up fine at my place. Come on over and take a look."
Yes--it is smart to set up a battery-operated sprinkler timer at Ms Customer's house in advance.
Also, think about pre-germination of the seed or part of the seed. You supply the water for the first two days of germination in advance. Of course, you have to soak the seed for a couple days. And then dry it on a garage floor for a day.
Has anyone thought of a method of sowing pre-germinated seed without drying it first?
Is it possible to sow it directly from the bucket of water where you were soaking it?

 

Both lawns are overseeded. Both are corner lots, all concrete was edged in order to hold seed. Walked perimeter with PowerSpreader and broadcast seed since SuperSeeder couldn't get right to edge. All seed in street gently blown back up into lawn, could see good amount of seed in all edged areas.

SuperSeeder worked well once I got the hang of it. Only complaint is seed adjuster moved on me even though I jacked it down hard. Once I figured that out, I kept a close eye on the seed adjuster knob. Wanted to make 2 passes everywhere, but seed adjuster knob moved without my knowledge & I threw down way too much on 1st pass front so only made 1 pass there.

Is movement of the seed adjuster knob a common problem? Maybe notch the thing like the depth level so it can't move on you?

 

Photos taken right after slice seeding.

DAY 1

Lawn 1 front, side.

DAY 1

Lawn 2 front, rear, blvd, front again.

 

By power spreader do you mean like the Scott's handheld battery spreader?

I don't use the seed dropper on the slice seeder I broadcast with a seeder like this I fell distribution is better controlled.

 

By power spreader do you mean like the Scott's handheld battery spreader?

I don't use the seed dropper on the slice seeder I broadcast with a seeder like this I fell distribution is better controlled.
View attachment 520313

No. Just posted photo.

 

Equipment used:

 

Off topic, but since we are talking about seed. My wife bought some seed for me at a garden store. I looked up some of the seed types in the mix.
I was astounded at the price of this "Orbit" red fescue seed--about $11 per pound--and yet it is out of stock--sold out.
Price is up seed supply is down.

Creeping Red Fescue Grass Seed

Creeping Red Fescue is a cool-season grass used in cool, shaded, mountain sites, such as camps, resorts, and cabins where low-input of mowing, fertilization, and irrigation is desired.

hancockseed.com

 

Update: On & off showers/thunderstorms over 3 day period since slice seeding. 2.5" rainfall so far, maybe a little more tonight. Highs about 80.
Upcoming week calls for sunny, near 80 degree temperatures all week. Seems like ideal conditions. I'll wait a week & post photos. I expect
no germination at that point, but thatch & junk on top should be washed down into soil...

 

Photos 10 days after overseeding. Thatch on top washed down due to 2.5" rain after overseeding.
Lawns look bad, but fescue on blvd popping up. I put down starter fertilizer for the fescue yesterday.
Starting to see some KBG popping up. You need to look real close.

Labor Day weekend sunny, low humidity, highs about 75 degrees, lows 50 to 55 degrees. 👍

DAY 10

Lawn 1 front and side. Look close & you can see KBG starting to come up.

DAY 10

Lawn 2. Fescue coming up & starter fertilizer applied. KBG not as noticeable as lawn one, but I see a little popping up. Note the fescue coming up along sidewalk in burrow created by stick edger.

 

This is the KBG seed mix used (4 different strains):

• 29.71% Washington Kentucky Bluegrass
• 24.70% Concerto Kentucky Bluegrass
• 24.78% Gaelic Kentucky Bluegrass
• 19.72% Zip Kentucky Bluegrass

 

2 weeks in. Starter fertilizer went down today on both KBG lawns since KBG has started to germinate. Lebanon Proscape 16-25-12, 25% MESA is the fertilizer. Showers expected today.

 

.25" rain last night, fertilizer should be releasing into soil.

Forecast next 5 days calls for highs of 70 to 79, lows in upper 40s to low 50s. Sunny 4 of those 5 days.
Would seem like ideal conditions. Very curious to see these lawns next Thursday (that will be 3 weeks).

 

DAY 21

Lawn 1.

Based upon 1 KBG lawn I overseeded last year, if I was told these 2 lawns would be this far along at 21 days, I'd have been ecstatic.

Based upon what I saw 11 days ago on these lawns, I thought they may be further along.
All in all in think both lawns are actually doing quite well (may be in POUT phase of 'SPROUT & POUT').

Still don't think all KBG has germinated and from what I've researched, what has germinated is putting its energy into root development underground, not top growth.

DAY 21

Lawn 1 Front:

DAY 21

Lawn 1 Side:

 

DAY 21 Lawn 2.

I instructed homeowner to no longer do light waterings on blvd. Soak it down. Give it 3 to 5 days & soak it again. It's time for fescue to stand on it's own.

DAY 21 Lawn 2 Front:

DAY 21 Lawn 2 Rear:

DAY 21 Lawn 2 Rear from up above on homeowner deck:

DAY 21 Lawn 2 BLVD (Fescue):