No sports field experience here, but if she's watering, I think she's in for a surprise.

 

Saturated grass seed is pretty heavy for its size and seems to stick to the ground. Only bone dry seed would be blown about very much.

 

Agreed, she is wrong. What is your cutting height?

Unless it is really low the mowers aren’t able to affect the seed.

 

Agreed, she is wrong. What is your cutting height?

Unless it is really low the mowers aren't able to affect the seed.

She wants it lower then the 3 to 3 &1/2" we normally cut at, so we cut it at 2 &1/2".

 

Mowers are not vacuum cleaners.
I know that customers THINK they are, but they aren't.

They constantly throw pulled weeds and dead flowers into the lawn, expecting that I will just "suck them up" when I mow.
Just chops them up a bit. I mulch.

And yeah, I've mowed right over seeded areas. Doesn't disturb the seeds, much less "suck them up."

 

Easy. Get a handful of grass seed, water it in a bit, then mow over it and show her that nothing happened to it.

 

There is no way out--admit your mistake and replace the seed. Gracefully. Do not damage your reputation. Actually, if you replace the seed promptly, you will increase the level of your reputation. This is well-worth the $50. Offer to replace with better seed. If she isn't smiling yet, add starter fert. If no smile--add starter with mesotrione weed and crabgrass control.

True--some experts recommend to "mow-in" seed which has been broadcast on the turf as an overseed. Dr. Leah Brilman of SRO seed, for instance.
You will not convince Ms Customer.
I suspect when a baseball field does a broadcast seed followed by "mow-in" they probably water it first, this to knock the seed off the grass and onto the soil. Then they probably use reel mowers. This then would drop the clippings on top of the seed--thereby acting as mulch, (almost like straw).

Interesting question. If you bagged the clippings you could spread it out on dirt and water it to see if any seed comes up. And check with a magnifying glass to spot any sign of seed in the clippings. But you said you "mulch mow".

Take a look with a magnifying glass to spot seed any remaining in the grass--and in ten days, check to see how many sprout per square inch.

 

Probably just trying to get something for free. I’d just tell her that cut is on the house and be done with it. But her logic is way off, lol

 

Tell her you will have to fire the guy who made the mistake. Maybe she will be a bit sympathetic. Allow her to choose top-quality new seed, Scotts--or--she can accept better seed, and a much bigger bag--of professional golf-quality seed from your local supplier. Offer to power rake and apply the seed for her.

Possibly you could base your action on the results--after you add the starter fertilizer (plenty). And loaned her a battery-operated water timer. After 2 weeks find some newly sprouted grass and show her.
If you reseed, after a month--it will probably look just excellent--best on the block.
Just to be sure always plant some of the seed in a coffee mug on your desk-- take it to her house and show her--just to prove that the seed you used was good and the germination was good.

 

Mow the next two times with a reel mower. This will not suck up any seeds and the clippings will fall back on the seed and help retain moisture--thereby stimulating more seeds to germinate.

 

Want that "country club" look?
It's a process....

https://golfcourselawn.store/blogs/news/step-by-step-guide-for-getting-a-golf-course-lawn

 

i think the bigger issue is tiny sprouts being trampled by mowers and feet. a week after sowing there could be many sprouts that got torn up.

if you mulched though, my theory at least, is that the tiny sprouts are so small that when the green mulched grass decomposes it can also take out those tiny sprouts with it, sort of like composting.
But, my theory is if you mulch over fresh new seed, in about a week it'll take those clippings to turn brown and stop decomposing and be no threat, that's about when the new grass will sprout and no problem there.

I do think even if bagging some seed can get sucked up too though for sure. I don't mow for a while after seeding but I try to not break the 1/3 rule too much because you do want a low final cut so a) stray leaves that fall very late in Fall or blow from somewhere else don't get stuck and embedded in lawn as easily, and b) you want a quick Spring green up to help prevent weeds and if you just break the 1/3 rule heavily before winter you'll leave a 'stump' of the grass that won't green up as fast as if it were gradually brought down low.
Prior to seed, I cut and bag on a low or lowest setting also, that gives the new grass sun to grow and existing grass won't be so tall when it's time to take a mower to it all.


Anyway, she shoulda put a small sign out like a leaf bag "overseeded, do not mow until **/**/**." but if communication error on either part I'd just throw down more seed now and/or Spring and it'll all grow fine.

 

This got me to thinking Football, Baseball, Soccer fields, and golf courses seed in the fall. Why don't their mowers suck up or damage seed? Any thoughts? Anybody ever work on these Sport fields?

My First summer job out of High School was working at a golf course on the maintenance crew, which primarily consisted of mowing.
All the greens, fairways and rough were cut with reel mowers, so no "sucking" (as with a rotary), ever occurred.

 

^ I cut the golf course too, 6am start but home by 2pm. From the start they let me cut the putting greens with the big reel mower, but also had to weed wack the sand trap edges with their POS curved shaft trimmer.
We had john deere gators for transporting stuff and some areas the grass was so low that after a rain I could grab onto the back and waterski with sneakers lol.

 

If your not bagging, then if the mower picks up some seed it just spreads it out the discharge chute. Wouldn't see a problem there!

 

56th Street reconstruction was finished and both sides were hydroseeded on November 24th. Temperatures were low 33 and high of 51 F.
The hydroseeder somehow also sprayed the hydroseed on the 10 foot wide paved walking path which crossed the road. About 2 inches of snow fell on the 26th. I took a soil and mulch sample in a coffee cup and held this inside at 70 degrees F--watering it with a bit of rain water each day. Today on the 29th, the fifth day, indoors, about 3 new sprouts appeared--each about 1/4 inch tall.

 

Learning with my new camera. photo of an early winter hydroseeed job. At 7 days, indoors, there were about 17 new sprouts. This on about 2 square inches. The tallest was about 2 inches tall. A quarter was included for scale.
I am assuming this is perennial rye grass.
Click to enlarge picture.

 

Sports fields and golf courses generally generally use reel mowers that actually help the overseeding process.

 

November 24th hydroseed sample moved indoors at 70 degrees F attained a maximum grass blade height of 4 inches (101 mm). There were an estimated 50 sprouts. This after 13 days.
There was no sign of germination, outdoors. Temperature is 24 F and 2 inches of new snow fell today.

 

Does anyone here know?
What percent of new sown grass seed is damaged by a lawn mower?
What percent is picked up and blown elsewhere?
In theory, you could place an ounce of grass seed on concrete and mow over it with a rotary mower--and then collect the seeds in the bag.
Then you could plant before and after samples--and compare the germination rate.

And...is a reel mower less likely to pick up seed or cut new seeds in half?

 

Does anyone here know?
What percent of new sown grass seed is damaged by a lawn mower?
What percent is picked up and blown elsewhere?
In theory, you could place an ounce of grass seed on concrete and mow over it with a rotary mower--and then collect the seeds in the bag.
Then you could plant before and after samples--and compare the germination rate.
And...is a reel mower less likely to pick up seed or cut new seeds in half?

"InQuora" minds want to know, (and have answers).... Thumbs Up

https://www.quora.com/Would-it-ruin...a-week-after-first-planting-it-Should-the-grass-that-is-being-cut-not-be-bagged

 

'Guessing' the types of grasses used up North vs down South differ as far as fairways vs the putting greens?

Southern grasses tend toward rhizomatous, right? If so, then not much seed needed?

 

If the lawn mower sucks up the seed then where do annual weeds come from? Aren't they being sucked up too?

And why isn't the slice seeder destroying the grass seed when the blades come in contact with the seed?

 

Good point, O.Q.,
How many seeds (in percent) are damaged by the spinning blades of a slice seeder?
How would you prove it? What kind of data would you need?
Could you compare the results if the slice seeder were going forwards and then pulled backwards on a separate lawn area?
Examine and count the damaged seeds with a microscope?
No way--impossible task.
Maybe broadcast seed, seed before the spinning disks and seed sown after the spinning disks...could be compared on separate plots of ground.
Side by side comparison, of course.

 

If it is mulch cut it will actually help the grass germinate. It will help cover grass in bare areas and hold moisture.