For the fourth year in a row, my grass is going to seed. In other words, when it gets about 4" tall, it starts growing what looks like seed. What causes this and how can I stop it?
TYTILIDIE
Keep it short. I always cut bluegrass shorter than the fescue lawns I take care of. Keep mowing at 2.5 inches. I would measure to make sure the blades on your mower are at 2.5 inches exactly.
Golf course superintendants use plant growth regulators to supress seedhead development on high maint. turf areas of the course. They are expensive but work well. If anyone wants to know more about using PGRs on turf, PM me and I can send you all kinds of info from senior turf classes at Purdue.
I have used neithe rprimo or cutless on residential turf. I had a cemetery a few years ago that I used Embark on quite successfully. Only had to mow twice from end of June to the end of August and it wasn't because of dormancy either
I used embark because the country club I did my senior internship on used it on their driving range to save some labor on mowing it and finding the balls. The superintendant had me do the mixing and application so I use what I have experience with. Primo and cutless are less harsh and have more of a margin of error though so I am not surprised you use Primo. I assume you use it on high maint. turf so you aren't forced to mow every three days to keep up as well as for seed supression?
I used embark because the country club I did my senior internship on used it on their driving range to save some labor on mowing it and finding the balls. The superintendant had me do the mixing and application so I use what I have experience with. Primo and cutless are less harsh and have more of a margin of error though so I am not surprised you use Primo. I assume you use it on high maint. turf so you aren't forced to mow every three days to keep up as well as for seed supression?Seed formation takes place on plants, that are going to do it, whether it is 2.5" tall or 3.5" tall... this is true of weeds and grasses alike... When the seeds appear you may cut them shorter than normal and then let the grass blades grow back to normal and you shouldn't really see them any more...
It is rare around here that one would notice that most of the lawn has gone to seed all at once...
BTW,,, Stress, has nothing to do with seed formation in grasses... it is known as the natural reproductive cycle of every living thing on the planet... the grasses put their energy in reproduction at the proper time because that is their life... supplying green cover for the lawns of mankind is NOT their PURPOSE in life...
It is rare around here that one would notice that most of the lawn has gone to seed all at once...
BTW,,, Stress, has nothing to do with seed formation in grasses... it is known as the natural reproductive cycle of every living thing on the planet... the grasses put their energy in reproduction at the proper time because that is their life... supplying green cover for the lawns of mankind is NOT their PURPOSE in life...
Smallaxe, you have made several post in different threads where you are just making stuff up without research.Seed formation takes place on plants, that are going to do it, whether it is 2.5" tall or 3.5" tall... this is true of weeds and grasses alike... When the seeds appear you may cut them shorter than normal and then let the grass blades grow back to normal and you shouldn't really see them any more...
It is rare around here that one would notice that most of the lawn has gone to seed all at once...
BTW,,, Stress, has nothing to do with seed formation in grasses... it is known as the natural reproductive cycle of every living thing on the planet... the grasses put their energy in reproduction at the proper time because that is their life... supplying green cover for the lawns of mankind is NOT their PURPOSE in life...
The "seedhead" issue is much more a factor of management than anything else such as variety choice. If a Bermuda is throwing blooms out every 5 days, then it is stressed. Under stress conditions, even the vegetative sod Bermudas will throw up a lot of blooms. Stresses include - poor drainage, poor watering (too much AND too little), drought, low Nitrogen availability, soil compaction, temperature, etc.- low inputs of Nitrogen is the most common cause of a Bermuda turf throwing a lot of blooms. By improving these management and cultural practice traits a huge reduction in the amount of bloom will be seen.
All bermuda varieties - seeded or sodded - make blooms ("seedheads") in response to stress, all kinds of stress. Some varieties are called bloomless, such as certain of the hybrids that were selected specifically for fewer flowers, but all still bloom at some time in their growing cycle. It is a survival mechanism that tells the grass plant to try and make some seeds due to the stress.
http://www.bermudagrass.com/maintenance/seedheads.html
Would you like me to find more ? :laugh:
If you are looking for pictures of kentucky bluegrass seedheads then go to yahoo and type in "kentucky bluegrass going to seed" in the picture section and you will find some decent pics of what they look like
We are talking about KBG, and no one with cool season turf is interested in the life cycle of the weed called Bermuda, that you guys call lawngrass...
A professional LCO would be able to understand that there is a difference in climate and that when we are discussing individual plant topics that apply only the the northern climates that southerners don't have any experience to offer...
If you like to be insulting, just for the fun of being insulting, talk with someone else...
It is not insulting just to be insulting.
I saw more acorn production last year in our drought too. Plants produce seed as a matter of survival and stress makes them think they need to reproduce.
I would do more homework but not sure you are worth the time since you already have preconceived ideas that are off base. That is OK with the exception, you try to back them up with nothing but opinion. Not an insult, just an observation.
Another interesting point that can be made about many plants, that may apply to this topic, is that; when a plant recieves an excess of N, they may forego the fruit production altogether...
Gardeners often experience, no tomatoes, but huge vines that seem like they would support hundreds of tomatoes, but can't get a single flower... this is because the plant has decided to use up the N, rather than produce fruiting bodies for reproduction...
I have never read any research done on that subject for grasses but it may explain why some lawns have fewer seed heads than others...
Another possibility is that once the grass reaches a certain point of density reproductive activities may diminish...
Its fun to explore the possibilties... if anyone finds something on KBG, it would be good to see...
Gardeners often experience, no tomatoes, but huge vines that seem like they would support hundreds of tomatoes, but can't get a single flower... this is because the plant has decided to use up the N, rather than produce fruiting bodies for reproduction...
I have never read any research done on that subject for grasses but it may explain why some lawns have fewer seed heads than others...
Another possibility is that once the grass reaches a certain point of density reproductive activities may diminish...
Its fun to explore the possibilties... if anyone finds something on KBG, it would be good to see...
It is not odd at all, in the sense that low density, low moisture, heavy competition and likely poor soil would all work together to trigger seed production... Around here we have neglected fields of June Grass(which is simply another specie of KBG) that are as seedy as an oat field in July ...
In this case the idea of stress may produce more seed, but we have many KBG lawns that have too much N and too much water and still have seedheads, but just small ones becuz the grass is mowed short all the time... this week will put an end to seed production, as it is so short lived...
It is natural for plants to fruit / seed. To Smallax, yes people will stress some plants to get them to produce, this includes tomatos, dead heading blooms on flowering plants and such.
Excess nitrogen will cause excessive top growth and poor root production, so will excess water. There is a balance called management.
In an otherwise well maintained lawn, if the seed production seems excessive then yes a little more nitrogen, water and mowing would help. Do not mow lower, never remove more than 1/3 of the blade but mow additional times. In the case of KBG, this may only last a few weeks... I dunno.
http://buckeyeturf.osu.edu/index.ph...tent&view=article&id=324:bluegrass-inflorescence&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=170
Excess nitrogen will cause excessive top growth and poor root production, so will excess water. There is a balance called management.
In an otherwise well maintained lawn, if the seed production seems excessive then yes a little more nitrogen, water and mowing would help. Do not mow lower, never remove more than 1/3 of the blade but mow additional times. In the case of KBG, this may only last a few weeks... I dunno.
http://buckeyeturf.osu.edu/index.ph...tent&view=article&id=324:bluegrass-inflorescence&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=170
Green Doctor posted in another thread and has said a few times, that he would not treat a non-irrigated lawn because it is setting him up for failure and to look the fool.
Not saying you can not do some things to help but you are getting outside your window. I will definately buy the top class polyon coated fertilizer that is slow release based on heat/water so you have less chance for failure.
Not sure of the exact timing for pre-emergent and weed control but do it when the weather is helping you the most.
Put down a 1/3 # of N now. and then twice more at the same rate later.
The weeds will love it.
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