You won't be able to spread that wet seed. You have irrigation right ? Just keep the seed wet after you put it down. Soil temps are whats going to slow everything down. If 2 weeks is all you have, then that's all you have. Just document and take pictures of everything. You will probably be fine.

 

Couldn’t you use a slit seeder instead of broad casting it?

 

I was hoping there was some kind of trick to getting it through the spreader. I plan to top the seed with compost to warm it up some. I hope that works okay.

 

Spread the seed out on a garage floor to less than a quarter inch thick. Add a couple fans for more air circulation. Add heat to lower humidity, if possible. It should dry in 24 hours.
If necessary, mix it with Milorganite, which will help dry it out. Should be spreadable.

I did a test.
https://www.lawnsite.com/threads/pre-germination-apply-wet.484328/

Wet seed can be spread using the water as the carrier. In water suspension it settles out quickly; it needs to be agitated almost continuously. I used a 2 gallon watering can. (OK, but this would be slow.) For a large field, I suggest use a short garden hose, from trash can or drum on a trailer. Siphon the seed in water suspension onto the ground. Attach a hose valve to control the flow--or better--just kink the hose to control the outflow of the seed slurry. Move the hose rapidly back and forth, to assure an even application of the flowing water slurry. Using a siphon, the flow is very low pressure, maybe 5 lbs psi. For faster flow you can use a larger hose--maybe an inch diameter. If you want to put your thumb over the stream to help spread the flow and throw the stream a little farther--so be it.

A sprayer could perhaps be used, but the slurry would probably clog the filter and pump quickly. Do not start the pump, Unless it is centrifugal. However if the sprayer had a drain valve--possibly the hose could be attached at that point. Your assistant walks behind and tries to soak every square inch of the prepared soil or turf. If no drain valve, just bring the hose out of the hatch cover and down to your applicator guy.

Do not siphon by mouth--fill the hose to start it.

Of course--any hydroseeding contractor would probably be happy to help you--and would have suitable equipment.

If you insist on using a spreader. Just fill it full of the water suspension of seed in water. I have not actually tried this. Watch out --it will leak fast. Should hold about 20 gallons. Break-thru agitator should work fine.
I don't know how much to mix--maybe a pound of seed per gallon.
Calibration--you are on your own. Do a couple plain water tests to establish the basic parameters. Wear boots.

 

Interesting you tried this. I was going to mix in some giberellic acid to the slurry after reading
An article saying to do so, and soak for 48 hours. I really doubt i can dry it. I'm going to put on the breakthrough and try it again. If that doesn't work i might have to call a hydro seed company for advice. Do you think it will dry in a steel shopping container with ambient temps at about 50 at night?

 

Coach Bob, shipping container for drying the seed--I am doubtful. I guess the fire took out your "permanent building".
Can you drive the seed to a warm city with low humidity? Phoenix comes to mind. Las Vegas? Its a business expense, right? They say Death Valley is nice at this time of year.
Experiment a bit with a watering can or water bottle to spread a seed slurry, as a test. Do a practice test with agitation, water and the siphon hose. The water looks a bit brown when properly agitated and the seed is in it.
Can you do the seed water soaking time with fairly warm water? Is it practical to add some annual rye? AR is probably 24 hours faster.

I hope this works out for you. Get pictures.

 

Coach Bob, shipping container for drying the seed--I am doubtful. I guess the fire took out your "permanent building".
Can you drive the seed to a warm city with low humidity? Phoenix comes to mind. Las Vegas? Its a business expense, right? They say Death Valley is nice at this time of year.
Experiment a bit with a watering can or water bottle to spread a seed slurry, as a test. Do a practice test with agitation, water and the siphon hose. The water looks a bit brown when properly agitated and the seed is in it.
Can you do the seed water soaking time with fairly warm water? Is it practical to add some annual rye? AR is probably 24 hours faster.

I hope this works out for you. Get pictures.

funny guy, yeah Vegas should work.

This guy made an interesting hydroseeder.

 

A thought just occured to me. what if you put an industrial vibrator on the spreader hopper to get the seed moving down to the impeller? Might work.

 

Interesting home made hydroseeder on the video. Siphon should work--just slower.

Sure--park at the casino on Fremont Street. Or maybe Mesa Arizona. Spread the seed out in the back of your pickup or in the next parking space. Does the pavement get hot? After a few hours at the slots. Sweep up the dry seed. Be ready to scare away the seagulls. It is a long way to the ocean, right?
Does it get hot in your truck when parked in the sun? Got a topper on your pickup? Painted black? Spread seed out in the bed. Should dry in a few hours. A fan would help. Pull out the humid air.
Good luck at the slots, also with the seed and the likely green infield.
If stay home, you can spread the seed out on some widow screens--and elevate the screens a few inches off the floor--it would drain better and dry quicker with the air circulating under the seed. Stir it occasionally.

Mix with Milorganite to facilitate spreading.

https://www.google.com/search?sourc...211..27529...0.0..0.134.2655.20j7......0....1..gws-wiz.....0..0i131.Ed19r8Rd8dg

 

Coach, you're over thinking this. Just spread dry and water in afterwards

 

AR-Was trying to buy a some time since the field will be used in two weeks. I'm now thinking you are right though. I am probably overthinking it. I will put down starter fert. and 1/8 inch of compost and hope i get a good start. I know i will get good seed to soil contact, so decision made. Thank you.

 

Don't forget the starter fert--like Milorganite (at the super-high rate the label suggests for seed, 36 pounds per thousand sqft). At this rate, it is about like applying mulch.

Include some annual rye for faster germination effect.

At least try to pre-germinate and dry a portion of your seed. Four or five window screens set up on blocks with a fan blowing under them. Heat if possible. Does it get hot in your car when the sun shines?

Use plenty of seed: my test showed that I got about 80 percent germination on bare soil under ideal conditions. In an overseed test situation, I only got 50 percent germination--so you need to use double the usual amount of seed.

 

Use plenty of seed to get a thick stand if conditions are not perfect.

This is odd. At the Mountainview seeds website for their top-scoring "Homerun" perennial rye, they suggest using 30 to 40 pounds of seed per square foot. Huh!
I think they mean per thousand sqft.
The girls must have typed this early in the morning.
http://mtviewseeds.com/downloads/datasheets/HomerunPDF.pdf

 

We use mountainview blue tag seed labeled for Ewing. The 30-40 lbs per k rate is most probably for golf course greens. We use 10 lbs per k for outfield and double pass the three wear spots. I put down 15k on the infield for baseball and 20 or so in front of the mound. I was budgeted for 10 lb rate for this field so i just used what i had which was three bags of seed for 15k sq ft. I Cross hatched it with the Lesco . We have a reel mower at that field so i lowered the HOC and mowed in the seed to get it down to soil and Let spoils topdress it. I will put some starter fert down this week. I can’t do much more right now with this field. I’ll just hope for the best that we get germination in time to open it up in a couple of weeks.

 

Coach, you beat me to it. Good idea: sow the seed first--then mow afterwards to "mow-in" the seed. Let the clippings cover the seed and act as mulch and topdressing.

I have been wondering if the "mow-in" method actually works. If so, how do you prove that it works? Is mow-in effective as compared to adding mulch or topdressing?

How do you prove that not too many seeds are cut in half with the blade?

Around here, I was thinking we would probably broadcast seed with a spreader--and then irrigate for the purpose of washing the seed down to the soil. And after that, then mow with a mulching mower to leave a pulverized organic residue on top of the seed. This should help to retain moisture.

Does anyone have experience with the seed-then-mow method?
Have you seen recommendations or tests of this method?

 

I have only read that it is common practice with superintendents. I didn’t see any seed coming out the front of the reels so i doubt there was much loss. This was my first time trying it. The rollers hold the bed knife to the top tips of the grass. The seed was well below that. There is no suction like a rotary so the reels agitate the turf sending the seed to soil and the rear rollers seal the deal. I had debated whether to run a spring tine dethatcher after sowing to bring up more mulch to cut but decided to just lower the reels by 1/4 inch. I then watered it in fairly heavy. Prior to sowing i ran a simple spike aerator over the field to get some small depressions in the soil as well. Not sure if it was needed but it seemed like an okay thing to do.

 

I ran a test with some presoaked wet seed. After reading that some divot mixes have calcined clay as a drying agent, i decided to use some of our calcined field conditioner (Turface) mixed in the hopper with the seed. Sure enough, within minutes the grist was dry enough to spread. I might try this with wet sand and see what happens too.

 

Good idea, Coach.
Dry it with Turface calcined clay.
Did you test this on another field or plot?
Should be a whole lot easier than pre-germination followed by liquid application, Quickier than trying to fully dry the seed. That is unless you have a warm concrete floor to dry it, and an extra 48 hours for the process. Of course, once the pre-germinated seed is dry you can keep it for weeks or months without a problem...at least that is the theory.

Good point--maybe I will have a chance to check that longevity claim--with some left-over pre-germinated seed.
Now--keep your new grass nice and moist, and hope for warm soil temperatures. What is your soil temperature?
You got a solar pool cover?
Got a field cover to retain heat at night?

 

Good idea, Coach.
Dry it with Turface calcined clay.
Did you test this on another field or plot?
Should be a whole lot easier than pre-germination followed by liquid application, Quickier than trying to fully dry the seed. That is unless you have a warm concrete floor to dry it, and an extra 48 hours for the process. Of course, once the pre-germinated seed is dry you can keep it for weeks or months without a problem...at least that is the theory.

Good point--maybe I will have a chance to check that longevity claim--with some left-over pre-germinated seed.
Now--keep your new grass nice and moist, and hope for warm soil temperatures. What is your soil temperature?
You got a solar pool cover?
Got a field cover to retain heat at night?

Riggle- I'm pretty happy this worked. It opens up a lot of in-season possibilities for quick repair. I already did the original subject field with dry seed out of the bag. I used the experimental seed for some patchwork at the baseball field. Soil temps are 56 degrees right now.

 

Too bad. I would be happy with soil temps of about 70 or even 80. Germination would be quick.

https://turf.purdue.edu/tips/2005/temp819.htm

https://www.pubfacts.com/detail/303...-of-Ryegrass-Annual-vs-Perennial-Seed-to-the-Interactive-Effects-of-Temperature

 

I am not sure, but many experts recommend rolling the seed to press it into the soil. At least it is cheap and easy.
Not as difficult as trying to keep the temperature at 90 degrees.

The best result in the article I read happened at 92 percent germination at 91 degrees F.

Using a mower to "mow-in" seed is an interesting idea. My horticulture friend said, "Wouldn't that spread the seed all over the place?" He was referring to a rotary mower, of course.
Maybe--but how would you determine the distance the seed was spread? How much would be lost? If it flew 2 feet or 6 feet; would that really matter?
How much seed would be damaged or cut in half? How would you prove that it was OK? (Or not OK?) Maybe put a pound of perennial rye on concrete--mow over it. Sweep it up. Then count the damaged seed. Perhaps bag it and count the damaged seed in the bag? Plant a hundred indoors and check the germination percentage? (comparing to "non-mowed" UTC seed.)

Nearly impossible experiment. However maybe someone, somewhere has tried it.