Sowing Grass Seed

Aim:

• To establish new grass plant to help hold pitches together.
• To improve wear tolerance, disease resistant’s and colour. 

Method:

• Can be sown by hand, spread by fertiliser spreader or machine.
• In all cases the seed must have good soil seed contact to improve germination.
• Perennial Ryegrass is normally sown at 35 gm^-2 when oversowing and 50 gm^-2 on bare soil. 

Timing:

The two best months to sow grass seed are April and September, but seed can be sown as long as the soil temperature is above 5^oC.

Effects of Incorrect Procedure:

Sowing at too higher a rate will cause a disease called damping off which will kill the young grasses.

Equipment Selection:

• Sow by hand out of a bucket or bag.
• Spread the seed with a fertiliser spreader. Or a powered machine that creates a hole or a slot for the seed to drop into. 

Practical Tips:

• Good quality seed will not germinate in thatch; this should be removed to the bare soil.
• You only need to plant grass seed to a depth similar to the size of the seed.