 Cool season perennials are sometimes a
good answer. Depending on the climate zone in which they are planted, they may
be uniformly green all year. In coastal areas overseeding with a perennial could
interfere with the warm season grass coming out of dormancy.
"The trick is to make a uniform
transition between cool season and warm season grasses to keep uniform color all
year," Paul Albright added. "At times a turf-type perennial is the
right choice. It's not just a balancing act. It's more like juggling."
A landscape contractor needs to
understand the many options available when told to "Do something about
that awful-looking brown lawn." It's possible to devise a plan that
will give your client a green lawn or turf area while making best use of his
landscaping budget.
Analyze the Soil
Before overseeding or renovating can be
successful it's necessary to determine why the lawn deteriorated in the first
place. Otherwise the new seeding could be killed before germination.
If, for example, the soil is depleted
of nutrients, compacted, poorly aerated, or receives insufficient sunlight or
air circulation, new seed is unlikely to prosper.
It could be that the original grass
planted was the wrong type for the area's climate.
Overseeding
Whether you overseed a warm season
grass, such as Bermuda, with a cool season annual for year-round color, or seek
to improve a cool season grass with a better species, the overseeding method is
the same.
Mow the dormant turf lower than normal
to scalp the area. If the lawn is heavily thatched (thicker than about
one-half inch) the next step is dethatch ing. A light thatch can be beneficial
for holding and protecting the new seed and keeping moisture in during the
critical first few weeks of germination and growth.
The soil will most likely need aeration
to overcome the effects of compaction, to speed thatch breakdown, improve water
absorption and percolation to the root level, and promote better seed-soil
contact and fertilizer uptake.
Overseeding can then be done by
broadcasting, hydroseeding, or using a mechanical slit seeder.
Broadcasting is the least effective
method since seed-soil contact may be poor. Hydroseeding will ensure even
coverage. For this purpose a thin (500 lb./acre), paper pulp slurry will improve
seed contact with the soil. If a slit seeder is employed, reduce the
recommended seeding rate to 50% and make two passes, one at 45
degrees to the other. This will lay a crosshatched seed pattern that will
produce a fuller plant cover faster and avoid the "row" look of
single-pass seeding.. |
