Now that all of the sod is down on the short game area, it was time to seed the greens. This process involves several steps:
- Raking and dampening the surface.
- Applying gypsum and a pre-plant starter fertilizer
- Applying a granular fungicide to prevent "damping off" of seedlings
- Using a drop seeder in two directions for uniform coverage of the Bentgrass
- Lightly raking the surface with the back of a leaf rake
- Carefully driving over the surface with our Sand Pro's knobby tires to increase the seed to soil contact
- Rolling the surface by hand
- Irrigating lightly and frequently to keep the seed moist
The picture below was taken last Monday afternoon. Very soon, the greens will transform from gray to what they are called--green.
We were fortunate to be able to acquire some "Coho" seed, which is one of the best performing new Bentgrasses. The seeding rate was a total of 1.5 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Compared to Perennial Ryegrass (on the right, below), Bentgrass seeds are miniscule, so a little goes a long way.
When you step back and consider how lifeless these seeds appear to be, then what they become, it's hard to argue that nature is amazing--fall is here, and this is perfect weather for growing grass!
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