Planting grass over mulched area?

[ShowroomShine]

Recently had around an acre of forest mulched up. It’s just part of pasture land so not needing a fancy grass, just some ground covering. I’m seeing conflicting reports on how to grow grass in it. Some say the mulch won’t hold grass, some say it will work just fine.

Curious if anyone has an opinion? Pushing mulch off the area is a last resort.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

My guess is that not much seed will survive on top of the mulch. Small seeds such as grass seed need good soil contact to survive.

 

[dieselscout80]

I’ve seen places where they planted right over freshly mulched areas and the grass came up fine and looks great.

We have used mulch as it was free from our county at the time and grass grows fine on it.

 

[ponytug]

It depends on how thick the mulch is. As @Complete Turf Care wrote, grass seed needs good soil contact to grow. If you need it in grass soon, the mulch can be turned over and disked to work it into the soil, and then seeded. The mulch will decay and improve the soil, but it will add demand for nitrogen.

I suspect pasture grasses like oats with bigger seeds are likely to be more successful, but good ground contact is still needed.

All the best,

Peter

 

[5030]

First thing I'd do is do a soil test for Ph and go from there. Mulch has an inherent quality of causing the area to become acidic and most 'grass' prefers an neutral Ph.

 

[2manyrocks]

I sowed fescue in Middle Tennessee about Oct or Nov after having mulching done. It is coming up well in the areas where the seed came into contact with soil. Not so well where the mulch was thicker.

 

[Fixastuff]

It depends on how thick the mulch is. As @Complete Turf Care wrote, grass seed needs good soil contact to grow.

Please let the spilled grass seed in the back of my truck know this!

 

[5030]

When I overseed my hayfields, which I do on a regular basis, I broadcast the alfalfa seed and then go over the seeded areas with a drag harrow. I use a Fuerst tine harrow and I pull it behind the side by side. I see you can now buy them fairly cheap on Amazon of all places.

 

[nyone]

Cerial rye will grow in nearly anything.