Planting grass seeds

wickedinhere · Mar 3, 2007

In the next few weeks i will be planting 250 pounds of bermuda grass seed. I will use my boxblade to break up the ground then i will spread the seed with a atv spreader. Then i will pull a piece of fence to cover the seed . I was wondering if anybody can give me any tips or some do's and donts. I have planted grass plugs and done sod before and ryegrass i just dont want to waste 1000.00 worth of seed so any help will be appreciated. I have already sent a soil sample
off but i am still waiting on the results.
thanks

hockeyhead · Mar 3, 2007

Don't go to deep with that BB. My BB scarfers would do nothing but pull up clumps of dirt/clay on my ground. I've had mine disc 'ed and planted grass with a ATV broadcast spreader, and a fence drag with good results.
I've also done it recently with my own tiller set at 2" depth, that same ATV spreader and same drag, again good result.
I don't know if a BB will break that ground up good enough.

wickedinhere · Mar 3, 2007

I think with the scarfers set to only dig in about an inch it will work.

Mike120 · Mar 4, 2007

How many acres are you planting? That is a LOT of bermuda grass seed!

Rowdius · Mar 4, 2007

Or a Landscape rake with every other tine removed would be great. For grass, you just want disturbed soil, you really do not want it in the ground very deep at all. For Bermuda, I'd not go deeper than 1/4 inch if I were sowing it.

What I have done is scratch the soil up pretty good, spread the seed, then roll it. Some people suggest rolling it both before and after seeding. Grass seed needs firm contact with the ground, but not really buried. Using a drag works pretty good as well, I perfer rolling though.

wickedinhere · Mar 4, 2007

I am planting 4 acres, i thought about a landscape rake but i dont have one . I guess i need to buy one but its just not in the budget right now. Thanks for all the info.

LoneCowboy · Mar 4, 2007

a chain harrow works great for overseeding.
breaks it up just enough without creating a unfirm soilbed.

dooleysm · Mar 5, 2007

When I put my lawn in last fall I think I used 350-400 pounds of Kentucky 31. My cousin helped me and he does this as part of his excavation business and he was the one that recommended the seeding rate. Guys on here questioned the amount of seed I used, but the lawn came in beautiful. I did less than an acre and this was for a lawn. I get the feeling you're planting a pasture, so you may be ok.

After working up the soil with power rake on a bobcat we seeded and then covered with straw using a straw blower. We didn't rake or anything after seeding, just the straw on top. A couple light showers over the next week and we had a beautiful stand of grass in a month's time.

wickedinhere · Mar 5, 2007

I am not planting a pasture this will be for my yard. I know i wont get complete coverage but i am hoping by the end of summer it will be filled in pretty good.
I would use more seed but its kind of expensive.