Seeding Large Areas of Grass

[ndbwhunter]

With spring right around the corner, I need to start getting ready to seed our lawn. I won't have the $$$ to do all the landscaping this year, but I need to get some grass growing so the kid and dog can play outside this summer.

Once the top soil is brought in and leveled, what is the best way to spread the grass seed and cover it up? Hand spreader and a section of chain link fence behind and ATV?

Can anyone recommend a good drought resistant seed that will stay lush and green with very little moisture?

 

[Ponyroper]

Talk to your local soil conservation district staff. They should be able to give you some good advice. Some districts even have grass seeders for rent or hire. Don't know where you live but I just found out that Morton County is getting a grass seeder this spring and will do seeding for Morton Co. residents.

 

[ndbwhunter]

Talk to your local soil conservation district staff. They should be able to give you some good advice. Some districts even have grass seeders for rent or hire. Don't know where you live but I just found out that Morton County is getting a grass seeder this spring and will do seeding for Morton Co. residents.

I live in Morton up by Harmon Lake. Do you know if they are getting a drill seeder?

 

[bigv]

I purchased the lot next to me couple years ago. My dad came with a tractor and tilled it up nice and soft for me. Then I paid a friend to come and use his equip. He drill seeded it then broadcast it. (you can broadcast it yourself) I then pulled a chain link panel with my 4 wheeler. Pulled in a diagonal fashion from the drilling. Put some light weight on the drag but can't remember what. Anyway that grass grew phenomenal! Many commented on how they couldn't believe it grew so well the first time..so thick. We did get timely rains. I don't remember seed..got from a seed dealer but it had Rye grass mixed in so it acted like a cover. Had to mow about every 4 days but then the next year the grass grew perfect and rye was gone.

 

[deleted member]

pack the dirt before you seed by driving on it or getting a packer to pull behind your 4 wheeler. than lightly work with something like the fence before seeding and after.

 

[Ponyroper]

I live in Morton up by Harmon Lake. Do you know if they are getting a drill seeder?

I also live just west of Harmon and work for the county soil district part time. I believe they are getting a drill seeder. The way it sounded they don't plan to rent it out but will hire out to do the seeding to avoid renters damaging the machine. They have a broadcast seeder on a 4-wheeler now but want something bigger. I can get more details if you are interested or you can just call the county office and ask for Adam.

 

[ndbwhunter]

I also live just west of Harmon and work for the county soil district part time. I believe they are getting a drill seeder. The way it sounded they don't plan to rent it out but will hire out to do the seeding to avoid renters damaging the machine. They have a broadcast seeder on a 4-wheeler now but want something bigger. I can get more details if you are interested or you can just call the county office and ask for Adam.

Thanks for the information! I'll give them a call. Now I just have to work on finding good top soil for a reasonable price. What should I reasonably expect to pay per ton of good black dirt? Under the right circumstances it can be had for free, but those opportunities can be tough to come by.

 

[Wildyote]

Work your topsoil and don't be afraid to apply some composted manure as most top soil around your area doesn't have much organic matter.

Drag it to get it smooth and pack it with 4 wheeler, garden tractor, or compactor wheel.

A pull behind broadcaster or push cart broadcasters work just fine. I would use a fairly heavy seed rate and use a variety that is hardy with both cool and warm season grasses.

Drag it with 4 wheeler and a piece of 6 or 8ft piece of chain link and water it frequently. If you can have it prepped and wait to seed until just before a 3 day soaker all the better. This saves lots of water.

If you need composted manure I have plenty and I have many people that have used it on new seedings as well as established lawns with great results.

I had one guy that had no topsoil and just used my composted manure and his yard turned out great.

 

[Skibbys bottom]

For optimum growth, turfgrass needs just four things (in the proper balance) to grow...sunlight, air, water and nutrients. Reduce any of these, or provide too much of any one, and the grass may die or simply suffer. In the right proportions, the grass will flourish, providing not only beauty to the landscape, but also a clean and safe place to play and many benefits to the environment.

Grass obtains three of these four essential factors (air, water and nutrients) from the soil, but many soils are less than ideal for growing grass. Some soils contain too much clay and may be very compacted... great for roads, bad for grass, because air and water aren't available to the roots and the roots can't grow. Other soils may have too much sand... beautiful on a beach, but difficult to grow grass because water and nutrients won't stay in the root zone long enough for the plant to use. Another frequently observed problem with many soils is that its pH (the degree of acidity or alkalinity) is too high or two low for optimum grass growth.

Quick Fact:What Is The Best Soil For Turfgrass?

Loams, sandy loams and loamy sands, with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0 are the very best soils for producing a beautiful, high-use, low-maintenance lawn. Unfortunately, this idea soil mixture is seldom found on any property after construction.

Quick Fact: How Deep Should the Soil Be For Turfgrass?

The absolute minimum quality soil depth for a care-free lawn is 10 cm (4 inches); however, for deeper root penetration and the benefits that brings, the accepted standard is 15 cm (6 inches).

Quick Fact: Can Soils Be Improved?

Practically without exception, not only can most soils be improved, they usually need to be improved to get the maximum results with only a minimum of other on-going effort.

The knowledge of what's necessary, the amount and availability of materials and the immediate costs of time and money are the factors that typically deter people from taking the steps necessary to improving the soil. While some people do not fully understand the importance of good soils for grass, many also believe they can save time and money by ignoring the need to improve their lawn's soil.

The fact is that failing to improve the soil before planting is only inviting a much greater and continual investment of both time and money, that will never return its value as fully as preparing the soil properly before planting any grass.

Site Preparation Steps

"The beauty is in the blades, but the 'action' is in the roots," is a good adage to remember when growing grass. Thus, the value of proper site preparation and soil improvement, before any planting takes place, is that it will be easier for the grass roots to penetrate deeply and evenly. Deep roots will make the lawn more drought resistant, a more efficient water and nutrient user and more dense as new grass plant shoots emerge. A dense lawn crowds out weeds and better resists insects and disease.

Follow these steps for a beautiful, healthy and trouble-free lawn:

1. Clear the site of all building materials (wood, cement, bricks, etc.), as well as any buried stumps, rocks , stones or other debris that is larger than 4-5 cm (2-3 inches) in diameter.
2. Rough grade the entire area to eliminate any drainage problems on the property. This would include sloping the grade away from building foundations, eliminating or reducing severe slopes and filling low-lying areas. A tractor-mounted blade and/or box are most often used for rough grading, but if the area is smaller, it can be done with hand tools. The rough grading will probably uncover more debris that should be removed and not buried.
3. Initial tilling, to a depth of at least 5 cm (2 inches), should be completed prior to adding any topsoil or soil amendments. This will control most annual weeds, alleviate subsoil compaction and permit a bonding of the topsoil to the subsoil and improve root penetration and water movement.
4. Add topsoil to achieve a total topsoil depth of 10-15 cm (4-6 inches), after firming. The topsoil should be a loamy sand, sandy loam, clay loam, loam, silt loam, sandy clay loam or other soil suitable for the area. To the extent possible, practical, affordable and available, incorporate humus (fully decomposed organic matter) into the topsoil.
5. Test the soil pH with a chemical soil test to determine if any pH correction materials are required. Acidic soils (pH of 6 and below) can be improved with the addition of lime. The type (or source) and total amount of applied lime will be determined by the level of acidity and should be based on the recommendations of a reliable garden center or turf professional.
   
   Alkaline soils (pH of 7.5 and higher) can be improved with the addition of sulfur or gypsum. As with acidic soil correction materials, the type and total amount of materials will be determined by the level of alkalinity and should be based on professional recommendations.
6. Apply "starter fertilizer" that is high in phosphate (P, or the middle number on a bag of fertilizer), at a rate recommended for the particular product. To prevent root injury to newly installed turfgrass sod, this fertilizer should be worked into the top 7 to 10 cm (3-4 inches).
   Finish grade the entire site, maintaining the rough grading contours and slopes, with a tractor-mounted box blade on large areas or heavy-duty rake on smaller sites.
7. Roll the area with a lawn roller one third full of water to firm and settle the surface and reveal any low spots that should be filled to match the surrounding grade surface. If time permits, allow the area to settle further with rainfall or by applying irrigation water.

This site is now ready for turfgrass sod. With this degree of careful and thoughtful soil preparation, the resultant lawn will be absolutely beautiful and require less maintenance, smaller quantities of applied water, fertilizer and pesticides, as it maintains a high degree of density and uniformity and recovers much more rapidly from wear. For years to come, your investment in soil preparations will yield a high return.

 

[Ponyroper]

Thanks for the information! I'll give them a call. Now I just have to work on finding good top soil for a reasonable price. What should I reasonably expect to pay per ton of good black dirt? Under the right circumstances it can be had for free, but those opportunities can be tough to come by.

I and at least one of my neighbors have some composted horse manure piles that you can have for free if you can find something to haul it with. I have a loader tractor and will load it. One of my neighbors has quite a pile and several people have gotten loads from them too.

 

[raider]

bobcat seeder attachment...

most dealers with a rental department will have this in rental, along with machines to rent to use it... has a skid steer quick tach on one side and 3 point on the other, so can use skidsteer, track loader, or compact tractor to push or pull it... 72" wide and ground driven, so nothing else to worry bout as far as hookups... these seed thousands of acres of ditches, food plots, and pipelines every summer...

rents for bout $150 per day or weekend without the skid or tractor... also have many other attachments for prep if you want... it is truly the easy button for your job...

 

[Achucker]

Talk to Chesak seed in bismarck. They could help you with the seed type. I think it's there rural blend that is drought resistant.

 

[Migrator Man]

A simple broadcast spreader and a landscape rake can do the job! The main issue with only laying seed down is washouts. If your yard has a decent slope you may need to lay down coconut fabric or spray hydro mulch. Annual rye in the mix can help stabilize the soil quick. Plant it in the spring as the Graz grows best then.

 

[BDub]

Talk to Chesak seed in bismarck. They could help you with the seed type. I think it's there rural blend that is drought resistant.

Chesaks are closed. For good.

 

[Achucker]

When did they closed. Just bought seed from then last oct/November

 

[deleted member]

Unless its a huge yard, i 2nd the landscape rake and a push behind broadcast spreader. Bit more hands on. But, that should insure things are seeded more evenly than the 3 wheeler and drag method.

 

[LBrandt]

Sat on the tailgate of my pickup with a hand spreader and pulling two 5 ft drag sections. Did about 10 acres that way, arm only fell off twice. Rain came just right and got a good pasture out of it.

 

[ndbwhunter]

Unless its a huge yard, i 2nd the landscape rake and a push behind broadcast spreader. Bit more hands on. But, that should insure things are seeded more evenly than the 3 wheeler and drag method.

It's around 3/4 - 1 acre that will need to be seeded, so I'll need a skidder or tractor for sure.

 

[Fritz the Cat]

Chesaks are closed. For good.

What in the dang hell. I did a lot of business with Larry for 30 years. The family sold and I thought the guys who took it over were going to do fine. Their millet alfalfa seed prices and variety were the best.

 

[BDub]

Unless they moved the building is supposed to be a soup kitchen now. I drove by in December and it was vacant.