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Continued from page 15
Also, remember it is one thing to germinate the overseeded grass; it is a whole other
process to get it to establish enough to actually tolerate traffic and persist. You can always add a bit more seed to touch up
worn/thin areas but you can never go back
and regain the warmer days and longer period of sunlight that might be lost due to a
late start. Some managers have used germination blankets and field covers to help
later in the season but those are not ideal
solutions compared to the natural growing
conditions Mother Nature provides in September and early October.
Lastly, if you plan for only one seeding
date, then it is advisable to make sure you
seed in two directions, seeding the borders
with a drop spreader (if you want a nice
crisp edge) and the interior can be planted
with a drop or broadcast spreader.
ber, seed soil contact is a critical factor for
success. Where excess thatch is not an issue,
many turf managers have had good success
with broadcasting seed and then following
with moderate sand topdressing and dragging the seed/sand into the canopy with a
drag implement (flexible drag, brush, etc.).
Otherwise, a cultivation/coring about 2-3
weeks before the intended initial overseeding event is advisable.
GOING BACK TO BERMUDA?
Managers of bermudagrass fields work
hard to get back to nearly 100% bermudagrass, at least for part of the summer. This
will help ensure a good bermudagrass base
and better overall long-term field performance. Thus, a grass species that transitions
easily or the use of chemical transitioning
herbicides is recommended. This topic,
however, is a whole article in itself. n
TO CULTIVATE OR NOT?
This is a highly debatable question when
it comes to overseeding preparations. The
research in this area is inconclusive but almost never negative in terms of overseeding
success or bermudagrass survival. Remem-
44 SportsTurf | September 2013
Cale Bigelow, PhD, is an associate professor of agronomy for the Purdue University
Turf Science program.
www.sportsturfonline.com
