T
he success of cool-season grass
seeding can be, if we use the
current buzzword, problematic.
Thus, it is crucial to under-
stand that cool-season turfgrass
seed germination and establishment
is highly sensitive to the cool soil and
air temperatures that persist during
late winter and early spring, making
turf establishment during this period
challenging, says Brad Park, sports
turf education at research coordinator
at the Center for Turfgrass Science at
Rutgers University. "Among cool-season
turfgrass species used for sports fields,
Kentucky bluegrass is the most sensi-
tive to cool soil/air temperatures, and
perennial ryegrass is less sensitive." He
advised implementation of growth
blankets that can be used to enhance
seed germination and turf establish-
ment through early spring.
Jeff Fowler, cooperative exten-
sion district director at Penn State
University, believes one must select the
proper varieties of grasses to get the
best results for cool-season seeding.
"Certainly, some varieties perform bet-
ter than others. I recommend using the
NTEP (National Turfgrass Evaluation
Program) results when selecting variet-
ies for use on athletic fields."
Selecting a variety can be tricky.
Knowing varieties that perform well in
NTEP enhances the selection. He also
sagely recommends not only looking
at a state's NTEP results, but also those
of surrounding states and not limit-
ing selection to a single characteristic.
"Another great resource for variety
selection is other sports turf managers.
Contact other managers area to see if
they have varieties that have worked
well for them in their area."
According to Mark Frever, director
of grounds at Albion College, a blend
of seed is better than selecting a single
variety since each variety has strengths
and weaknesses. For example one
variety may have great drought resis-
14 SportsTurf | January 2016 www.sportsturfonline.com
SUCCESSFUL SEEDING
OF COOL-SEASON GRASS
COMING OUT OF WINTER
FIELD SCIENCE
■ BY JOHN TORSIELLO
Dragging seed and cores.
Aggressive tining to get seed to soil.
