What do I use to cover grass seed?

[m32825]

I've been having a lot of fun learning to use my tractor and implements to reclaim part of our property that looks like an abandoned super-vine research station. I found something that will smother grape vines: air potato vines. I'd like to see kudzu and air potato vines go head to head to see which would win. No, scratch that, they'd cross-pollinate and turn into something even worse!

So now I've got patches of smooth dirt and want to grow some kind of ground cover on it. Looks like rye grass would be good for the winter here in Florida. We're talking about an acre, and it's got some slope variations. I can see spreading the seed with one of those push fertilizer spreaders, but then you're supposed to cover it with a quarter inch of dirt. I know there has to be a way to pull something behind the tractor that would do the job, but I have no idea what it is. Help?

-- Carl

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I use a spike harrow with the teeth all the way down tear it up a little, spread the seed, then go back over it with the harrow with the teeth 3/4 the way up.
I don't use strait rye, I use a cover mix, if you use strait rye there won't be anything growing once the rye dies off.

 

[Kingcreek]

A rake or harrow to rough up the ground before seeding and then a light smoothing with either. Up here in Illinois, I just scatter straw over the seeded area after seeding if it's not too large.

 

[Stubbyie]

Depends on whether you want an implement to use repeatedly over time or if you have a one-time application.

For years when reseeding very small plots (~ 1-ac or less) I've hand-seeded with a hand-spinner or sowed by hand then dragged a $15 welded-wire cow panel behind the tractor using a chain. All kinds of variations including the infamous home-made bed-spring harrow. Also helps remove loafing BiL from your home.

Some years ago picked up a bent welded-tube type portable corral cow panel for nothing. Drove over it to straighten it out then dragged it with a chain until it wore flat on one side, now on second side. Add old tires for weight. I figure it'll need replacing when the wear from both sides meets in the middle.

If this is a repeat operation then the spike harrow or 'real' pasture drag is better.

Please post back how you proceed so we may all learn. Especially if can offer successful instructions regarding loafing BiL.

 

[Wbk]

I've been having a lot of fun learning to use my tractor and implements to reclaim part of our property that looks like an abandoned super-vine research station. I found something that will smother grape vines: air potato vines. I'd like to see kudzu and air potato vines go head to head to see which would win. No, scratch that, they'd cross-pollinate and turn into something even worse!

So now I've got patches of smooth dirt and want to grow some kind of ground cover on it. Looks like rye grass would be good for the winter here in Florida. We're talking about an acre, and it's got some slope variations. I can see spreading the seed with one of those push fertilizer spreaders, but then you're supposed to cover it with a quarter inch of dirt. I know there has to be a way to pull something behind the tractor that would do the job, but I have no idea what it is. Help?

-- Carl

Hi Carl I just seeded about an acre and a half for a ball diamond for my grand kids, there was clay and top soil so I spread lawn dressing over it. I levelled it with a harrow then dragged a piece of chain link fence 6x8 over it to break up the lumps, I seeded it with a broadcast seeder then ran over it with a fairly heavy packer. That is what the seed company told me to do, you should talk to a seed company to find out what mixture of seed works best in your area as the cost of seed is very high. I also used the fertilizer they recommended. I hope this will help you Barry

 

[Kubota Newbie]

Carl,
You have more options for seed choices than many of us in northern climates. Check with your local University Extension or Soil and Water Conservation District to get recs for your intended use. Normally, you do not want to cover the seed more than about 1/4 inch for most grasses. The seedbed should be firm, but not hard packed when done. If moisture is scarce in your area then a little straw mulch will help retain moisture and speed germination. But be advised that mulch can be a nuisance in windy areas. Lime and fertilizer are part of the normal suggested practice here but soils there should be what dictate the need for soil amendments. For us, seed rates per acre vary from just a few pounds for a pasture or forage seeding to as much as 350-400 lbs. per acre for turf seedings (in those instances they usually want it to be green almost instantly and don't want any gaps or skips like you might have in a pasture seeding, they're also usually only seeding a half acre or so and the high seed cost is less of an issue compared to a 20 acre pasture). Personally, I like to use my old Dunham two row culti-packer for conventional/worked ground seedings after broadcasting the seed, same result as a Brillion seeder. Otherwise, I usually no-till it.

 

[skeets]

What do I use to cover grass seed

Ahhhuummmm blacktop??

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Skeets, Now that was funny!
Any day now we will be using snow as a cover crop!

 

[m32825]

Guys, that's a lot of great information to mull over!

We're looking at doing about an acre right now to get some cover down. Going with rye because the longer term plan is to plant perennial peanut rhizomes in the spring, so it dying off then is fine.

This will be more of a one time operation than something that repeats. I have all brothers and my wife has all sisters, so I don't have much to offer in the BiL department.

Kind of leaning towards the "drag a piece of chain link fence" option at the moment, but I will post an update on what we end up doing and how it works.

Thanks!

-- Carl

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Are you looking to just throw grass down so you're not looking at dirt or are you aiming for the 18th hole at the golf course kind of yard? I'd look for something cheap like Kentucky 31 from Southern States to throw down just to get some sorta grass in the dirt with.

May kick around the idea of renting a cultipacker for the afternoon and crimp the seed into the dirt and they work great for putting the seed in place.

 

[m32825]

Are you looking to just throw grass down so you're not looking at dirt or are you aiming for the 18th hole at the golf course kind of yard?

Oh, good question, I never said what the quality bar was! This is more about "not looking at dirt" for a year or so while we try to establish perennial peanut. The soil is so sandy I think any kind of organic matter is going to help. Haven't done this before, so figuring it out as we go. At least it's on a part of the property that the neighbors have to look at, not us...

-- Carl

 

[moondog933]

here in South Louisiana I broadcast my rye grass seed and then do a medium height bushhog cut. It shakes the seed to the ground and covers with dying grass ...Holds the moisture really nice. Makes for a nice stand of rye grass.

 

[lsmurphy]

We use straw here in E TN.

It keeps the birds off and erosion down.

 

[bandaidmd]

so what do you call someone thats married to your wifes sister? lol

 

[skeets]

A freeloading SOB?

 

[m32825]

so what do you call someone thats married to your wifes sister? lol

He'd be my brother-in-law-in-law, which makes him someone else's problem!

-- Carl

 

[Eric McCarthy]

I shake straw to on a newly seeded residential lawn. Helps hold the seed in place, keeps the wind down so it doesn't blow, keeps the birds from eating the seeds and also helps retain moisure.

Biggest thing with straw is to rake it back up and dispose of it after the grass has started to sprout. I've had to go back and redo lawns because the straw had to many seeds in it and was left on the ground for too long and the damn straw took root and started to grow.

Unless you rent a bail chopper shaking straw over an acer of ground is going to suck by hand.

 

[tempforce]

after spreading the seed, i run over the field with the tiller set so it just touches the ground. i don't dig more than a inch of ground....
i pack the ground after that... i have very good results......

 

[cerlawson]

Chain link fence works great, since it does a little digging itself. Add a plank or two on it, and maybe two concrete blocks in front end. Later is easy to store.

 

[m32825]

After doing more research and thinking about the long term I decided to go ahead and get a drag harrow. Picked up a Loyal 6'x8' from Tractor Supply, looking forward to playing in the dirt with it this weekend.

-- Carl