Jon Hill turf is profession turf installer and a garden designer to laying turf. He explains here, how overseeding is so useful.

1. Welcome By- Jon Hill Turf

2. Over seeding

3. Why Overseed
• Bermuda goes dormant
• Green color
• Traffic tolerance
• Economic reasons

4. Overseeding Myths
• Drainage improves
• Protects from winter kill
• No effect on Spring Transition
• Reduces weed populations

5. Factors Influencing a Good
Overseeding
• Timing
• Seedbed Preparation
• Grass Selection
• Seed Quality
• Seeding Rate

6. Timing
• Too early: disease and bermuda competition
• Too late: Poor germination rates due to low
temps
• Night temps in the 50’s
• Soil temps at 4 inch depth low 70’s
• Cool season turf favored by temps between 50
and 70 degrees
• 20-30 days before first killing frost

7. Seed Bed Preparation
• Year long process
• Purchasing seed and seed selection
• Over seeding schedule
• Healthy bermuda grass base

8. Seed Bed Preparation
Greens and Tees
Three to six weeks before overseeding
• Nitrogen fertilization reduced or stopped to
reduce bermuda competition
• Soil cultivation be sure to allow time for
recovery
• Vertical mowing to reduce thatch and open soil
surface
• Topdressing
• Apply P and K (get a soil test)

9. Seed Bed Preparation
Greens and Tees
Ten to 14 days
• Reduce mowing height
• Light vertical mowing to enhance seed moving
through canopy
• Clean debris
• Irrigate good

10. Seed Bed Preparation
Fairways
• Less intensive
• Close mowing
• Remove debris
• Correct thatch problems if they are a problem

11. Grass Selection
• Perennial Rye grass larger seed
• Poa trivialis smaller seed
• Blends different cultivars of same speciecs
• Mixtures different cultivars of different
species
• Budget
• Intended quality
• Planting date
• Traffic or play intensity

12. Grass Selection
Select a blend or mixture to customize your
overseeding to meet your requirements
• Green color, texture, density
• Establishment rate, winter and spring
performance
• Spring transition, wear and shade tolerance
• Putting quality, competitiveness with Poa
annua
• Disease resistance

13. Seed Quality
• Blue Tag Certified Seed
• Percent purity
• Free of hard to control weed seeds
• Acceptable germination rates
• Fungicide treated seed

14. Seeding Rate
Depends on seed size, area and use
• Too low thin stand of grass and large plants
• Too high weak stand that is disease prone
• Perennial Ryegrass 25-40 Lbs per M for greens
250-450 Lbs per acre
• Poa trivialis 8-12 Lbs per M for greens

15. Overseeding Process
Greens
• Varies by superintendent and situation
• Apply seed when surface is dry
• Wind speed less than 5 mph
• Carefully calibrated spreaders 2 different
directions
• Protect boundaries
• Light topdressing
• Drag seed in with carpet

16. Overseeding Process
Fairways
• Seed in two different directions
• Mat or drag in seed

17. Post Planting Care
• Light and shallow irrigation careful not to puddle
water
• Brush seed back in place that gets moved by
water
• Reduce irrigation as grass gets established

18. Post Planting Care
Disease Management
• Pythium and Brown patch
• Apply fungicide 5-7 days after planting
These diseases are favored by:
• Warm weather
• Long periods of moisture on the leaf
• High seeding rates

19. Post Planting Care
Mowing
• Start out at ½ inch and gradually lower by 1/32
to ¼ inch in 2 to 3 weeks
• 4-6 weeks until reach 3/16
• Use sharp mower

20. Post Planting Care
• No Nitrogen until bermuda has stopped growing
• 2 to 3 weeks after seedlings have emerged
• ¼ to ½ Lbs of Nitrogen every 2 to 3 weeks
• Minimize traffic
For winter management proper fertilization and
irrigation ½ lbs of N every 2-3 weeks

21. Thank You