Over seed and Over seeding
Over seeding is the cultural practice of planting annual grasses on an existing perennial grass field. Over seeding is usually done in the fall when the warm season grasses (mainly Bermuda types on sports fields or golf courses) begin to go into dormancy and turn brown. The over seed material is a cold season grass which is an annual (one season) and keeps the brown field green. Over seed (winter ryegrass) usually dies out naturally when the temperature warms in the spring and while the Bermuda is coming out of dormancy.
Over seeding serves other purposes too. It is generally agreed that it prevents some damage to the dormant permanent grass while the field is in use during the winter or colder months. Football fields which double up as soccer fields are commonly over seeded as are most baseball fields and golf course greens in the southern ½ of the United States. The active root structure of the over seeded grasses help keep the Bermuda turf from being torn up and destroyed during the additional athletic season. Over seed on golf greens allows the groundskeepers to control the speed and tracking of the ball. Over seeding also provides a source of organic materials for the soil as it grows and is cut by mowing. And the fresh green color of the grass keeps sporting attitudes at a high point.
Over seed (winter ryegrass) comes in many different types of seeds, so selection is not easy for everyone. The type of over seed best used on YOUR field and in your location will be found at a local specialty seed supplier. They’ll know and will give you a selection of tall, short, wide, narrow, cheap, expensive and planting instructions. The costs of using over seed (winter ryegrass) usually ranges from $.75-$3.00 per lb and sports fields will take from 5-15 lbs per square foot depending upon which area you’re doing. Cheaper over seed usually grows quickly and requires much more cutting than the more expensive, specifically designed seed types. Thus spend a little, mow a lot and hope the rain doesn’t keep your mower in the shed! Talk to your seed man!!
Over seeding requires work to make it grow. It really is just another seasonal grass requiring water, fertilizer and mowing and reacts to the health of the existing soil. The seeds need to make contact with the soil to complete germination, so preparation of the field is important. Verticutting will open the field up for the over seeding operation. Just mow short, sweep up the cuttings and then put the seed down and run a drag lightly over the field. Next step is to keep the seeds damp once they are wet. Germination will take place in 5-10 days usually and then the irrigation water can be backed off just as you would with a regular grass field.
Mowing your over seeded field is required on some sort of a repetitive program and fertilizing it is important also. Over seed isn’t just something to be put down and forgotten. In fact, the additional fertilization has a tendency to combine with the temperature and water to bring on fungus which may harm the dormant grasses too.
Fertilization of over seed can be done either before, with the seed or after it begins to grow. Fertilizing too soon may push regrowth of the Bermuda which you really want to be dormant! So the best bet is to wait until the over seed (winter rye) is up ¾” - 1”. Use a starter fertilizer (3-1-2 here in Texas) at ½ lb N per 1000 sq ft on the first fertilization. If it needs more, use a 50% slow release at a light N rate. When dealing with fertilizer on over seed pay strict attention to the weather as temperature and moisture can combine to make the grass slick and thick if you’re not careful.
It is fairly common to over seed an inactive (unused) field to “protect it” from the weather during the dormancy period. This practice is questionable in my mind because it costs extra money, causes extra work and creates problems in the spring such that when the Bermuda grass is looking for the sun the over seed is shading it and keeping the sun out. At this point, the chemicals come out, the over seeded grasses are killed and you’ll sit back and hope the Bermuda hasn’t been set back by this activity.
Over seeding inactive fields is unnecessary because even thought it may be a tough winter, Bermuda roots are very hardy, tough to kill and spring back to life without much trouble in the spring. Field coverage problems (bare spots) can be pushed to regrow sooner and your unused, beaten up field will be full of regrowth sooner and all you’ve done is to forgo the over seeding while doing something more productive.
Over seeding will not change reality! Your damaged field will still be damaged when the spring comes. The reality is that an unhealthy field will stay that way. Over seeding may prolong the reality by keeping the sunshine out and perhaps bringing on unneeded fungus because it’s too wet.
That’s why good cultural practices are so important. Some fields have to be over seeded, some don’t. Be selective and you’ll win in the end.
Over seeding serves other purposes too. It is generally agreed that it prevents some damage to the dormant permanent grass while the field is in use during the winter or colder months. Football fields which double up as soccer fields are commonly over seeded as are most baseball fields and golf course greens in the southern ½ of the United States. The active root structure of the over seeded grasses help keep the Bermuda turf from being torn up and destroyed during the additional athletic season. Over seed on golf greens allows the groundskeepers to control the speed and tracking of the ball. Over seeding also provides a source of organic materials for the soil as it grows and is cut by mowing. And the fresh green color of the grass keeps sporting attitudes at a high point.
Over seed (winter ryegrass) comes in many different types of seeds, so selection is not easy for everyone. The type of over seed best used on YOUR field and in your location will be found at a local specialty seed supplier. They’ll know and will give you a selection of tall, short, wide, narrow, cheap, expensive and planting instructions. The costs of using over seed (winter ryegrass) usually ranges from $.75-$3.00 per lb and sports fields will take from 5-15 lbs per square foot depending upon which area you’re doing. Cheaper over seed usually grows quickly and requires much more cutting than the more expensive, specifically designed seed types. Thus spend a little, mow a lot and hope the rain doesn’t keep your mower in the shed! Talk to your seed man!!
Over seeding requires work to make it grow. It really is just another seasonal grass requiring water, fertilizer and mowing and reacts to the health of the existing soil. The seeds need to make contact with the soil to complete germination, so preparation of the field is important. Verticutting will open the field up for the over seeding operation. Just mow short, sweep up the cuttings and then put the seed down and run a drag lightly over the field. Next step is to keep the seeds damp once they are wet. Germination will take place in 5-10 days usually and then the irrigation water can be backed off just as you would with a regular grass field.
Mowing your over seeded field is required on some sort of a repetitive program and fertilizing it is important also. Over seed isn’t just something to be put down and forgotten. In fact, the additional fertilization has a tendency to combine with the temperature and water to bring on fungus which may harm the dormant grasses too.
Fertilization of over seed can be done either before, with the seed or after it begins to grow. Fertilizing too soon may push regrowth of the Bermuda which you really want to be dormant! So the best bet is to wait until the over seed (winter rye) is up ¾” - 1”. Use a starter fertilizer (3-1-2 here in Texas) at ½ lb N per 1000 sq ft on the first fertilization. If it needs more, use a 50% slow release at a light N rate. When dealing with fertilizer on over seed pay strict attention to the weather as temperature and moisture can combine to make the grass slick and thick if you’re not careful.
It is fairly common to over seed an inactive (unused) field to “protect it” from the weather during the dormancy period. This practice is questionable in my mind because it costs extra money, causes extra work and creates problems in the spring such that when the Bermuda grass is looking for the sun the over seed is shading it and keeping the sun out. At this point, the chemicals come out, the over seeded grasses are killed and you’ll sit back and hope the Bermuda hasn’t been set back by this activity.
Over seeding inactive fields is unnecessary because even thought it may be a tough winter, Bermuda roots are very hardy, tough to kill and spring back to life without much trouble in the spring. Field coverage problems (bare spots) can be pushed to regrow sooner and your unused, beaten up field will be full of regrowth sooner and all you’ve done is to forgo the over seeding while doing something more productive.
Over seeding will not change reality! Your damaged field will still be damaged when the spring comes. The reality is that an unhealthy field will stay that way. Over seeding may prolong the reality by keeping the sunshine out and perhaps bringing on unneeded fungus because it’s too wet.
That’s why good cultural practices are so important. Some fields have to be over seeded, some don’t. Be selective and you’ll win in the end.
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