In many respects, turfgrass is what makes the green industry run. Homeowners and property managers take pride in great-looking lawns, and sports turf managers ask a lot of their green spaces. To care for these expanses of tough turf, contractors have developed extensive maintenance regimens. Using arsenals of equipment, they mow turf, feed it, water it, patch it, aerate it, weed it and spray it, and then start all over again.
Of course, maintenance programs have little purpose without established turfgrass to work with. Lawn & Landscape research shows that 58.4 percent of contractors offer sodding services, while 66.4 percent offer seeding and 17.4 percent hydroseed. Because many companies offer all of these services, providing them based on the situation and their clients’ needs, even contractors who prefer to lay sod must understand the keys behind proper seeding.
CHOOSING WISELY. Whether a company’s primary seeding service is new lawn establishment or annual slit seeding, most contractors and seed suppliers agree that identifying the right type of seed to use is step No. 1 in a successful application.
“Geographic location is critical to seed selection,” notes Evelyn Dennis, seed product manager, LESCO, Cleveland, Ohio. “Warm-season grasses, including Bermuda, St. Augustine, bahia, paspalum, zoysia, centipede and several native grasses, are normally planted in the spring and are more suited for warmer climates. Cool-season grasses, including bluegrass, fescue and ryegrass, are usually planted in late summer or fall and are more suited for cooler areas.” Moreover, Dennis says seed suppliers are knowledgeable about which species are suitable to certain climates and can provide information on the characteristics of the seed, including its shade or drought tolerance.
Doug Brede, research director and operating officer of Simplot/Jacklin Seed, Post Falls, Idaho, agrees that knowing turf species’ differences is a good idea, as that knowledge allows contractors to truly understand the products they’re being sold. “When you’re selecting seed for a project or investigating a new variety, knowing a bit about the different species allows you to give a little pushback when someone’s trying to sell you something you don’t really need,” he says. “Turfgrasses can tend to become trendy and move away from the mainstream, so sometimes it’s best to stick with what you know. By understanding the basic use of a species, you can stay away from any hype that might steer you away from the tried and true varieties.”
Contractors have a number of informative sources at their disposal when investigating seed varieties. “We usually look in industry magazines for some of the seed surveys that come out every year,” says Bill Akehurst, vice president and director of the landscape department at Akehurst Landscape Services, Joppa, Md. “Some of what we’re looking for has to do with supply and demand – what’s available in our area – and the price is important, too. We look at those seed surveys annually and make our determinations.”
While seed surveys are a concise tool that can help seasoned seeding companies narrow their choices on the best varieties to use, contractors that are looking for more up-close-and-personal information can take advantage of seed trials conducted by the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) or university extension agencies. For the annual trials, turfgrass varieties are grown into stands with specific levels of maintenance. This allows contractors to see how well varieties grow in certain conditions, looking specifically at turf color, texture and resistance qualities.
| PROMOTING BIODIVERSITY |
While some U.S. cities are grappling with pesticide bans, many Canadian companies already use pesticide-free lawn care programs. At Heritage Green, Ancaster, Ontario, Canada, the challenge of limited pesticide use has actually been a boon to the company’s seeding program. “For the last six years, I’ve been developing new methods that our company can use as more pesticides get restricted,” explains Turf Specialist Jeff Lowartz. “What we’ve come up with is a weed control method that’s really nothing but overseeding. If you can continually make the turf denser with regular overseeding, weeds won’t be able to compete with it.” Lowartz says he looks for turf seed varieties that produce dense lawns and are high in endophytes, which offer natural insect resistance. Additionally, Lowartz says he likes to use compost as a soil amendment, which can decrease turf’s susceptibility to drought stress dramatically. All clients on Heritage Green’s pest-free program are overseeded annually in the fall. To promote a diverse turf area, Lowartz uses a blend of 35 percent Kentucky bluegrass, 35 percent perennial ryegrass and 30 percent creeping red fescue. The pricing for the company’s overseeding services starts at $159 for 3,000 square feet and the company’s 100-percent pest-free program begins at $310 for the same size area. “As an industry, I think we’ve gotten turned around and started growing an unhealthy plant that just looks healthy,” Lowartz says. “I’m a licensed pesticide applicator, but now that a lot of pesticides are being removed, it gives us an opportunity to get back to growing healthy lawns by creating a biodiverse situation and overseeding is one of the easiest ways to do that.” |
IT’S ALL IN THE MIX. So the experts say that understanding the basic turf types and specific varieties’ positive and negative characteristics and maintenance requirements can help contractors narrow the field to the one seed variety that will perform best in his or her area, right? Not exactly. While these tips will help identify the best – or worst – performers, contractors shouldn’t be looking for a silver-bullet turf seed.
On the contrary, most contractors prefer to use turf seed blends that address a range of conditions on their clients’ properties. Brede says having diversity is essential for successful seeding. “The biggest mistake a contractor can make is to use 100 percent of anything,” he explains. “Lawns do not have all one makeup to them and seed shouldn’t either. Mixing species gives you a diversity that’s especially important if a disease or insect comes along and kills off one variety in the blend. Rather than a completely dead lawn, you’ve still got some living color there to work with.”
Brede says stock blends available from seed suppliers generally contain the most advanced seed varieties in terms of pest and stress resistance. However, another way to ensure confidence in how a blend will perform is to work with a seed supplier to develop a custom blend with specific amounts of certain seed varieties. Akehurst takes full advantage of this option.
“Here in the transition zone, we use a blend of 50-percent turf-type tall fes cue and 50-percent perennial ryegrass,” Akehurst says. “In our area, a lot of people only want to see the fescue and will strictly utilize that. But because our blend includes both warm- and cool-season grasses, it really gives a multiseasonal mix that works well throughout the year.”
Akehurst’s blend includes 25 percent each of two turf-type tall fescues and 25 percent each of two perennial ryegrass varieties. Going through roughly 100,000 pounds of “The Akehurst Mix” annually, the company contracts with a local seed supplier to handle the blending.
Similarly, Lowartz says Heritage Green’s “Elite Mix” is a custom blend of 35-percent Kentucky bluegrass, 35-percent perennial ryegrass and 30-percent creeping red fescue. “We’ve found that the Kentucky bluegrass grows well in irrigated, sunny conditions, while the ryegrass and fescue grow well in shady conditions,” he explains. “On most properties, you’ll have a blend of shade and sun, and the residential lawns we work on are usually watered. Using this blend for the entire lawn, as certain areas start to get shadier and the sun-loving varieties fade out, you get a nice transition from sun to shade.”
When creating a custom blend, Russ Nicholson, national sales manager for Pennington Seed, Madison, Ga., notes that contractors should expect prices to be a few dollars per pound higher than if they ordered a stock blend. “This is especially true if you’re doing a much smaller batch, such as 2,000 pounds or so, because it requires cleaning out the blender, which takes time, and you also have the cost of additional labor to cover,” he says.
Nicholson says turf seed prices can range from $1 to $25 per pound, with ryegrasses and turf-type tall fescues around $1 or $1.25 per pound, bluegrasses at $3 per pound and Bermudagrasses from $5 to $25. He adds that there can be ranges of prices for each species depending on the seed’s quality. “One mistake I see contractors make is choosing their seed based on price,” he notes. “Keep in mind when you’re making your purchases that a lower price could mean poorer quality. A lot of times, seed is the last thing to go down on a site, but it’s always the most visible. Even if it costs a penny or 10 cents more per pound, make sure you’re getting a good quality seed because that will reflect on the company making the application.”
| TOP PERFORMERS |
Different turfgrasses thrive in various conditions. Selecting the right type of turfgrass depends on a number of factors, including the lawn’s intended use, whether an irrigation system will be included and the amount of shade available, according to Doug Brede, research director and operating officer, Simplot/Jacklin Seed, Post Falls, Idaho. Here are his lists of the top-performing species in certain situations: Heavy Traffic: Brede says turfgrass species that will sustain heavy wear typically display stiff leaves, creeping stems, broad blades and top growth. Wear-tolerant species from best to worst, according to Brede, include: Shade: Shade often dictates what grasses can be planted where. Oftentimes, a mixture of four or five turfgrass types can produce the best results in these situations. Fine fescue grows best in shady conditions, but a blend of bluegrass can help even out the fine fescue’s rough texture, Brede says. Grasses that thrive in shady conditions from best to worst are: Drought: Some grasses are ideal for flooding or drought conditions. Canada bluegrass, Idaho bentgrass or redtop, though not as aesthetically pleasing, can work well in areas where there’s poor drainage or standing water, Brede says. For dry conditions, try these top performing turf types: Salt: Salt tolerance is key for grasses that are exposed to deicing salts along roadways or sidewalks. They’re also ideal for coping with high-sodium irrigation water, recycled water and naturally salty soils. Fults alkaligrass is considered the most salt-tolerant grass, according to Brede. – Jonathan Katz |
LAY DOWN THE LAWN. Once chosen, contractors can apply their seed blends effectively by remembering a few key points.
“The first step for a good application is definitely bed preparation,” Akehurst says. “Rake it out and get the soil loose so the seed can penetrate the soil and get better contact. This also helps the roots get started.” Preparing beds can be especially important on commercial sites or for contractors who work with home builders on new house lots. “On those sites, you might have to bring out a rake to prepare the soil because builders have compacted the site and stripped the topsoil,” Akehurst says. “We also add a slow-release fertilizer to make sure there are enough nutrients available to help the seed thrive.”
Bob Franey agrees, noting that his company uses a starter fertilizer on seeding jobs and prefers to use a slit seeder, rather than an overseeder, to apply seed. “Slit seeding is preferable to overseeding because the slit seeder’s blades cut into the soil and provide greater seed-to-soil contact,” says the president of Total Landscape, St. Louis, Mo.
Additionally, many contractors suggest using higher-than-recommended application rates when seeding new lawns. Lowartz says manufacturers’ recommendations are often based on how the seed will grow on a sod farm when it has a year or more to establish. On home lawns, doubling the rate will bring up a new stand of turf much faster. Akehurst agrees. “Growers may tell you to put down 6 to 8 pounds per 1,000 square feet, but we almost double that,” he says. “On a new lawn we put down 12 to 15 pounds per 1,000 square feet. In our area, we get a lot of thunderstorms that will take away some of the seed. You’ll also lose seedlings to birds who will feed on the seeds and for other reasons, so a higher rate helps offset that.”
Franey notes another key to effective seeding: Timing. “As with the establishment of any turf, the time of year is critical,” he says. “Seeding projects are ideal in the fall when there are three seasons of establishment – fall, winter and spring. Our clients are informed about the value of aerating and slit seeding in the fall and how this helps throughout the year.”
Franey says Total Landscape markets seeding services in August for September and October applications. Lowartz also ensures that Heritage Green’s seeding applications are made during the fall. “We get calls throughout the year, especially in the summer when the lawns turn brown,” he says. “We’ll have the customer change their nutrient practice so they have a healthier summer lawn and then get them on a program where they’re overseeded every fall.”
One thing most companies’ marketing information doesn’t include is a price list. Rather than a flat rate, most companies price seeding by the job in order to cover their costs on different sized properties. “We price our seeding services by the job in order to determine labor cost, materials cost and our mark-up goal,” Franey says. “Our seeding charges average 7 cents per square foot.”
Lowartz uses a similar technique, referring to wage grids provided by a national landscaping association in Canada. “Landscape Ontario provides some standard wage grids that we try to follow,” he says. “The basic rates up here are around $40 to $50 per labor-hour, plus the cost of the material, plus product. That covers the tax and handling costs that we have to pay in Canada.”
Beginning with a 3,000-square-foot minimum, Heritage Green charges $159 for overseeding. It’s pest-free program, including annual overseeding, aeration, fertilization and other cultural practices starts at $310 for 3,000 square feet and goes up to $410 for 4,000 square feet. The cost per 1,000 square feet goes down as the lawn size increases.
Akehurst says his company has used different pricing strategies in certain situations when working with builders. “We did 700 lots for one builder and took the total price for all the seeding and divided it by the number of lots,” he explains. “Whether the lot was 5,000 square feet or 25,000, it was the same price. This strategy worked well for the builder, and because of the law of averages, we still ended up getting paid for all of the work, even though the money came in a little differently.”
When contractors take the time to prep beds and recover their costs, Lowartz says growing grass isn’t difficult. “Grass is probably one of the easiest things in the world to grow,” he says. “As you have moisture and good soil contact along with heat, which comes from proper timing of the application, you can get seeds to germinate.”
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