Sowing amenity grass at 250kgs /ha

[Wigeon]

Anyone done it?

Have a slightly unusual job on that may require 20ha of grass putting down this spring to go under a film set.

Dwarf RG and creeping red rescue seems to be the way ahead, but seed merchants vary in rate recommendations, from 50kgs to 250 or above.

I'm tempted to go high, but this leads to practical issues. Definitely don't want it in lines, so conventional drill is out of the question, unless I somehow do it with spreader plates in the air in place of the tines. Far too high a rate for the slug pelleter, plus j wouldn't trust it with close to a grand/ha of seed. I'm thinking maybe front hopper rigged up to grass narrows, both of which I've got, again with spreader plates etc.

Anyway, if anyone has done lawn sowing on a large scale then I'm all ears! Many thanks.

 

[Bobthebuilder]

just take the pipes of the coulters on your drill and cable tie them to frame

 

[Wigeon]

Thanks, I did wonder about that, but still worried about it being in lines. Could run over with grass harrows afterwards perhaps.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Vicon Vari Spreader

 

[Dog Bowl]

You not got a neighbour or contractor locally with a set of grass harrows with a seeder box on top??

 

[H.B.F.C]

You won't beat a Vicon wagtail spreader for heavy rates of grass seed

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Thats 5 ton of grass seeds ??
I am getting old

 

[Wigeon]

Yup

 

[Wigeon]

You not got a neighbour or contractor locally with a set of grass harrows with a seder box on top??

Not that I know of

 

[Danllan]

Anyone done it?

Have a slightly unusual job on that may require 20ha of grass putting down this spring to go under a film set.

Dwarf RG and creeping red rescue seems to be the way ahead, but seed merchants vary in rate recommendations, from 50kgs to 250 or above.

I'm tempted to go high, but this leads to practical issues. Definitely don't want it in lines, so conventional drill is out of the question, unless I somehow do it with spreader plates in the air in place of the tines. Far too high a rate for the slug pelleter, plus j wouldn't trust it with close to a grand/ha of seed. I'm thinking maybe front hopper rigged up to grass narrows, both of which I've got, again with spreader plates etc.

Anyway, if anyone has done lawn sowing on a large scale then I'm all ears! Many thanks.

I am in no way an expert on grass, but that seems a huge amount of seed; is it normal to use that rate for that sort of thing? @Great In Grass

 

[Spencer]

Yep, seeded a golf course a few years ago. Was a new one and we had to plough up cultivate and seed all the fairways, semi rough. Can’t just remember the seedrate required but it was crazy! (Rate Instructed by the civils company).
Had Accord Combi with metering unit set flat out. Seeded it twice with power Harrow just tickling on the second pass. Had hydraulic coulters lifted about 12” out of work to give a broadcast finish. Worked well and it came like a lawn funnily enough Went through some grass seed as I recall...

 

[davidroberts30]

You won't beat a Vicon wagtail spreader for heavy rates of grass seed

Yep,either very heavy or very light....could never get it spot on for the whole field ...

 

[Wigeon]

Yep, seeded a golf course a few years ago. Was a new one and we had to plough up cultivate and seed all the fairways, semi rough. Can’t just remember the seedrate required but it was crazy! (Rate Instructed by the civils company).
Had Accord Combi with metering unit set flat out. Seeded it twice with power Harrow just tickling on the second pass. Had hydraulic coulters lifted about 12” out of work to give a broadcast finish. Worked well and it came like a lawn funnily enough Went through some grass seed as I recall...

Yup, this sounds like a similar job!

 

[deleted user 837354]

Its a heck of a rate yes. Nothing like agricultural rates. Expensive job but it is how it is done.

 

[yellowbelly]

Anyway, if anyone has done lawn sowing on a large scale then I'm all ears! Many thanks.

We've done a fair bit over the years - playing fields for local authorities, golf courses, field scale turf establishment for Premier League pitches etc, etc.

The first job we did for a local council came with written specifications - I had to ring them up to see if they really wanted to drill it at 350kg/ha Turns out, as @Spencer says, it's pretty standard for those kinds of jobs.

Unless you want to splash out on a proper turf drill like this....

.....as has been said above, a Vicon Vari Spreader is your best option. Drive on about 3m or 4m centres (to get good even coverage) and you'll find (depending on seed rate you use) you'll probably have to do it both ways .

Make a fine, firm seedbed and Cambridge roll it before broadcasting. Lightly harrow it after (chain harrows or similar) and Cambridge roll it again.

 

[Wigeon]

Many thanks- most helpful! I was thinking about a flat roll after drilling, but you reckon cambridge better?

 

[Great In Grass]

I am in no way an expert on grass, but that seems a huge amount of seed; is it normal to use that rate for that sort of thing? @Great In Grass

Seed rate would be 40-50 grams per m2 with 4046 m2 within an acre it is a fair bit of seed.

@Wigeon if you are interested I can put you in touch with a seed house which supplies & maintains some of the greatest sporting & outdoor venues in the UK, let me know if you think I can help you.

 

[Sharpy]

Any fertilizer spreader will do it. Set it at half rate and do it twice, no probs. Have personally used Vicon wagtail and rotaflow, Amazone Zam Max and two smaller older models. Check your handbook.

Edit. I have also used a transpread 830 limespreader. Watch your spread width and all will be fine.

 

[yellowbelly]

Many thanks- most helpful! I was thinking about a flat roll after drilling, but you reckon cambridge better?

Depends on your soil type a bit. We did use both but I always prefered Cambridge as it followed ground contours better.

 

[Tha Ulsterscot]

Been sowing lawns for the past 30 years. DO NOT roll with a Cambridge roller, either before sowing or after . It will guarantee lines. We cover roughly 300 square yds. with what would normally sow an acre. (work it out for yourself). Sow with a light tractor and a vicon, and only miss a couple of feet between bouts. Flat roll it until your sick looking at it. By the way you need the dust flying to make it good and level. Good luck.