1996-09-27_PERMIT FILE - M1996076

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• degrees F. The dormant seed in place has a chance to benefit from snowfall as well as spring rains. Spring can be successful if rainfall is above the historical average. Historical weather data shows that the rainfall pattern is fairly minimal through the spring months with June being hot and dry. In most cases, very early spring seedings (March) are difficult due to snow cover or wet conditions which prevents proper seedbed preparation. If seeded in late spring, the seedlings generally cannot become established adequately to withstand the hot/dry month of June. Late summer seedings (late July to mid August) have shown some success since August and September have historically been the highest rainfall months. However, a freeze is highly possible starting by mid September and could severely injure or kill young seedlings before they become well established. Therefore, spring and late summer seedings are times that are exposed to the greatest risks for successful grass establishment when supplemental water is not available. Dormant grass seedings in early October has provided the most consistent results. I HOW TO SEED: Drilling the grass seed is the best method. A drill i provides more uniform depth of planting and better soil-to-seed • contact. The suggested planting depth for grass seed ranges from 0. 5 to 1.5 cm (0. 2 to 0. 6 inches) . The heavier the texture of the soil the shallower the seed must be placed within the suggested planting depth. Planting depths of 2.5 cm (approx. 1 inch) or greater results in no grass emergence or plants that are so weak survival is very poor. Broadcasting the grass seed on the surface is a common practice and can be fairly successful if done properly. Broadcasting requires twice the seeding rate per acre that drilling grass seed requires. In addition, after the seed is broadcast on the surface, the seed needs to be lightly mixed into the soil with a harrow and then rolled with a roller or cultipacker to obtain a firm soil surface and good seed-to-soil contact. MULCHES: Mulches can be a real benefit to aid in retaining moisture. At this point, straw would be the mulch of choice. However, the straw needs to be crimped into the soil using a disk to prevent the mulch from being blown away by wind. The disk should be set in a manner (minimum or no dick angle) to minimize soil movement since excessive soil mixing would bury too many grass seed beyond the optimum germinating zone. • FERTILIZATION: At this point, the addition of nitrogen fertilizer to spring or late summer grass seedings should be done in the