In the Northwest we are approaching the ideal time of year to plant grass seed if you are intending to get as much help from Mother Nature as possible. Early Fall offers a period of time when the temperatures and precipitation are not in the extremes. (except this week) In general it is the easiest time to establish turf without a great deal of effort.

After seed bed preparation and seeding – the next most important operation is rolling the seed. This is often treated lightly when in all reality it is extremely important. The seed needs to be placed in tight contact with the soil or growing medium in order to keep the moisture that is present moving freely between the soil particle and the seed – otherwise the seeds will dry out prematurely and germination will be limited.

A roller I found to be very effective was not actually a roller but the knobby tires that are found on many ATV’s(all terrain vehicles). The seed is pressed down by the knobby tread and the indentation left by the tread helps hold the moisture. You have fun running the ATV and it really works well.