Establishment of turf using advanced ('pregerminated') seeds

Abstract

Advanced seeds (i.e. partially germinated seeds) of bent, ryegrass and bluegrass germinated and emerged up to 10 days before controls. In well-watered turf, the rate of development of ground cover and the final composition of bent and ryegrass swards were not influenced by using advanced seeds, but bluegrass swards contained more bluegrass and fewer weeds. From these results we generalise that the benefits of advancing are least in species that naturally germinate rapidly (e.g. ryegrass) and greatest in slow germinators (e.g. bluegrass). Sowing advanced seeds in most likely to be useful where: (i) management of newly sown turf is a problem, (ii) competition from weeds is expected, (iii) cosmetic repairs are needed urgently, (iv) an important and slow germinating component of a seed mix is expensive or rare, (v) seeds are dormant, or (vi) the weather is cold.