What substrate to put with seeds when overseeding?

Discussion in 'Propagation This Month' started by Calum, Aug 5, 2013.

  1. Calum

    Calum Gardener

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    Hi, I was in dobbies and looking at the things I will need when I overseeding my lawn in a month. My question is, when I seed, What should I put down on top of it. These are the two candidates I found in dobbies. The dressing one felt quite sandy through the bag, I think it's sand with a bit of topsoil mixed in.

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  2. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    You don't really need anything on top unless you have really poor soil, just lightly rake in the seed will be good enough.
     
  3. Calum

    Calum Gardener

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    Wont that make it much harder to keep the seeds moist if a number of them are exposed? Not to mention the birds.
     
  4. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    If you lightly rake in the seeds most will get covered.

    Even if you cover with soil, birds will scrabble it up to get at them, use some netting to keep them off.
     
  5. Kristen

    Kristen Under gardener

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    I sow some extra seed for the birds, much easier than all the rigmarole trying to keep the birds off and I've never really found them to be a significant problem here, except when they use a seed bed as a dust-bath and then there is no seed left in that hollow :( Watering regularly, until germination, will fix that problem (and its probably not a problem with overseeding anyway)
     
  6. clueless1

    clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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    I use sand, just because I like sand and moss doesn't.
     
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