Overall disturbed area to be grassed, including the pond, is 1.6 ac on our land. The pond is 0.5 ac so the area to be seeded is 1.1 ac; i.e. 47,916 SF. At 1/2 lb/1,000 SF (high end) we would sow 24 lbs. Low end is half that or 12 lbs.
Overall area disturbed as of 3/2/2020 is 85,000 SF and that includes: P&F’s 15,000 SF; the grassed area at the road; and the ~22,000 SF pond. So, that is 63,000 SF to seed or 1.5 ac. P&F’s 15K of 63K is about 24%.
For Terraverde Bermuda Forage Production: For maintained lawns 30-40 lbs per acre. Depth: 1/8 inch
Pond perimeter is 550 LF. So 20′ swath of centipede would be 11,000 SF. 5 lbs at 1/2 lb/1000sf would seed it, almost. At G&D 5 lbs. is $139.
Links
- http://alabama-grass.com/View.aspx?Centipede-Grass
- http://www.seedland.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=Seedland&Category_Code=TIFBLAIR
- Good Price – https://www.domyown.com/tifblair-centipede-grass-seed-p-3906.html 5# for $152.
- https://www.cleverdonfarms.com/Seed Ebay $140/5#
Bermuda Grass Seed FAQs
- Do not plant until the soil temperatures are 65/70 degrees or higher.
- Under ideal conditions, the hulled seeds can germinate within 3 to 7 days. IF conditions are NOT ideal, it is quite normal for Bermuda grass seeds to take 14 to 21 days for germination to occur. Occasionally, it can take longer.
Re: Perennial grasses around pond at PondBoss.com
TheBigRagu
Registered: 09/29/05
Loc: northwest Mississippi
I am planning on planting some additional grass around my pond and in the runoff areas. Currently these areas have vegetation but it is very sporadic. I am hoping that over time this will enhance the clarity of my pond. Does anyone have any suggestions on a durable perennial grasses that can thrive in Northwest Mississippi? Also this pond sits on the front part of 10 acres and I hope to one day build my home behind it so I would like for it to be a nice looking grass as well (otherwise my wife might not let me live there)… Thanks, Ragu
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bobad
Registered: 06/02/05
Posts: 2365
Loc: Eunice, Louisiana (20 miles north of Layfayette)
BigRagu,
I have found the best grass for bare or sparse ground in my area is a mix of Bermuda (Var. Sahara) and Centipede (Pennington seed). The Sahara bermuda sprouts quickly and begins to cover in only 6 weeks in warm wet weather. It quickly covers and the thick runners prevent erosion. Left un-mown, it maxes out at about 8-10″ tall. The centipede starts off very slowly, and takes about a year to start choking out the Bermuda. The centipede needs no care whatsoever. Not even fertilizer. It’s quite drought tolerant, and is very disease resistant. Left unmown, it maxes out at 12-16″ tall. Once established, you can finish mow it every week, or bush hog it 3-4 times a year as you please. It’s the only carefree grass that I know of that also looks great and doesn’t grow waist high if neglected. It browns out after the first hard freeze, but comes back very early in spring. Since you already have some cover, you may option to skip the bermuda and just sew the centipede. Just be patient, it starts real slowly at first.
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Bob Lusk
Editor, Pond Boss Magazine
Loc: Whitesboro, Texas (north of Fort Worth)
BoBad’s advice is sound. The only question I have is that it’s October, and you may not have enough warm weather left to establish bermuda. If not, winter varieties of rye will hold the soil until spring, when you can plant better grasses. I have been a big fan of common bermuda as a turf grass around ponds, especially where a home will be. One other tip, use water from your pond to irrigate the grass seed and new grass, to help it become better established, quickly.
From http://www.centipedegrass.com/seeding/index.html
Seeding: 1/2 to 1 LB per 1000 sq. ft. and 14 – 45 lb. per acre. One pound will plant 2,000 to 4,000 square feet of area. Centipede can be planted with seeds, sod, plugs or sprigs coverage can be expected in about 3 months. We recommend planting 1/2 lb. per 1000 sq. feet for best results.
(1) Mow the area low in spring or fall, remove the excess plant material – Then Sow (broadcast) your Centipede grass seeds, either last of fall or preferably in the spring on the area to be planted. However, you may want to seed in the LATE fall at the same time you use a cover crop such as ryegrass. The Centipede seed will start germinating the following spring.
(2) Rake the area sowed with a hand rake so that scratch marks in the soil between plants allow some seeds to fall into these valleys and become covered by soil over time (from your rake action and later from rains). Centipede seeds must have a thin soil covering to germinate (1/4 inch ideal) – They DO NOT germinate when thrown on top of the ground. Use the correct rate of seed for Centipede grass lawns.
(3) Water the area you have planted as needed. Apply fertilizer in intervals through the growing season, and practice a regular mowing schedule. Mowing the weeds that will grow in your new lawn area faster than the grass, allows the grass to compete better for scarce nutrients and sunlight. – Mow regular and at the correct height.
Once it has germinated and emerged, it will be a very tiny needle looking plant, hiding under and around all the other weeds & plants that may be present in the neighborhood.
Fertilizing the Grass
Our first fertilizing was on 5/23/2020 and was based on the following was from the PondBossForum.
| catmandoo Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 5,699 Hampshire Co., WV | Maybe this subject came up because of something I posted yesterday regarding algae that I thought was possibly due to lawn fertilizer runoff. With that said, it may not be all bad that you do have runoff into the pond, if it is done in moderation, and if you use something more than a real high nitrogen fertilizer (the first number). High nitrogen is what provides the green, fast growing grass, but it will also cause algae growth in your pond. It is also what runs off the most because it is generally slower to get absorbed. Your pond will get a good bloom from phosphorus (the middle number in fertilizer). This time of year, a good bloom can be good for the young fish. But, phosphorus also causes filamentous algae. The third number, potash, is for root growth. Unfortunately for Bermuda grass, the recommended fertilizers are usually something like 20-0-15. Regular lawn fertilizers are more like 40-5-2. Do a soil test. See what you might be lacking. Then look for a more balanced fertilizer, without real high nitrogen. Make sure your pond gets some of the phosphorus. It will do two things, it will give you the bloom you want, but that will also limit the water clarity. Limiting the clarity will cut down sunlight penetration, which should help keep the potential algae down. Think about liquid fertilizer. Liquid fertilizers are more difficult to apply, but they will be at much lower concentrations and should have a lot less runoff as they soak into the ground. They will also have to be applied more often. And, as said above — avoid the weed killers anywhere near the pond. Hopefully, this didn’t confuse too much. Regards, Ken |
