Mowed this a.m. around 10 am....feels like was already at 100 according to the weather app. Would go for night mow, but the rain always seems to come afternoon/night in my area and then I get behind on mowing and it grows too much by the time I get to it.
@@Thelawncarenut Hello , I’ve watched many of your videos and wanted to know if I can send you pictures of my lawn to determine if I should lay sod with a layer of manure. I tried the argentine Bahia and got short term results and its a mess now. Can I email you the pictures ? I live in tampa bay area near ruskin. Thanks again !
Just saw this video about Bahia and wanted to share my experience. I used Hancock Pensacola Bahia. It germinate in 10 days and almost all seeds were successful. I would highly recommend this brand to have a successful result.
Doing any grass seeding I learned you have to cover the seed in 1/4” of soil then you want a hose sprinkler timer to hit it 3 times a day with water for just a few minutes. It has to stay damp and never dry out until you mow the first time basically. Then you can start to water a little deeper and maybe twice a day
We've seeded for the last 3 years, what we've found is that if you simply seed on top you have to wait until the seed finds its way into the soil...we live in sand and the stuff we put down directly on top doesn't grow until the following year.
I have been having great success with the Scott's Argentinian Bahia grass. From what I understand it is more durable, drought resistant here in central coastal Florida. The germination has been great even in sand but has definitely taken longer than expected. I used top soil to cover the seed. I began seeding first of March, watered regularly. Now it's mid-April and I have grass.
I live in Central Florida. I was extremely successful in growing Bahia grass from seed by placing Peat Moss over the seed. It worked terrific. I watered every day too and it worked great! Please please try and use this truck with Peat moss over the seed. God bless 🙏
@@manolid I'm telling you Peat Moss worked terrific 👍 It kept all the moisture in and it germinated and grew lush and thick. It blended right in. Obviously don't use Prodiamine in and near where you want to seed too. If LCN used Prodiamine in this guy's lawn before he laid down seeds of course it will also fail. Raw seeds on a lawn don't work. You have to use peat moss. Great comment.
I would second the peat moss Worked awesome for shady mix gonna do bahai for the front yard soon. I also wouldn't recommend using glysophate like the video and expecting anything to grow lol. Cleaning grade vinegar, salt, and soap. Or just till it and start over.
I'm week 3 into seeding my back yard with Bahia and its finally starting to grow. It hasn't been as much as I hoped but its starting to get better. The key for me was to add peat moss over the seed to hold the moisture longer. With that I was able to get the area in the sun all day to germinate. It still a bit spotty but it looks like its spreading each day. I'm in the same area of central Florida so its been hard to hold the water with this heat and sand for soil. I do have irrigation so it makes watering a whole lot easier.
Just bought a new build in FL, encountered Bahia for the first time. Tried growing the Pennington seed over and over- nothing. I was able to grow it in a cup but it died off eventually. Mercifully, RGS + Humic + Flagship made our Bahia spread and thicken up tremendously.
Central Florida here (east Orlando) and we went with Bahia for all the reasons you stated. New construction property (Feb 23), Bahia sod was placed over swales and septic area, we planted winter rye over other areas and it all did well. During the dry spring time, bahia (not sure of variety) went dormant as expected. We also put down a reasonable amount of 10-10-10. We were expecting rain (forecasted) in the late spring, so we planted 100 lbs of Coated Argentine Bahia (Hancock Seed - $500). Used an aerator / seeder. We watered regularly (30min per zone w/ timers and field sprinklers) daily @ 1-3am. The coated seed did nothing, same results as you. In June we put down another 100lbs of uncoated Argentine Bahia (Hancock - $600), at this time we started to get regular rain. I placed did a test run in some potting soil and seed trays - germination in ~10 days and sprouts in 15 days. We saw lawn germination and sprouts in 3 weeks. Now with the regular rains it is doing well, but we will need to seed again. Bahia is a lot harder than I expected, but similar results to you. We moved from PA and had Tall Fescue up there, that was challenging, but not as hard as Bahia. My lesson on Bahia is to wait until the seasonal rains are consistent, watering / irrigation cannot provide enough water. Bahia (highway grass) sod is about $120 per 400sq ft (locally). That was cost prohibitive for the 2.25 acres we have, but I wasted a lot of money on seed during the first round.
I lightly disked about 5 acres. Used a broadcast spreader and threw out non coated Pensacola Bahai grass seed and then disked the seed into the dirt. I had great success and have a really good stand with minimal work, no irrigation and minimal rain fall. Located in Texas.
Loved your battle with Frankenstein Lawn and the ST. Aug Plug grow when you were in St. Pete. More is learned through failure than when everything is perfect.
I seeded my back yard with Bahia after hurican Ian. It grew in after 1.5-2 months. But super patchy and sparse. Maybe 70%grass to dirt ratio. Very noticable. Rainy season hit and it filled in, but I let it overgrow to seed on several occasions. It is softer under foot though.
When I seed bermuda I like to mix the seed in with potting soil to ensure its got a good covering of soil to stay moist. Typically I find if I can see the seed, it's success rate is a lot lower as the sun will bake it dry. Also as others have said, timers for a hose sprinkler are great if you don't have irrigation especially for a small area like that. Twice a day isn't going to cut it, especially if you miss the mid day timeframe. That seed is dry by 3pm everyday.
Glad you posted this, as someone who wanted to overseed some thin areas in my bahia lawn, Its good to know not to waste my money. That seed is soo over priced
Allyn, I did bare spots here in Western NY, paid $44 for 7 pounds and it was the "northeast" blend. It did not grow, did it twice...got very little results. Watered 2x a day, etc...what did grow is now dying. I swear, done this for years, never had a problem...I suspect its something in the air, seriously.
You are more than welcome to use my lawn in a next video. I have Bahia with irrigation and my front lawn needs some help. I am located in Cape Coral. I am torn between overseeding, plugs, or sod.
FPL did work behind my house in Central Florida and did a half-assed grading job, Bahia seed, threw down hay, and left it. I put in irrigation and watered it heavily and it grew fine. My neighbor had the same process done and no irrigation. When all was said and done, both yards grew in fine with good coverage of grass from seed. I ended up ripping it up and graded it better and threw down good Bermuda seed with good results too with a lot of water until established.
I have Bahia grass at my new house. After that initial year of it getting established it is now awesome. I use pre emergent twice a year, 002 micro-green, and malorganite. That is about it. I have to keep an eye on my drip edge and downspouts from gutters that kills the grass. But, so long as I keep 002 microgreen on there it looks great. I watered my grass one time this year I think. I love bahia how it goes dormant in a drought then comes back once it gets deeply watered!!!!
I'm in Alabama, I've used a few big bags of Pennington in my yard to fill in big bald spots and have definitely been unimpressed with it. It was the contractors mix which in my area is mostly tall fescue with some other stuff mixed in. Keeping up with watering I had less than maybe 40% germination, and once I thought it was good to go close to 2 months later I watered less frequently and eventually slacked off to nothing. I don't have a sprinkler system. It's mostly all dead now, and what's left is super wispy and thin. I'm thinking Pennington seed just sucks lol, and when I put the effort into doing this again later this year or next spring I'm definitely going online and getting the best seed I can find. Funny to see the same exact "garden weasel" that I have, I call mine one too 🤣🤣 That is one tough built tool for sure!
Seed in may when the rain season starts something about the rain water seems to really make Bahia grow very good I'm in saintpetersburg Florida that's what works for me
Not really specific to Bahia but if I am having trouble getting germination in a spot. I like to use an old light colored bed sheet. Prep that area put the seed in the soil and then cover with bed sheet and couple of landscape fabric staples. Then keep that sheet wet!! Good luck
I seeded a Sarasota yard with Arden 15 Bermuda and to be successful I had to cover it with a layer of peat. Not a thick layer but fully covered to retain moisture in between watering. Any seed not covered would not germinate and/or survive. I’d be surprised if Bahia would germinate on the surface.
I have to say, great experiment. I was worried about the germination rate after mounds of research and the bermuda seems to be the people's choice here in South Carolinas Low Country, for turf style grass. I wanted something that was dual purpose as I am also trying to establish pastures. The rain cycle here has been great for me not having to manually water. However, I am also on a well system, so daisy chaining sprinklers can turn into quite the task. I spread 14,000 sqft of seed, and all we did to prep the ground was rough it with a metal rake and cross hatched with the seed and raked back over it. Initial watering and watering in between rain. Some heavy storms have washed some seeds into piles but other than that it looks like the seed has been germinating well. And in about 12 days. This is also germinating in fill dirt used to level and build up my property with no top soil, compost, peatmoss, millet or straw. Of course there will be some over seeding and some molorganite fertilizing to thicken the kids backyard but overall pretty happy with it. I debated on commenting because I don't want to jinx my luck lol, but thought my experience could be useful in some way. Great video! Also, I talk to my grass when I go out there and check on the little guys. We did pray over the seedlings too 🙏. Take care!
I did plenty of spot seeding in NE Ohio on clay. I used a Corona weasel to break up the ground, added 1" Scott's top soil (it contains sphagnum moss and other organic material, spread Barenbrug Turf Kentucky Blue, worked it in with a landscape rake, covered it with EZ Straw Combination Seed, Mulch, Fertilizer, watered it a.m. & p.m. BAM - grass in
I put down Argentine Bahai and had similar performance expectations. Got the seed from Hancock. I liked the idea of deep roots. Took quite a while to see grass. Turns out Bahia seed has a long and variable germination time, that is to say, bahia germinates when it is good and ready. Early results were thin on the ground. Brown and Brown say 12 to 24 months is the germination period! Mowing requires a sharp blade as Bahia is very tough. My Ballard butter knife blades work for The St. Augustine but the Bahai gets a ragged cut.
The recommended rate is 5-10 pounds per 1,000 square feet, depending on how thick the lawn is now. Lightly rake the soil with a leaf rake so that the seed is covered with soil. Water lightly two or three times a day. The soil must never be allowed to dry out during the germination period or the seed will die. Best grass germination I ever had was with a timer 4x a day at 20 minutes a whack.
I have the weirdest pasture Bahia that just will not die. Needs a mow every 2 days but I can only do every 3-6 days. I’m basically bailing hay on day 6
It's a small yard. He could install an irrigation system. I did the entire irrigation system from sub panel to nozzle all by myself with minimal tools. Took me all summer but best way to have grass.
If u have any extra seed just for giggles you should try mixing the seed and toilet paper in a bucket to make a diy hydro seed to throw on a bare spot . I’d love to see how that works with Bahia
I grew a Bahia lawn from seed. You can't just toss it on top of the soil, it has to be worked into the soil and watered at least three times a day. I prepped the yard with Roundup and then tilled it under with a power tiller. That sized area I would have just gone with sod to start. The good part is once established it goes dormant. The bad part it thins out over time which allows weed encroachment which caused me to eventually replace it with St. Augustine and have the big watering bill again.
I remember doing a full lawn reno on northern IN with KBG... thought I'd have to wait 3 weeks for any germination! Well, with the newer cultivars and a big thanks to irrigation, I had initial germination on day 4 🙂. I could not imagine waiting 30 days!!!
Great content as always. Personally, never been a fan of Pennington, and like you stated, the fact they sell this doesn't help their case for me. Failure is how we learn! For your friend however, I bet this was aggravating. I would be upset purchasing seed for that much with no results. I'd go back to that customer support number and get my money back!
Whatever seed I plant I automatically get at least a quarter cup and put it in between a wet towel in a bag and wait 10 days and open it up. That’s when you should see full germination in your yard as well.
If you want to experiment with the seeds, try using a self watering seed starting system such as those from gardener's supply company. I use their system to start flower seeds in winter here in Washington State and have had good success with them. You'll also need a grow light but the advantage of this system is that it will be completely indoors and in a highly controlled environment. The self watering system doesn't require frequent top up of water which is a major plus, only need to top up every 2 to 3 weeks as you're indoors. Alternatively, get yourself a container and put some cotton balls in it, then fill with water but the water level should not cover the cotton balls, just enough to keep the cotton balls wet. You can start your seeds this way too, I've started very difficult seeds such as Lavender with this setup too. And yes, you'll need a grow light for this too, just a cheap one will do as you're just getting the seed to germinate and not grow into a full plant. Keep the water level maintained and the cotton balls will stay moist. What I suspect the sow growers do is that they start their seeds using similar setup, maybe in a protected greenhouse, then they transplant the grass into the field for the bahiagrass to mature. This grass is a very hardy one once they start growing so their success rate is mostly dependent on the initial germination and a controlled environment is probably how they do it.
When you was preparing the area for seeding you applied glyphosate, I think when I’ve read the instructions on the back, they mention about seeding and not composting the clipping for a while, so perhaps the residual glyphosate might inhibit the seed germinating? Or you’ve bought bad seed, like you said there little demand for that seed so could be sat on the self for years/ months (in UK they have a packed date). I had a bit of good luck with seeding my front garden, been suffering from record high temperatures but it cooled so I resown my lawn, had loads of rain, and warmth looks to have germinated quickly 3 weeks, will look to reel mow it.
You’ll be surprised. It grew some of this same seed out behind our property to fill in the dirt patch near the swamp. I gave up on it completely. Then six months to a year later - Bahia seed heads popping through the weeds saying hello.
Perhaps some burlap paired with a timer + sprinkler have helped? I usually do that when I overseed some bare spots in the summer time. Tends to work for me but then again I am in Eastern Washington.
You should do a science experiment: Pregerminating the seed like you can with TTTF, etc. I think your experiment needs to soak in pure water with the seed in a paint strainer bag in a 5 gal bucket, with change out of the water every 12 hours. TTTF is like 4 days for soaking but seems like this may be somewhere in the 7-10 day range.
I had success w this seed. You have to use a paint net to wash the seed coating off by letting it sit in water bucket for a week changing the water every day and night. Then you can throw it on the ground and start the process of watering. It will pop up in 2 weeks. I did this last year in St Pete, FL. But, you’re still not going to get the thickness like you would with sod.
Peat moss holds 30% times its own weight in water the ground looks dry to me I think a covering of peat moss might have helped with your project. Just for shits and giggles could we just put a light covering of peat moss???
I’ve got 2 acres of Bahia planted by seed in Florida. You must kill existing plants (glyphosate). Till soil, spread seed, compact soil (mandatory). The goal is 1/4-3/3/8” below surface. In my experience 30-45 days for partial results. I don’t water, and plant in mid June to catch regular rain. Coated seeds help if you can’t water or have lots of birds. Argentine is good for a lawn (thick bade).
I've tried several seed types from Pennington...all have failed. The ones that have actually germinated never got to full maturity and eventually died. I'm putting down fresh soil and watering on a timer. I think it might be something with their seeds.
Hi LCN, i live in Pinellas county Florida and i plan on putting down some Argentine Bahia grass, was wondering since you had so much issues with the grass seeds you tried here, what do you think my odds are on Argentine Bahia grass seeds working ?
I'm not sure on that one - I have never tested it. I do know that the reason we failed was due to a lack of water. New seed in this heat needs to be watered multiiple times per day. We just couldn't accomplish that. You guys have probably been getting some rain but here in Bradenton we have been very dry too, which doesn't help.
Well done for helping this guy out and for the 'exercise in futility' to get his lawn started! So... what say you Pennington, not a strong endorsement of your seed products is it? I'll stick to my St. Augustine !
I'm not surprised the seed didn't take, cos you didn't prep the ground. You have to remove all the dead grass and improve the soil with atleast humic and bio-char.
I believe it’s because it’s not saturated enough, especially if he’s watering by hand. He probably needs to do 3x a day. Maybe setting up a temporary irrigation via water faucet, since he works. I also, think you should’ve got uncoated instead of coated. Easier to germinate, but could get eaten by birds. Just some thoughts.
Recently bought, cleared, graded and seeded the lot next to my home in FL with P.Bahia. It turned out great at first. It grew like weeds and completely filled in the fresh "dirt" lot .. (sand lol) It was a jungle within just a few weeks and needed mowed. It all immediately died after mowing and has only come back in a very few small patches. All my neighbors went from asking what my trick was to laughing at me...😂
Same thing happened to me with Bermuda seed. It all grew nice and pretty and then I mowed it and then it died and weeds too over. I was very disappointed
I have a theory that seed laws in Florida allow us to be the very last to receive orders of seed from companies. As I understand it, we're allowed to sell seed up to 11 months after harvest while other places like Texas force an expiration a lot sooner. I'm just pretty sure we get trash seed that's bounced through multiple states. I've had 100% success with bermuda seeding but bahia overseeding in Florida, just like you've experienced, was a total fail every single time and the weed content was out of this world.
Is it possible that watering only twice per day vs watering 4-6 times per day to keep the seed wet (like I do with my TTTF) is the cause for this failure to germinate? Maybe the seed simply dries out with the hot FL weather without all of the extra watering keeping it wet throughout the day.
There's a lot of bermuda here where I'm at in middle Ga near Macon, GA. I've got 4 acres and it used to be all bahia then it turned to weeds and spur weed. I'm trying to choke it all put but I'm about to be at a loss and just leave what I've got. I've thought about overseading with bermuda to see if it'll choke out all the bs. Got any tips?
You need to cover with soil for sure. Especially with a Sandy soil already being there. That soil is basically dead and with no life left in it. Especially where you sprayed. I used that brand before with Kentucky Blue Grass. It did not do very well. I use a great quality seed all the time now.
My guess, judging by what we saw, the seed quality was poor. The soil appeared bone dry when you dug up some seed. I suspect the water schedule wasn't maintained. Honestly nobody has the time to water their lawn by hand twice a day for a month. It's not gonna happen. Even if the homeowner did maintain the hand water schedule it would have been a waste because the seed germination rate was terrible.
Posting your Ls and like every good wizard you proudly claim your losing battle. The challenge you thought to be easy solution taught you some of the hard truths of lawn care as you curiously try to understand the problem and revise your proposed solution.
Ive got a split st. Aug/bahia backyard in Florida. The Bahia grows like crazy when fed. My biggest problem with the Bahia is its gone yellow. I think I actually have a soil issue? Microgreen/micros dont do much for the yellowing. Thought fungus but fungicide did nothing for it. Soooo yea, thinking ph is off which is odd because the St. Aug is doing fine. Anyone else experience this?
I wonder if amending the soil with some thick compost and actually "planted" the seed would have worked better. Although waiting that long is ridiculous. No one wants that.
I've developed a habit of speaking aloud "aeration!" Every time I hand pull a weed and the roots come along, too. Did I subconsciously pick this up from you, or is this a creation of my imagination?
Dropping Bahia seeds on top of dead Bermuda is never going to accomplish anything. Bahia's aggressive, but it will not invade established Bermuda. There are a lot of misconceptions about this grass. People say to only grow it on the Gulf coast or Florida. I live in the transition zone hundreds of miles north of there and it's my most prolific and aggressive grass in this ridiculous hard clay. It also stays green most of the Winter. After a tornado hit last year I had to keep my dogs in a kennel outside for months and the area inside the kennel lost all of its grass. This Spring it was suddenly full of lush grass. I let it get too tall and cut it all down with a weedeater and it killed it so it was bare dirt again. A month later it was once again full of grass. Plant your seeds planning to see the grass next Spring. It's a deep-rooted grass so go ahead and bury it under an inch of soil. Don't plan on ever changing your lawn type afterward, though. Because the seeds can lie dormant for extremely long periods of time it will keep coming back.
My lawn is all sand and native weeds. Seeded with Bermuda…nothing. Seeded with winter rye and followed with a water retaining chemical that helped. Came back with more Bahia. Nothing. Plus something killed all of the Bermuda from the previous year.
I’ve been in Miami since Monday and I have no idea how you enjoy to mow in this weather lol.
it makes you appreciate dry underwear.
@@Thelawncarenut I’m from Iowa and I love to mow. I have a lot of respect for you!!
Mowed this a.m. around 10 am....feels like was already at 100 according to the weather app. Would go for night mow, but the rain always seems to come afternoon/night in my area and then I get behind on mowing and it grows too much by the time I get to it.
@@Thelawncarenut
Hello , I’ve watched many of your videos and wanted to know if I can send you pictures of my lawn to determine if I should lay sod with a layer of manure. I tried the argentine Bahia and got short term results and its a mess now. Can I email you the pictures ? I live in tampa bay area near ruskin. Thanks again !
@@Thelawncarenut😂
Just saw this video about Bahia and wanted to share my experience. I used Hancock Pensacola Bahia. It germinate in 10 days and almost all seeds were successful. I would highly recommend this brand to have a successful result.
Doing any grass seeding I learned you have to cover the seed in 1/4” of soil then you want a hose sprinkler timer to hit it 3 times a day with water for just a few minutes. It has to stay damp and never dry out until you mow the first time basically. Then you can start to water a little deeper and maybe twice a day
That’s exactly what I needed to hear!
We've seeded for the last 3 years, what we've found is that if you simply seed on top you have to wait until the seed finds its way into the soil...we live in sand and the stuff we put down directly on top doesn't grow until the following year.
I have been having great success with the Scott's Argentinian Bahia grass. From what I understand it is more durable, drought resistant here in central coastal Florida. The germination has been great even in sand but has definitely taken longer than expected. I used top soil to cover the seed. I began seeding first of March, watered regularly. Now it's mid-April and I have grass.
I live in Central Florida. I was extremely successful in growing Bahia grass from seed by placing Peat Moss over the seed. It worked terrific. I watered every day too and it worked great! Please please try and use this truck with Peat moss over the seed. God bless 🙏
Was wondering why he didn't put something over it like compost or peat moss.
@@manolid I'm telling you Peat Moss worked terrific 👍 It kept all the moisture in and it germinated and grew lush and thick. It blended right in. Obviously don't use Prodiamine in and near where you want to seed too. If LCN used Prodiamine in this guy's lawn before he laid down seeds of course it will also fail. Raw seeds on a lawn don't work. You have to use peat moss. Great comment.
I will try this next year for Bahia.
I would second the peat moss
Worked awesome for shady mix gonna do bahai for the front yard soon.
I also wouldn't recommend using glysophate like the video and expecting anything to grow lol. Cleaning grade vinegar, salt, and soap. Or just till it and start over.
I'm week 3 into seeding my back yard with Bahia and its finally starting to grow. It hasn't been as much as I hoped but its starting to get better. The key for me was to add peat moss over the seed to hold the moisture longer. With that I was able to get the area in the sun all day to germinate. It still a bit spotty but it looks like its spreading each day. I'm in the same area of central Florida so its been hard to hold the water with this heat and sand for soil. I do have irrigation so it makes watering a whole lot easier.
Just bought a new build in FL, encountered Bahia for the first time. Tried growing the Pennington seed over and over- nothing. I was able to grow it in a cup but it died off eventually. Mercifully, RGS + Humic + Flagship made our Bahia spread and thicken up tremendously.
I have a irrigation system and tried numerous times to seed my Bahia lawn and no success. Wonder how the sod farms do it. Might make a great video
This is an excellent idea! I would love to to see Allen ask some true Bahia pros at the Bahia land farms
I feel sorry for you people in Florida who grow cool season grasses like fescue, rye and blue grasses. I consider Bahia weeds.
@Thelawncarenut great video ideas. How do the sod farms do it
Central Florida here (east Orlando) and we went with Bahia for all the reasons you stated. New construction property (Feb 23), Bahia sod was placed over swales and septic area, we planted winter rye over other areas and it all did well. During the dry spring time, bahia (not sure of variety) went dormant as expected. We also put down a reasonable amount of 10-10-10. We were expecting rain (forecasted) in the late spring, so we planted 100 lbs of Coated Argentine Bahia (Hancock Seed - $500). Used an aerator / seeder. We watered regularly (30min per zone w/ timers and field sprinklers) daily @ 1-3am. The coated seed did nothing, same results as you. In June we put down another 100lbs of uncoated Argentine Bahia (Hancock - $600), at this time we started to get regular rain. I placed did a test run in some potting soil and seed trays - germination in ~10 days and sprouts in 15 days. We saw lawn germination and sprouts in 3 weeks. Now with the regular rains it is doing well, but we will need to seed again. Bahia is a lot harder than I expected, but similar results to you. We moved from PA and had Tall Fescue up there, that was challenging, but not as hard as Bahia. My lesson on Bahia is to wait until the seasonal rains are consistent, watering / irrigation cannot provide enough water. Bahia (highway grass) sod is about $120 per 400sq ft (locally). That was cost prohibitive for the 2.25 acres we have, but I wasted a lot of money on seed during the first round.
I lightly disked about 5 acres. Used a broadcast spreader and threw out non coated Pensacola Bahai grass seed and then disked the seed into the dirt. I had great success and have a really good stand with minimal work, no irrigation and minimal rain fall. Located in Texas.
Loved your battle with Frankenstein Lawn and the ST. Aug Plug grow when you were in St. Pete. More is learned through failure than when everything is perfect.
I seeded my back yard with Bahia after hurican Ian. It grew in after 1.5-2 months. But super patchy and sparse. Maybe 70%grass to dirt ratio. Very noticable. Rainy season hit and it filled in, but I let it overgrow to seed on several occasions.
It is softer under foot though.
I seeded Bahia and it took some parts 60 or more days to show. Looks great now though. Jacksonville FL, started in May
When I seed bermuda I like to mix the seed in with potting soil to ensure its got a good covering of soil to stay moist. Typically I find if I can see the seed, it's success rate is a lot lower as the sun will bake it dry.
Also as others have said, timers for a hose sprinkler are great if you don't have irrigation especially for a small area like that. Twice a day isn't going to cut it, especially if you miss the mid day timeframe. That seed is dry by 3pm everyday.
Glad you posted this, as someone who wanted to overseed some thin areas in my bahia lawn, Its good to know not to waste my money. That seed is soo over priced
Allyn, I did bare spots here in Western NY, paid $44 for 7 pounds and it was the "northeast" blend. It did not grow, did it twice...got very little results. Watered 2x a day, etc...what did grow is now dying.
I swear, done this for years, never had a problem...I suspect its something in the air, seriously.
You are more than welcome to use my lawn in a next video. I have Bahia with irrigation and my front lawn needs some help. I am located in Cape Coral. I am torn between overseeding, plugs, or sod.
FPL did work behind my house in Central Florida and did a half-assed grading job, Bahia seed, threw down hay, and left it. I put in irrigation and watered it heavily and it grew fine. My neighbor had the same process done and no irrigation. When all was said and done, both yards grew in fine with good coverage of grass from seed. I ended up ripping it up and graded it better and threw down good Bermuda seed with good results too with a lot of water until established.
I have Bahia grass at my new house. After that initial year of it getting established it is now awesome. I use pre emergent twice a year, 002 micro-green, and malorganite. That is about it. I have to keep an eye on my drip edge and downspouts from gutters that kills the grass. But, so long as I keep 002 microgreen on there it looks great. I watered my grass one time this year I think. I love bahia how it goes dormant in a drought then comes back once it gets deeply watered!!!!
I'm in Alabama, I've used a few big bags of Pennington in my yard to fill in big bald spots and have definitely been unimpressed with it. It was the contractors mix which in my area is mostly tall fescue with some other stuff mixed in. Keeping up with watering I had less than maybe 40% germination, and once I thought it was good to go close to 2 months later I watered less frequently and eventually slacked off to nothing. I don't have a sprinkler system. It's mostly all dead now, and what's left is super wispy and thin. I'm thinking Pennington seed just sucks lol, and when I put the effort into doing this again later this year or next spring I'm definitely going online and getting the best seed I can find. Funny to see the same exact "garden weasel" that I have, I call mine one too 🤣🤣 That is one tough built tool for sure!
The title is meeee!!! I'm giving up after 600 dollars down the drain 2x now! Can't grow it or sandy soil won't let it happen.
Seed in may when the rain season starts something about the rain water seems to really make Bahia grow very good I'm in saintpetersburg Florida that's what works for me
Not really specific to Bahia but if I am having trouble getting germination in a spot. I like to use an old light colored bed sheet. Prep that area put the seed in the soil and then cover with bed sheet and couple of landscape fabric staples. Then keep that sheet wet!! Good luck
I seeded a Sarasota yard with Arden 15 Bermuda and to be successful I had to cover it with a layer of peat. Not a thick layer but fully covered to retain moisture in between watering. Any seed not covered would not germinate and/or survive. I’d be surprised if Bahia would germinate on the surface.
I have to say, great experiment. I was worried about the germination rate after mounds of research and the bermuda seems to be the people's choice here in South Carolinas Low Country, for turf style grass. I wanted something that was dual purpose as I am also trying to establish pastures. The rain cycle here has been great for me not having to manually water. However, I am also on a well system, so daisy chaining sprinklers can turn into quite the task. I spread 14,000 sqft of seed, and all we did to prep the ground was rough it with a metal rake and cross hatched with the seed and raked back over it. Initial watering and watering in between rain. Some heavy storms have washed some seeds into piles but other than that it looks like the seed has been germinating well. And in about 12 days. This is also germinating in fill dirt used to level and build up my property with no top soil, compost, peatmoss, millet or straw. Of course there will be some over seeding and some molorganite fertilizing to thicken the kids backyard but overall pretty happy with it. I debated on commenting because I don't want to jinx my luck lol, but thought my experience could be useful in some way. Great video! Also, I talk to my grass when I go out there and check on the little guys. We did pray over the seedlings too 🙏. Take care!
I did plenty of spot seeding in NE Ohio on clay. I used a Corona weasel to break up the ground, added 1" Scott's top soil (it contains sphagnum moss and other organic material, spread Barenbrug Turf Kentucky Blue, worked it in with a landscape rake, covered it with EZ Straw Combination Seed, Mulch, Fertilizer, watered it a.m. & p.m. BAM - grass in
I put down Argentine Bahai and had similar performance expectations. Got the seed from Hancock. I liked the idea of deep roots. Took quite a while to see grass. Turns out Bahia seed has a long and variable germination time, that is to say, bahia germinates when it is good and ready. Early results were thin on the ground. Brown and Brown say 12 to 24 months is the germination period! Mowing requires a sharp blade as Bahia is very tough. My Ballard butter knife blades work for The St. Augustine but the Bahai gets a ragged cut.
The recommended rate is 5-10 pounds per 1,000 square feet, depending on how thick the lawn is now. Lightly rake the soil with a leaf rake so that the seed is covered with soil. Water lightly two or three times a day. The soil must never be allowed to dry out during the germination period or the seed will die.
Best grass germination I ever had was with a timer 4x a day at 20 minutes a whack.
Why not cover it or lay down top soil, organic compost to make seed to soil contact?
I have the weirdest pasture Bahia that just will not die. Needs a mow every 2 days but I can only do every 3-6 days. I’m basically bailing hay on day 6
It's a small yard. He could install an irrigation system. I did the entire irrigation system from sub panel to nozzle all by myself with minimal tools. Took me all summer but best way to have grass.
Now I need a video of that structure covering the pool. Don't remember seeing that before.
If u have any extra seed just for giggles you should try mixing the seed and toilet paper in a bucket to make a diy hydro seed to throw on a bare spot . I’d love to see how that works with Bahia
I grew a Bahia lawn from seed. You can't just toss it on top of the soil, it has to be worked into the soil and watered at least three times a day. I prepped the yard with Roundup and then tilled it under with a power tiller. That sized area I would have just gone with sod to start. The good part is once established it goes dormant. The bad part it thins out over time which allows weed encroachment which caused me to eventually replace it with St. Augustine and have the big watering bill again.
I remember doing a full lawn reno on northern IN with KBG... thought I'd have to wait 3 weeks for any germination! Well, with the newer cultivars and a big thanks to irrigation, I had initial germination on day 4 🙂. I could not imagine waiting 30 days!!!
The Barenbrug Turf Star Perrennial Rye I bought last year had their Yellow Jacket coating - it was 50% of the weight by analysis.
Great content as always. Personally, never been a fan of Pennington, and like you stated, the fact they sell this doesn't help their case for me. Failure is how we learn! For your friend however, I bet this was aggravating. I would be upset purchasing seed for that much with no results. I'd go back to that customer support number and get my money back!
Good show brother thanks again
when I did my lawn. I used peat moss to keep it moist.
Whatever seed I plant I automatically get at least a quarter cup and put it in between a wet towel in a bag and wait 10 days and open it up. That’s when you should see full germination in your yard as well.
If you want to experiment with the seeds, try using a self watering seed starting system such as those from gardener's supply company. I use their system to start flower seeds in winter here in Washington State and have had good success with them. You'll also need a grow light but the advantage of this system is that it will be completely indoors and in a highly controlled environment. The self watering system doesn't require frequent top up of water which is a major plus, only need to top up every 2 to 3 weeks as you're indoors.
Alternatively, get yourself a container and put some cotton balls in it, then fill with water but the water level should not cover the cotton balls, just enough to keep the cotton balls wet. You can start your seeds this way too, I've started very difficult seeds such as Lavender with this setup too. And yes, you'll need a grow light for this too, just a cheap one will do as you're just getting the seed to germinate and not grow into a full plant. Keep the water level maintained and the cotton balls will stay moist.
What I suspect the sow growers do is that they start their seeds using similar setup, maybe in a protected greenhouse, then they transplant the grass into the field for the bahiagrass to mature. This grass is a very hardy one once they start growing so their success rate is mostly dependent on the initial germination and a controlled environment is probably how they do it.
I don't understand why you wouldn't recommend a sprinkler or two for that area on a timer. This issue screams lack of consistent watering.
When you was preparing the area for seeding you applied glyphosate, I think when I’ve read the instructions on the back, they mention about seeding and not composting the clipping for a while, so perhaps the residual glyphosate might inhibit the seed germinating? Or you’ve bought bad seed, like you said there little demand for that seed so could be sat on the self for years/ months (in UK they have a packed date). I had a bit of good luck with seeding my front garden, been suffering from record high temperatures but it cooled so I resown my lawn, had loads of rain, and warmth looks to have germinated quickly 3 weeks, will look to reel mow it.
You’ll be surprised. It grew some of this same seed out behind our property to fill in the dirt patch near the swamp. I gave up on it completely. Then six months to a year later - Bahia seed heads popping through the weeds saying hello.
Perhaps some burlap paired with a timer + sprinkler have helped?
I usually do that when I overseed some bare spots in the summer time. Tends to work for me but then again I am in Eastern Washington.
You should do a science experiment: Pregerminating the seed like you can with TTTF, etc. I think your experiment needs to soak in pure water with the seed in a paint strainer bag in a 5 gal bucket, with change out of the water every 12 hours. TTTF is like 4 days for soaking but seems like this may be somewhere in the 7-10 day range.
I had success w this seed. You have to use a paint net to wash the seed coating off by letting it sit in water bucket for a week changing the water every day and night. Then you can throw it on the ground and start the process of watering. It will pop up in 2 weeks. I did this last year in St Pete, FL. But, you’re still not going to get the thickness like you would with sod.
Definitely going to trademark midnight Bahia right now 😂 great name lmao
Peat moss holds 30% times its own weight in water the ground looks dry to me I think a covering of peat moss might have helped with your project. Just for shits and giggles could we just put a light covering of peat moss???
I’ve got 2 acres of Bahia planted by seed in Florida. You must kill existing plants (glyphosate). Till soil, spread seed, compact soil (mandatory). The goal is 1/4-3/3/8” below surface. In my experience 30-45 days for partial results. I don’t water, and plant in mid June to catch regular rain. Coated seeds help if you can’t water or have lots of birds. Argentine is good for a lawn (thick bade).
When you talk about seed mulch what exactly is that? Peat moss? Or something else? Wouldn’t adding real topsoil help the seed grab?
I've tried several seed types from Pennington...all have failed. The ones that have actually germinated never got to full maturity and eventually died. I'm putting down fresh soil and watering on a timer. I think it might be something with their seeds.
Im surprised you didn’t cover it with peat moss
Hi LCN, i live in Pinellas county Florida and i plan on putting down some Argentine Bahia grass, was wondering since you had so much issues with the grass seeds you tried here, what do you think my odds are on Argentine Bahia grass seeds working ?
I'm not sure on that one - I have never tested it. I do know that the reason we failed was due to a lack of water. New seed in this heat needs to be watered multiiple times per day. We just couldn't accomplish that. You guys have probably been getting some rain but here in Bradenton we have been very dry too, which doesn't help.
@@Thelawncarenut oh ok, thank you for the info and feed back :0
Well done for helping this guy out and for the 'exercise in futility' to get his lawn started! So... what say you Pennington, not a strong endorsement of your seed products is it? I'll stick to my St. Augustine !
Can i still overseed after levelimg bumpy spots in my lawn with sand? Will new seed take on a layer of sand?
I'm not surprised the seed didn't take, cos you didn't prep the ground. You have to remove all the dead grass and improve the soil with atleast humic and bio-char.
Please do the Bahia in dirt test! This video was great
Is it like cool season grass were its best to seed in fall. Maybe bahia has to be sown in winter when its cooler.
grass seed from Pennington I work at the sidney Nebraska plant and we just do bird seed there but cool to see it on here
Soon as I saw how they prepped the soil, I sd nope, good luck with that
When I did my Rye test plots with 4 different companies, Pennington had the worst germination. Scotts was 2nd worst.
I succeeded with bahia seed. I top seaded with peat moss and watered 3-4 times a day
I believe it’s because it’s not saturated enough, especially if he’s watering by hand. He probably needs to do 3x a day. Maybe setting up a temporary irrigation via water faucet, since he works.
I also, think you should’ve got uncoated instead of coated. Easier to germinate, but could get eaten by birds. Just some thoughts.
Since the Bermuda grass wanted to grow, why did you not seed with it?
Recently bought, cleared, graded and seeded the lot next to my home in FL with P.Bahia. It turned out great at first. It grew like weeds and completely filled in the fresh "dirt" lot .. (sand lol)
It was a jungle within just a few weeks and needed mowed. It all immediately died after mowing and has only come back in a very few small patches.
All my neighbors went from asking what my trick was to laughing at me...😂
Hancock's Pensacola Bahia from Rural King btw .
Same thing happened to me with Bermuda seed. It all grew nice and pretty and then I mowed it and then it died and weeds too over. I was very disappointed
Should I spray weed killer before I do my over seeding of bahia?
What did you say you applied to the lawn at 3:00 minutes in? Flagship and what else?
I have a theory that seed laws in Florida allow us to be the very last to receive orders of seed from companies. As I understand it, we're allowed to sell seed up to 11 months after harvest while other places like Texas force an expiration a lot sooner. I'm just pretty sure we get trash seed that's bounced through multiple states.
I've had 100% success with bermuda seeding but bahia overseeding in Florida, just like you've experienced, was a total fail every single time and the weed content was out of this world.
I fixed my bahia, sprayed round up and sod st. Augustine for the win
I love the background music. Got a source?
Makes Tifway 419 Bermuda looks great!
Is it possible that watering only twice per day vs watering 4-6 times per day to keep the seed wet (like I do with my TTTF) is the cause for this failure to germinate? Maybe the seed simply dries out with the hot FL weather without all of the extra watering keeping it wet throughout the day.
There's a lot of bermuda here where I'm at in middle Ga near Macon, GA. I've got 4 acres and it used to be all bahia then it turned to weeds and spur weed. I'm trying to choke it all put but I'm about to be at a loss and just leave what I've got. I've thought about overseading with bermuda to see if it'll choke out all the bs. Got any tips?
If you can pre germinate, or pre crack, might have better in lawn growth maybe
You need to cover with soil for sure. Especially with a Sandy soil already being there. That soil is basically dead and with no life left in it. Especially where you sprayed. I used that brand before with Kentucky Blue Grass. It did not do very well. I use a great quality seed all the time now.
My guess, judging by what we saw, the seed quality was poor. The soil appeared bone dry when you dug up some seed. I suspect the water schedule wasn't maintained. Honestly nobody has the time to water their lawn by hand twice a day for a month. It's not gonna happen. Even if the homeowner did maintain the hand water schedule it would have been a waste because the seed germination rate was terrible.
Posting your Ls and like every good wizard you proudly claim your losing battle. The challenge you thought to be easy solution taught you some of the hard truths of lawn care as you curiously try to understand the problem and revise your proposed solution.
3 years later.. why do I have all this Bahia grass popping up?
my 2 attempts have been epic fails too, same brand.
I had Bahia in my yard and was trying get rid of it. It’s a hardy little grass.
Use cow manner and organic soil to mend the soil it makes the soil become mended and allows it to hold water
BiHIa became BiLOWa. I am wondering if the roundup keep the seed from germinating? Doesn't it kill everything for 90 days?
overseeding bahia requires a good layer of top soil.
Always heard, Argentine was preferred over Pensacola for residential lawns
Ive got a split st. Aug/bahia backyard in Florida. The Bahia grows like crazy when fed. My biggest problem with the Bahia is its gone yellow. I think I actually have a soil issue? Microgreen/micros dont do much for the yellowing. Thought fungus but fungicide did nothing for it. Soooo yea, thinking ph is off which is odd because the St. Aug is doing fine. Anyone else experience this?
Whatcha got goin on the table on the patio? What experiments?
Why not throw some straw or peat moss on top?
tractor supply sells Pensacola Bahia coated seed, 25lbs @ $100
what is the date on the bag? those results look like they sold you 5 year old seed
why no peat moss??
You think it’s still damaged from glyphosate? That crap lasts a long time
That's exactly what I was thinking. It can be tested in the soil for years.
I wonder if amending the soil with some thick compost and actually "planted" the seed would have worked better. Although waiting that long is ridiculous. No one wants that.
Also Bahia only 50% of the seeds germinate and the other 50% will germinate the next season. So a 1000sqft bag would yield 500sqfy worth of seeds
I've developed a habit of speaking aloud "aeration!" Every time I hand pull a weed and the roots come along, too. Did I subconsciously pick this up from you, or is this a creation of my imagination?
Dropping Bahia seeds on top of dead Bermuda is never going to accomplish anything. Bahia's aggressive, but it will not invade established Bermuda.
There are a lot of misconceptions about this grass. People say to only grow it on the Gulf coast or Florida. I live in the transition zone hundreds of miles north of there and it's my most prolific and aggressive grass in this ridiculous hard clay. It also stays green most of the Winter. After a tornado hit last year I had to keep my dogs in a kennel outside for months and the area inside the kennel lost all of its grass. This Spring it was suddenly full of lush grass. I let it get too tall and cut it all down with a weedeater and it killed it so it was bare dirt again. A month later it was once again full of grass.
Plant your seeds planning to see the grass next Spring. It's a deep-rooted grass so go ahead and bury it under an inch of soil. Don't plan on ever changing your lawn type afterward, though. Because the seeds can lie dormant for extremely long periods of time it will keep coming back.
My lawn is all sand and native weeds. Seeded with Bermuda…nothing. Seeded with winter rye and followed with a water retaining chemical that helped. Came back with more Bahia. Nothing. Plus something killed all of the Bermuda from the previous year.
Bahia? Is that Kosher grass?
Probably should have used a slit seeder.
Here is the first video from the Bahia project ua-cam.com/video/XNVYhM6aVZg/v-deo.html
I miss the higher energy LCN ;-)