 | Peter X. Salmeron
was born in Peru and came to the US in 1971. He attended WSU and KU, earning a BS in Biology. He started Complete Landscaping Systems in 1983, on a part-time basis, and became a full-time entrepreneur in 1987. Today, Complete Landscaping Systems is one of the leading grounds maintenance and landscaping companies in Kansas and recipient of the Department of Commerce Service Company of the Year Award for Kansas in 2001. Mr. Salmeron is former President of the Wichita Garden Show Association and its Board and current Board member, is an executive member of the Board of Directors for Wichita Chamber of Commerce, President of Amigoes de Ser, was named SBA Small Business Person of the Year for 2000, and new Board member of the Wichita Conventions Bureau. You can contact Mr. Salmeron by phone at (316) 832-0061 or by email at petersalmeron@lycos.com |
Lawn, Garden & Landscaping
2003-04-01 11:38:00
About 'old' grass seed
: We were given 50 pounds of Riviera Bermuda grass seed from my wife's aunt in Phoenix. She said it had been in her garage for a couple of years. Is it still good? Is it recommended for lawns in Kansas? Would we be better off with something else?
ANSWER: If you have stored grass seed, regardless of what type of grass it is, the longer it is stored the less viable the seed will become. This means that the germination of the seed will be reduced, the longer the storage period, the less viable seed. Of course it is important you store the seed in a dry place with little light and no humidity; most people will store seed in their garage which is not the best place because garages are subject to extreme conditions in Kansas, in summer it gets very hot and in winter gets very cold, reducing the viability of the seed even further. In my opinion if you have seed that is over a year old, it is better just to buy a new bag of seed. To seed a lawn it takes a lot of work, you need to kill existing grass, rototill, level, fertilize and then seed. If the seed is not viable, you just wasted a lot of effort, it is better to buy "fresh" seed. When you go to the store look at the tag that comes in the bag, the tag will tell you the date the seed was harvested, its viability, the percentage of weeds within the bag as well as other variety of seeds that may be present.My recommendation for seeding is to use a blend called "Kansas Premium Fescue Mix". The grass does not require a lot of water to have a nice green color and is very disease resistant, it is also a "cool season" grass which means that is will be green from March to the end of November depending on the weather.Bermuda is a "warm season grass" which means it greens in May and goes dormant in October, it is also sensitive to the cold weather and in many cases you will see dead grass patches due to freezing. You also need to "dethach" the bermuda grass every other year to prevent fungus growth.There has been a lot of research done in grasses and scientists come up with new improved varieties frequently. The type of grasses we used 10 years ago are not the best anymore. Of course there are also different applications and needs to consider so you may want to call an expert for their opinion on your particular needs.832-0061 or by email at petersalmeron@lycos.com
