SOWING GUIDELINE

A Simple and Straightforward Approach to Sowing Native Grasses

1. For best results try to ensure that the seed bed is weed free. Native grasses are slow growers and effective weed control is highly desirable

2. No fertiliser is necessary. In particular, avoid any phosphate based fertilisers. The addition of organic matter however, will assist soil health.  

3. While the soil is under preparation, it is a good idea to sow a few seeds into a sterile seed raising mix to be kept moist until germination. This will allow for easier identification of the seedlings once the area is sown

4. Before sowing, the soil surface should be loosened with either a rake or harrows to ensure adequate seed to soil contact.

5. Spread the seed evenly over the prepared surface and rake it in, so it is lightly covered. Seed sown deeper than 15mm may not germinate.

6. Where possible, try rolling the area as it lightly presses soil particles together and ensures grass seeds are in contact with the soil. This will eliminates air pockets that could interfere with seed germination and growth and a rolled seedbed also holds moisture longer.

7. Now this part in really important, be patient. We cannot stress this enough here. While you should see germination around 3-4 weeks, sometimes native grasses can take 6-8 weeks to start to come up. 
8. Finally, all of our seeds have been tested for viability, purity and seed count for customer quality assurance. If you have anymore questions or issues along the way you can always give us a call back and we will do our best to provide you with advice on establishing a successful native lawn. 

Seed Storage

Native grass seed is, in general, long-lived and can be stored for extended periods with good results.   The factors that lead to seed losing viability are the same as for other grasses, that is too much moisture, lack of air and too much heat.

The seed should be kept dry so that it does not start germinating whilst in the bag.  This process can sometimes work to ‘prime’ some types of seed prior to sowing, but is not known for native grass seed and we recommend that all seeds be kept very dry for the duration of their storage.

Seeds should be stored in air-impermeable bags so that air exchange does not occur whilst the seed is in storage.   This prevents the entry of moisture from the air that is the greatest contributing factor for seed decay. 

 A storage temperature that is too high will rapidly cause deterioration in the quality of seed.  Seed viability drops very dramatically with exposure to hot conditions and decreases further with every degree above 35 degrees celcius or less.

Cold storage under temperatures of 10 degrees celcius or less is worthwhile if possible for both short-term and long-term storage of grass seeds.