In case you have not yet purchased your seed (tall fescue, fine fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass) for fall renovation, let me tell you what to expect. First, significantly higher seed prices. Second, you may only find coated seed for some species.

Seed prices will likely be between 30 and 50% higher than what you spent last year. This is not a problem unique to a single supplier or retail store. It is a result of several factors. First, demand in the spring was unusually high which largely depleted carry-over seed (which can stabilize supply in the current year). The second disruption of supply has been seed yields. A historical dry spring followed by the extraordinary June heat in Oregon reduced seed yields by as much as 50% on fescues and perennial ryegrasses. The third part of this supply equation has been the logistics and freight issues which continue to affect shipment of all goods, not just seed. Remember, all of our country’s cool-season turfgrass seed is grown in the far northwest (mostly Oregon) so 100% of it must be shipped across the country. Shipping companies have been quick to add peak-season surcharges this year.

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Fall Renovation: Agronomics (Part 2)

With seed costs being significantly greater this fall, perhaps you are considering your renovation options. The first option you may be considering is to just not add seed when you renovate. If you are reasonably comfortable with your current stand of cool-season turfgrass (e.g. tall fescue), you could still aerate and amend your soil (lime, fertilizer, etc) as you normally would but not add any seed. The grass will naturally tiller and fill in small gaps over time. Nevertheless, this will not give you great results with a very thin turf stand or a stand that has large bare patches.

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