Pre-Germinate Bentgrass

Many people have asked me over the past year how to pre-germinate bentgrass or other cool season grasses for new seeding, divots, or patch work on the course. There are several ways to do this process, and the one listed below is the most common. The best thing to do is try small amounts until you are comfortable with the process.

It would be great to hear back from you on what you have done at your course regarding pre-germination or other divot mix ideas.

Step 1:

Begin the pre-germination process about 4 to 5 days before you want to use the seed.

Step 2:

Pour your desired seed amount into burlap or poly woven bag and submerge
into a 50-gallon trash can or similar container. Place the container in the corner of the barn out of the sun for 12 hours. Some supers have used a fish tank bubbler in the bottom of the container to introduce air into the process.

Step 3:

Pull sack from container and allow it to drain 8 to 12 hours. Dump old water
and replace it with fresh water. Then place the seed bag back into the container
for an additional 12 hours. What I would suggest is dumping the water when you arrive in the morning and then refill before you go home that night. (Repeat 2 to 3 days or as needed.) Some supers have also added a fungicide into the water on the last soak day when seeding in the heat of the summer.

Step 4:

Remove bag from container and let drain. While seed is still moist, mix with a carrier, such as organic fertilizer, sawdust, cornmeal, etc., and spread. You may also mix it into your sand/soil mix for patch work or divots.