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Old 31-01-2003, 09:10 PM
BenignVanilla
 
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Default Snow and Grass Seed

I have heard people talk about throwing down seed this time of year (I am in
MD), so the seed gets worked into the soil by the snow, freeze, thaw action.
Any credibility to this theory? I know several people that sweat by it.

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Old 01-02-2003, 01:39 AM
David J. Bockman
 
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Default Snow and Grass Seed

Yes, it's a great old-timer's trick. Usually the best time is right before a
heavy snowfall.

"BenignVanilla" wrote in
message ...
I have heard people talk about throwing down seed this time of year (I am

in
MD), so the seed gets worked into the soil by the snow, freeze, thaw

action.
Any credibility to this theory? I know several people that sweat by it.

--
BenignVanilla
tibetanbeefgarden.com
x-no-archive: yes

Remove MY SPLEEN to email me.





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Old 01-02-2003, 10:25 PM
 
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Default Snow and Grass Seed

yeah... overwintering birds can really use the food too. Ingrid

"David J. Bockman" wrote:

Yes, it's a great old-timer's trick. Usually the best time is right before a
heavy snowfall.

"BenignVanilla" wrote in
message ...
I have heard people talk about throwing down seed this time of year (I am

in
MD), so the seed gets worked into the soil by the snow, freeze, thaw

action.
Any credibility to this theory? I know several people that sweat by it.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.
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Old 03-02-2003, 07:19 PM
Frogleg
 
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Default Snow and Grass Seed

On Fri, 31 Jan 2003 15:10:38 -0500, "BenignVanilla"
wrote:

I have heard people talk about throwing down seed this time of year (I am in
MD), so the seed gets worked into the soil by the snow, freeze, thaw action.
Any credibility to this theory? I know several people that sweat by it.

I remember this from a coupld of mentions in the TV program 'China
Beach.' I just heard a local garden guru say planting grass seed
before the soil warmed up was an exercise in futility. While he didn't
say *not* to scatter it over snow, he did recommend not seeding 'til
close to the average last frost date. Before that time, you can apply
weed killer and have the soil tested for what ammendments it may
require.
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Old 05-02-2003, 06:09 AM
Faye Lifford-Earle
 
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Default Snow and Grass Seed


Yes indeed, it is safe to do this. the snow will provide moisture and
nitrogen to the soil, the grass seeds will remain dormant until enough
heat has been supplied (spring/summer). Just be sure to keep the birds
off the snow...lol
Ldymac
Frogleg wrote:

On Fri, 31 Jan 2003 15:10:38 -0500, "BenignVanilla"
wrote:

I have heard people talk about throwing down seed this time of year (I am in
MD), so the seed gets worked into the soil by the snow, freeze, thaw action.
Any credibility to this theory? I know several people that sweat by it.

I remember this from a coupld of mentions in the TV program 'China
Beach.' I just heard a local garden guru say planting grass seed
before the soil warmed up was an exercise in futility. While he didn't
say *not* to scatter it over snow, he did recommend not seeding 'til
close to the average last frost date. Before that time, you can apply
weed killer and have the soil tested for what ammendments it may
require.



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Old 05-02-2003, 07:38 AM
Pam
 
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Default Snow and Grass Seed



Faye Lifford-Earle wrote:

Yes indeed, it is safe to do this. the snow will provide moisture and
nitrogen to the soil, the grass seeds will remain dormant until enough
heat has been supplied (spring/summer). Just be sure to keep the birds
off the snow...lol


I'd be interested to know how snow provides nitrogen to the soil.............?
I'd be interested to know how snow will supply nitrogen to the soil.........?


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Old 05-02-2003, 08:44 AM
Warren
 
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Default Snow and Grass Seed

Pam wrote:


Faye Lifford-Earle wrote:

Yes indeed, it is safe to do this. the snow will provide moisture

and
nitrogen to the soil, the grass seeds will remain dormant until

enough
heat has been supplied (spring/summer). Just be sure to keep the

birds
off the snow...lol


I'd be interested to know how snow provides nitrogen to the

soil.............?
I'd be interested to know how snow will supply nitrogen to the

soil.........?



Maybe besides the grass seed, she's spread fertilizer on the snow too?


If snow provided nitrogen, the bread basket wouldn't be the Great
Plains. It would be the Appalachians!

--
Warren H.

==========
Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.


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Old 05-02-2003, 03:22 PM
redclay
 
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Default Snow and Grass Seed


Pam wrote in message
...
Faye Lifford-Earle wrote:
Yes indeed, it is safe to do this. the snow will provide moisture and
nitrogen to the soil, the grass seeds will remain dormant until enough
heat has been supplied (spring/summer). Just be sure to keep the birds
off the snow...lol

I'd be interested to know how snow provides nitrogen to the

soil.............?
I'd be interested to know how snow will supply nitrogen to the

soil.........?
It is called the nitrogen cycle and begins with the reaction between N2 and
O2 with lightening as the initiator forming NO which reacts with H2O forming
HNO3 which then falls to earth with either rain or snow. Any good
highschool chemistry book should have a complete discussion of it. An area
with moderate rainfall will receive 5 to 7 pounds of nitrogen per acre per
year from this naturally occurring reaction.


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Old 05-02-2003, 04:38 PM
Dwight Sipler
 
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Default Snow and Grass Seed

redclay wrote:

... I'd be interested to know how snow will supply nitrogen to the

soil.........?
It is called the nitrogen cycle and begins with the reaction between N2 and
O2 with lightening as the initiator forming NO which reacts with H2O forming
HNO3 which then falls to earth with either rain or snow...




While there is a certain amount of NO in the atmosphere during the
winter, it is higher in the summer. One reason for this is that
lightning does not occur as frequently in the winter. However,
alternative sources for NO include automobile exhaust, which is present
year round. NO is formed by any high temperature combustion using air as
the oxidizer.
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Old 06-02-2003, 01:22 AM
Pam
 
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Default Snow and Grass Seed



redclay wrote:

Pam wrote in message
...
Faye Lifford-Earle wrote:
Yes indeed, it is safe to do this. the snow will provide moisture and
nitrogen to the soil, the grass seeds will remain dormant until enough
heat has been supplied (spring/summer). Just be sure to keep the birds
off the snow...lol

I'd be interested to know how snow provides nitrogen to the

soil.............?
I'd be interested to know how snow will supply nitrogen to the

soil.........?
It is called the nitrogen cycle and begins with the reaction between N2 and
O2 with lightening as the initiator forming NO which reacts with H2O forming
HNO3 which then falls to earth with either rain or snow. Any good
highschool chemistry book should have a complete discussion of it. An area
with moderate rainfall will receive 5 to 7 pounds of nitrogen per acre per
year from this naturally occurring reaction.


Thanks for the explanation - I opted out of high school chemistry in favor of
physics, so there are some holes in my basic education:-))

But, since it is normally recommended to apply nitrogen (when needed) at a rate
of 1 lb per 1000 square feet to actively growing lawns and plants, this natural
occurrence hardly seems significant enough to mention. And I would think that
there would be substantial denitrification from the moisture-laden soil, not to
mention that by the time the grass (or seed) was able to metabolize the
nitrogen, much of it would have leached down in to the soil to levels where it
would not be accessible to the plant roots. No?

pam - gardengal

















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Old 06-02-2003, 07:05 PM
David J. Bockman
 
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Default Snow and Grass Seed

Um, which is why the trick is to do it moments before a snow fall?

wrote in message
...
yeah... overwintering birds can really use the food too. Ingrid

"David J. Bockman" wrote:

Yes, it's a great old-timer's trick. Usually the best time is right

before a
heavy snowfall.

"BenignVanilla" wrote in
message ...
I have heard people talk about throwing down seed this time of year (I

am
in
MD), so the seed gets worked into the soil by the snow, freeze, thaw

action.
Any credibility to this theory? I know several people that sweat by it.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.



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Old 06-02-2003, 10:35 PM
BenignVanilla
 
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Default Snow and Grass Seed

"David J. Bockman" wrote in message
...
Um, which is why the trick is to do it moments before a snow fall?


snip

I guess I better get over to Home Depot tonight. *smile*

BV.


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Old 08-02-2003, 01:00 AM
 
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I know farmers say snow is as good as applying fertilizer. so snow must have some
levels of fixed nitrogen. Ingrid


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.
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Old 08-02-2003, 06:43 PM
loki
 
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Default Snow and Grass Seed

"Frogleg" wrote

I remember this from a coupld of mentions in the TV program 'China
Beach.' I just heard a local garden guru say planting grass seed
before the soil warmed up was an exercise in futility. While he didn't
say *not* to scatter it over snow, he did recommend not seeding 'til
close to the average last frost date. Before that time, you can apply
weed killer and have the soil tested for what ammendments it may
require.


A neighbor of mine seeded his lawn in January last year. He put down
fresh soil after first killing all existing grass. Then he seeded on top of
the new soil.

In early spring he had a lush, beautiful new lawn.

It works.

Loki


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