# RGS on Seedlings



## BlackThumb (Aug 4, 2018)

For all the Green County Fert guys: What are your thoughts on using RGS on newly germinated grass? Good, bad, indifferent?

On the one hand, it seems like good stuff; however, if I'm trying to get the seedlings to pop up so they don't get shaded by the existing turf then I'm not sure I want it to focus *too much* energy on developing roots (at least not until it's a few inches tall).


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

@BlackThumb Moving this to soil fertility to see if it gains some traction :thumbup:

Oh and welcome to TLF!!


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## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

Many studies have reported a positive relationship between humic acid application and seeding/plant establishment. I've never seen one that reported adverse results. However, I know of no studies involving kelp and seed establishment. IMO, for the cost and time involved, and the likelihood of improved establishment, it would be worth applying HA at seed down. Worse case scenario, it does nothing.


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## LowCountryCharleston (Jun 21, 2018)

I reached out to John Perry (Owner of Green County Fert)with a similar question as it relates to St. Aug plugs I was transferring to a dead area of my lawn and he did say to hit it with RGS to help them get a good start and take off. You can follow him on youtube just search for Lawncology. He's is really good about answering your questions. 
Hope that helped


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## JDgreen18 (Jun 14, 2018)

BlackThumb said:


> For all the Green County Fert guys: What are your thoughts on using RGS on newly germinated grass? Good, bad, indifferent?
> 
> On the one hand, it seems like good stuff; however, if I'm trying to get the seedlings to pop up so they don't get shaded by the existing turf then I'm not sure I want it to focus *too much* energy on developing roots (at least not until it's a few inches tall).


I didn't use RGS but I did use humic dg...I put it down the day before seed down with some bay state fert..it was easy as I was able to spread it easy with my spreader.


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## BlackThumb (Aug 4, 2018)

pennstater2005 said:


> @BlackThumb Moving this to soil fertility to see if it gains some traction :thumbup:
> 
> Oh and welcome to TLF!!


Thanks!



JDgreen18 said:


> BlackThumb said:
> 
> 
> > For all the Green County Fert guys: What are your thoughts on using RGS on newly germinated grass? Good, bad, indifferent?
> ...





Ridgerunner said:


> Many studies have reported a positive relationship between humic acid application and seeding/plant establishment. I've never seen one that reported adverse results. However, I know of no studies involving kelp and seed establishment. IMO, for the cost and time involved, and the likelihood of improved establishment, it would be worth applying HA at seed down. Worse case scenario, it does nothing.


Makes total sense.

Since I'm dealing with a small lawn I've got time to baby, I think what I'll do is throw down some pure humic (GCF Humic-12) at seeding and then RGS about 4 weeks later once I am transitioning from frequent/light to infrequent/deep watering. Seems like the best of all worlds.



LowCountryCharleston said:


> I reached out to John Perry (Owner of Green County Fert)with a similar question as it relates to St. Aug plugs I was transferring to a dead area of my lawn and he did say to hit it with RGS to help them get a good start and take off. You can follow him on youtube just search for Lawncology. He's is really good about answering your questions.
> Hope that helped


Yeah, I'll shoot him an email. I don't think it's going to really make or break my over-seeding (I'm certain I will mess it up in some other far more basic yet important way) but I am somewhat curious in kind of an academic/"how does grass really work" kind of way.

In your case this seems totally logical, since plugging is basically (as far as I understand) just a matter of transplanting an established plant and getting it to root healthily in the new location (and then push expansive growth). In that case the RGS makes a lot of sense since it would help reduce any shock from being transplanted and encourage root growth to establish it in the new soil. For seedlings I was thinking it might be a bit of a different case, since there's no real established plant structure to speak of. I was more wondering about whether something like the active components of the sea kelp would do something weird like artificially stunt the growth of the new grass or something.

Really I'd just love to find more resources on the hows/whys for what the kelp is doing to the plant biology.


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## Ecukingbuddy (Jul 22, 2018)

FWIW I am doing AIR-8 and Humic 12 at Seeding and then RGS 4 weeks later.


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## sanders4617 (Jul 9, 2018)

I've been advised to use RGS at seeding. You can look at my project I've done with Riviera Bermuda. I think using Humic12, RGS, MicroGreene, Air8 all have helped the seed and grass to grow. Plus a proper fertilization and watering program.


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