# Germination Temp - Champion GQ PRG



## mbaisley (Apr 8, 2019)

Does anyone think I'd be wasting time and money to overseed with Champion GQ PRG this late in the year? I can have the seed down by end of this week.

I know I'm a month (or more) beyond the optimal window so my expectation is not a perfect outcome.... but I would be happy with a "decent" outcome.

I'm starting late because we had a terrible drought from August through early October and had our first rains this past week. More rain is in the forecast this week.

I'm in Knoxville which is Zone 7a. Our high temps are in the 60s and 70s for a few more weeks. Lows in the 40s and occasionally dipping into high 30s. Our first frost is usually around Nov. 15th.

Thanks!


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## Reel Low Dad (Jun 1, 2017)

I would go for it. You should have germination by the end of the week. It is pushing it close but things should work out. My neighbor down the street did his seeding for a full renovation on Saturday.


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## M32075 (May 9, 2019)

Go for it PRG comes in quick and should have decent roots in time


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## mbaisley (Apr 8, 2019)

Thanks. Seed should arrive tomorrow and I'll get it down by end of the week before it rains some more.

Did I mention that I'm seeding almost 2 acres?


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## saidtheblueknight (Jul 10, 2019)

mbaisley said:


> I'm in Knoxville which is Zone 7a. Our high temps are in the 60s and 70s for a few more weeks. Lows in the 40s and occasionally dipping into high 30s. Our first frost is usually around Nov. 15th.
> Thanks!


Honestly with these temps, this is probably the best time to be seeding. You don't really wanna be doing it any earlier when temps are in the 80s unless you can really stay on top of watering.

60s and 70s for a few weeks is perfect weather to get fast establishing PRG set for winter, which I assume is not too brutal in TN unlike most of us in the north that deal with single digit lows.


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## mbaisley (Apr 8, 2019)

saidtheblueknight said:


> mbaisley said:
> 
> 
> > I'm in Knoxville which is Zone 7a. Our high temps are in the 60s and 70s for a few more weeks. Lows in the 40s and occasionally dipping into high 30s. Our first frost is usually around Nov. 15th.
> ...


That's kind of what I was hoping, we would get enough rain to matter and moderate temperature for a few more weeks. We can get down in the twenties occasionally, last year we even did a few nights in the teens, but average low temp in Jan / Feb is about 40 degrees.

Seed arrives tomorrow and we have 3 straight days of on and off rain in the forecast.

Thanks and I'll let everyone know how it goes!


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## mbaisley (Apr 8, 2019)

I do have one more question however.

My two acres consists of common Bermuda, fescues and weeds. Most of the weeds have thinned out naturally with fall conditions so I'm left with half dormant Bermuda and fescue.

If I don't scalp it or do anything to prep the surface .... how do you think the PRG will do if I just spread it and drag it to take it in good?

In other words it will not get much sunlight but I'll make sure it gets down into the soil and it won't wash away. Will it come up through the existing vegetation?

I'm planning on seeding at a heavier rate than recommended.

What about same question for KBG? I had some left from my backyard "bluemuda" experiment so I threw it down a few days ago in the front with no surface prep.

Thanks folks.


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## M32075 (May 9, 2019)

PRG is pretty much a throw and go seed it should be fine. KBG is going to be difficult in this situation.


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## mbaisley (Apr 8, 2019)

200 lbs of Champion GQ seed from Hancock Seed came in Thursday, but we had heavy rain Friday and Saturday here in Knoxville, so I'm finally putting it down today. Air and soil temperatures are still pretty good. High in the high 60s low 70s and soil temp is in the 60s (guesstimate).

Here are the varieties that came in my batch: 1/3 each of Zoom, Monsieur and Karma.

This is my first time overseeding with PRG of any kind. I've overseed with the Pennington annual ryegrass from Lowes / Home Depot.

We'll see how it goes. I'm not doing any soil prep. Just dropping it and waiting on some rain.


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## mbaisley (Apr 8, 2019)

What kind of tillering and root depth do you typically see out of the elite PRG varieties? That would be one major advantage that I hadn't even thought about until today while I was putting down seed.


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## mbaisley (Apr 8, 2019)

Here's my PRG testing ground. I think I should have ordered a whole lot more seed.

I also think I'll buy a PTO powered spreader!! My little Scotts wasn't made for this kind of coverage.


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## mbaisley (Apr 8, 2019)

Finally getting a few days of guaranteed rain starting today. Without irrigation, I am at the mercy of mother nature.

Germination has been spotty so far. We had an unusual cold snap (and a little snow) a couple of weeks ago, right around the 7 or 8 day mark after seed went down. I thought when it warmed up the germination would've resumed and it would start coming in more evenly.... still waiting to see if that's going to be the case.

I'm not too worried about it, but I'm starting to wonder if I was too late starting and/or too much seed had just started sprouting when the cold snap hit and it killed a bunch.

As of this morning, it doesn't look much better than the photo above.

Stay tuned.....


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## mbaisley (Apr 8, 2019)

We had drizzly rain all night and all day today. Got home just before dark and am seeing some decent germination on the PRG. I'm staying optimistic. More rain and highs in the high 50's all weekend.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

How's it going now?


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

mbaisley said:


> What kind of tillering and root depth do you typically see out of the elite PRG varieties? That would be one major advantage that I hadn't even thought about until today while I was putting down seed.


If some of it it sticks around past the first Summer, it can really tiller densely. Powhatan has had some of his PR survive a number of days over 100 and lots and lots over 90, without irrigation, so it's definitely possible some will make it until this time next year.

Root depth of TTPR seems similar to TTTF, but the plants are more sensitive to high and low temps, and the texture is almost always finer. It seems to do better (in heat) when mixed with Fescue rather than alone. Maybe the Fescue helps draw the deep topsoil moisture upward. Not sure what Bermuda will do to it.


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## mbaisley (Apr 8, 2019)

Chris LI said:


> How's it going now?


It's still looking okay. I think I got pretty good germination but it's cold at night in the 30s so it must not be optimal for quick growth. I'm still optimistic.


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## mbaisley (Apr 8, 2019)

Green said:


> mbaisley said:
> 
> 
> > What kind of tillering and root depth do you typically see out of the elite PRG varieties? That would be one major advantage that I hadn't even thought about until today while I was putting down seed.
> ...


That makes sense to me. Thanks for the info.


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