Why Are Some Lawn Seeds Coated?

Date: 10-02-2021
Lawn Seed Blends and Varieties

 

Great Aussie Lawns stocks products that include Advanced Seed Turbocote.

It is a coloured seed coating on our Couch, Kikuyu, Zoysia, Bentgrass and Dichondra Seeds. Turbocote consists of biostimulants as well as seaweed concentrate fertiliser to aid in nutrient absorption from the soil, develop strong roots and assist with stress recovery.

The coloured coating increases germination performance by retaining moisture around the seedling.  Due to the rapid germination of our Turbocote varieties, it aids in establishing good ground coverage to prevent excessive weed growth. 

Products with Turbocote:

The Benefits of Seed Coatings

  • Improved Ballistics

By adding weight, size, and smoothness to each seed, the ease of spreading is improved, helping to get a more uniform ground coverage.

 

  • Nutrients for Establishment

The latest coating includes a range of nutrients designed to supply the young seedling until it’s root system can tap into fertiliser or soil nutrients.

 

  • Germination Improvements

Recent trials have shown coatings to enhance the speed and strength of germination in some turf species. By holding the moisture close to the seed, the seed is able to get away and establish itself more quickly.

 

  • Guaranteed Quality

Only the best seed lines are used for seed coating and a further guarantee of quality all seed is germination tested immediately after coating. Not all seed coatings are equal…

Here are three tips to help you assess the quality of the coating on your seed:

1. Quality seed coatings are virtually dust free and should firmly encapsulate each seed individually. Coatings should not be crumbly or cracked.

2. Although the seed coating feels firm, the polymers used to bind the pellet together should be very soluble, allowing rapid breakdown and germination. A good indication of the speed of breakdown of the seed coating can be shown by placing a small number of seeds in a saucer of water.  The coating should break away from the seed within several minutes, indicating moisture has penetrated through the seed. Some of the older style coating were known to bind the seed too tightly, restricting germination.

3. Coating should deliver maximum value to the end-user, not just additional weight.  A well-formed pellet containing pesticides, nutrients, and other additives will enhance the end result significantly.