Question
I live in Salt Lake City Utah. Is late October too late in the year to hydroseed?
Answer(s)
Mid-October is about as late as you should try starting a cool-season lawn from seed in Salt Lake City. Hydroseeding gives you about one week longer, since the seed is primed and will germinate faster than dry seed would. So, we are at the very tail end of your window of opportunity. Optimal germination of Kentucky bluegrass seed occurs when daytime highs are in the mid-80's and night time low temperatures are around 59. Obviously, the weather is turning much cooler than that now.
However, Kentucky bluegrass is tolerant of very cool temperatures, and even with a light covering of snow seed may continue to germinate and grow very slowly. The biggest drawback to starting Kentucky bluegrass so late in the growing season is that since germination and growth will be even slower than usual (Kentucky bluegrass usually takes about 14 days to germinate from seed), the window of careful nurture is greatly extended. In other words, the seeded area surface will need to be kept moist for up to 3 or 4 weeks (about twice as long as when hydroseeded in May).
I hope this information can help you make a more informed decision on how to use your landscape budget and time resources.
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