Grass resists extreme weather conditions

Nothing or no one escapes climate change, including our gardens. Grass in particular has had a hard time in recent summers. Grass seed producer and breeder DLF is therefore investing heavily in the development of grass seed mixtures that are more drought-resistant and simplify renovation.

Burnt-out lawns

Like his fellow garden contractors, Frank Van Hove of Erps-Kwerps is regularly confronted with climate change. "It's striking how hard the grass is suffering under the dry, hot summers of recent years," he says. "Many lawns are burning out, and we have to go out on the road more and more often to re-seed everything." For that, the garden contractor relies on two things: his overseeding machines on the one hand, and DLF's Masterline grass seed mixtures on the other.

Rapid germination

"Usually we wait until after summer to renovate a lawn," Van Hove explains, "but even then, of course, there is still a chance of drought. On the other hand, the cold is not necessarily far away either. So it is essential that new grass seeds can germinate quickly."

Various innovations in grass seed development and breeding ensure that the germination of current grass seed mixtures is optimized. For example, 4turf® has been added to the RecreaMaster® mixture used by Van Hove. This specially developed tetraploid ryegrass not only ensures faster establishment, but germinates as early as 4 degrees, compared to diploid grasses that only germinate at about 7 degrees. In addition, the RecreaMaster® mixture comes standard with the GroMax® coating, which gives the grasses an extra boost.

In addition, drought during germination should not throw a spanner in the works. Van Hove therefore swears by the use of an overseeder, which deposits the seeds about 1.5 cm deep in the soil and thus guarantees a better moisture supply, but the grass seed producer also addresses this concern. Thus, DLF developed the unique ProNitro® coating, provided with nitrogen and special hydroactive water management technology or Wetting Agent. This consists of surface tension-reducing substances so that water is better absorbed by the germinating seed. The coating thus eliminates the need for traditional fertilization during sowing and ensures that more and healthier plants grow even with less water input.

Even emergence, without weeds

Van Hove uses the RecreaMaster ProNitro® grass seed mixture only for larger gardens, but immediately notices another important advantage there. "With the traditional RecreaMaster® I've always been assured of a nice even emergence," he says, "but it's noticeable that the mixture with the
ProNitro® coating rises even faster, and that immediately in a beautiful, deep green color."