Disclosure: This post was originally a partnered post with Pennington Seed. 

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As *ahem* co-conspirator Barry Morgan is set to wake (ha! he’s already up) in Amish Country, OH, I figure it was good time to do a quick follow up on my most recent manufacturer visit. Barry is visiting with the Genie Company — the makers of industry-leading garage door openers, and I am sure you will be reading more about that here soon.

Pennington Grass Seed LogoBut just as Barry was dotting the t’s for his trip, I received an update on a growing experiment I participated in while visiting Pennington Grass Seed in Oregon in early March.

During the visit to Pennington‘s NexGen Research Center, the group “simulated” growing grass in a small (approx. 1×1 foot) tray.  We did two “plots” each.  First, we used a Pennington Smart Seed™, then later, we used Pennington‘s One Step Complete (mulch) product.

I videoed part of that session on my phone and uploaded to our YouTube channel.

 

Monday this week, we got an update on our plots.

The Experiment :: The Results

With little soil preparation, we spread the pre-mixed product across our second plot. (For me, it was kinda an afterthought – I was *ahem* multi-tasking. ha!)  Over the next several weeks, each plot received regular watering.  Below, pics of my little pups, plus analysis courtesy of NexGen.  (The pics below offer a great reference on what your own progress in planting with One Step Complete should look like.)

* DAY 6

Pennington 1-Step Complete :: Day 6

Analysis :: At six days after initial seeding, there is little noticeable growth. This is as expected. During the first days of planting, it’s typical for a seed to absorb water but not swell to the point of bursting open. Depending on the variety of grass, germination is not usually visible until at least 8 days. Some turf varieties take well over 14 days to germinate.

* DAY 10 AND DAY 14

Pennington 1 Step Complete :: Days 10 and 14

Analysis ::After 10 days, there is a high percentage of noticeable germination. This growth continued throughout the first two weeks.

Pennington® One Step Complete uses high-quality, pure seed varieties (it contains Pennington Smart Seed™) that have been primarily developed for their drought tolerance, but also for insect and disease resistance. An additional benefit of pure seed is thicker, fuller grass.

* DAY 21 AND DAY 28

Pennington 1 Step Complete :: Days 21 and 28

Analysis :: At 21 days and 28 days, the plot planted with Pennington One Step Complete is already thick.  Over time, the grass will continue to grow thick and lush, as well as establish a deep root system. A deep, thick root system is critical to long-term plant health — contributing to drought resilience, nutrient uptake and disease tolerance.

(It’s also worth noting that specialized variety mixes of Pennington One-Step Complete™ are available. Since the mixes are customized to specific climates, Pennington has taken the guesswork out of mix selection. For a fairly list as they appear on Amazon >> Pennington One Step Complete Sun & Shade Mix.)

Would This Article Also Help?  Lawn Care Tips from Pennington Seed :: The Seeds of Knowledge

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What Makes One Step Complete Effective?

Combination products, like Pennington‘s One Step Complete, provide an all-in-one solution (mulch, seed and fertilizer) and are ideal for repair-oriented applications, where a fast germination and establishment rate is desirable to fill in unsightly or dead patches with beautiful, healthy grass.  (Also the reason why results came back on this half of our experiment first.)

As a combination product, One Step Complete™ makes it easy to patch and repair trouble areas. The mulch in the product features the same proprietary technology that hydroseeding professionals use. When watered, the professional-grade mulch forms a protective layer over the soil that helps retain moisture in the soil during the critical seed germination and establishment stage. The tackifier in the mulch also helps keep the protective layer in place so that the seed will not wash away on small hills and slopes or during rains.

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These One Step Complete photos help showcase the speed of the patch and repair product, while the Smart Seed results (which I have yet received) will have a more direct impact on large scale new seeding or re-seeding projects.  I hope to be able to provide these as I work into my own project posts . . . likely sometime at the end of May. (Update: For that Post :: Growing Grass, the Pennington Smart Seed Experiment.)

Thanks for reading. 

For much more on Growing a Health Lawn, please see our Categories, Lawn and Landscape. ~jb