Method and system for high pressure liquid injection of turf seed

Abstract

A turf care system and method for injecting a liquid/seed mixture into soil, such as the crown of an established turf stand, using simultaneously fired pulses of high-pressure liquid jets of the mixture shot toward the ground. The liquid, typically water, is mixed with dry grass seed shortly before being delivered to a high-pressure liquid/seed pumping system, which uses an accumulator and sequencing valve to produce at regular repetitive intervals pulses of the liquid/seed mixture under high pressure. These pulses are delivered to an elongated hydraulic manifold having multiple nozzles pointed downwardly, which are spaced from one another and the ground by predetermined distances. The momentum of the high-pressure jet of liquid/seed mixture issuing from each nozzle cuts through overlying vegetation to deposit the seeds into the crown of the soil at predetermined desired depth. Spray patterns are determined by nozzle orifice shape, and are preferably selected to provide a shallow knife slit-like opening or trench in the crown of the turf. The seeds come to rest near the trench bottom, thus providing good soil-to-seed contact and good light. The trench also collects water and nutrients. The adjacent and underlying turf stand provides excellent physical protection for the soon-to-germinate seeds and resulting seedlings. This liquid/seed injection system and method for planting turf grass seeds has several beneficial results, including ease-of-use, reduced time and effort to plant seeds, reduced energy requirements, and reduced disruption to the surface of the turf or soil in comparison to other methods of interseeding turf.