There are many benefits of using Harvest Guard over straw:
- You will usually get 90-95% germination of your seed with Harvest Guard (formerly known as Grass-Fast), vs. 50-70% using straw.
- You will get almost complete uniformity in your coverage, vs. very spotty results with straw.
- You will find your seeds germinate in about 1/3 the time. This is because Harvest Guard warms the soil 10-15 degrees while straw actually shades and cools the ground. This means that you have to spend 3 times the length of time making certain that the soil never dries out. Drying out is death to germinating seeds.
- You generally only have to thoroughly water initially for the moisture to be retained by the fabric. One watering will usually see the seeds through to complete germination unless it is very hot or windy.
- The fabric keeps birds from devouring the seeds.
- The complete coverage of your grass with Harvest Guard will dramatically reduce your weed problems.
- Straw has to be removed at just the right time, or it can smother the seedlings that are trying to develop. Harvest Guard can be left on and only has to be removed when the temperatures regularly exceed 85 degrees.
