I overseeded my backyard about two weeks ago and the rain we've been getting lately seems to be washing the seed down the slope. The area gets pretty heavy runoff from the driveway side. Am I doing something wrong with my seeding technique, or do I need to do something to protect the seed while it's germinating?
the real issue is that bare soil with fresh seed has zero protection against water flow, especially on a slope - you need something to hold everything in place while it germinates. have you considered using erosion control matting or a hydroseed tackifier, or maybe just raking in some compost to help bind the soil and slow the water down?
You're running into a classic problem with slope seeding, and water flow is definitely the culprit. I dealt with this myself on a hillside patch - the seed was washing downslope faster than it could germinate. What helped was laying down erosion control blanket or even straw mulch over the seeded area; it slows the water runoff enough to let the seed settle in, and it keeps the soil from drying out too fast between rains. If the driveway runoff is a bigger issue than just slope, you might need to redirect that water or create a small berm to channel it away from your seeding zone. Another approach that worked for me was watering lightly and frequently with a sprinkler rather than relying on heavy rain to do the work - gives the seed time to take hold before nature dumping an inch on it all at once.
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