Grass seed 101: If the grass is ass, don’t buy it.
If you walk into your local box store to buy grass seed, you’re likely going to see brands with massive marketing budgets and strong retail partnerships prominently displayed. Scotts, Pennington, and Vigoro are a few of the larger players you are likely familiar with. Most DIY homeowners walk into the store, grab what they are most familiar with, and walk out without reading any of the labels.
Seed is not cheap these days due to a number of inflationary pressures in recent years. Next time you step into the store to buy seed, I strongly encourage you to look at the label and understand what you are buying before you make a purchase. Cheap seed is cheap for a reason. Be prepared to spend more for high-quality seed. The common price range for a 45-50 lb. bag of high-quality grass seed is $140-$200.
In this brief article, I will lay out a few key factors you should consider when buying grass seed and recommend a couple niche seed providers with strong reputations in the United States.
Consideration #1: Avoid labels that use very generic, broad definitions of the seed type.
For example, if you live in a cool season zone avoid any labels that simply say Kentucky Bluegrass, Ryegrass, and/or Fescue. As you can see below, this label highlights the specific varieties (Shamrock, Foxfire, and Virte). You want to seek specific cultivars with desirable characteristics.
Consideration #2: Look at the germination rate percentages. Aim for at least 80%.
Germination rate percentage indicates the proportion of seeds expected to sprout and grow into healthy seedlings under ideal conditions. Higher germination rates are indicative of higher quality seeds.
Consideration #3: Look at pure seed percentages. Aim for as close to 100% as possible.
This is the percentage of pure seed contained in the package by weight. Don’t pay for other material.
Consideration #4: Ensure the inert matter percentage is 1% or below.
Inert matter is material in the packaging that will not germinate, such as dirt.
Consideration #5: Ensure “Other” Crop seeds and weed seeds are as close to 0% as possible. Also ensure there are no “noxious” weed seeds.
Other crop seeds can wind up in the package and are not desirable for your lawn. Similarly, weed seeds are nearly impossible to keep out and will always make up some percentage of weight. Ensure noxious, or harmful weed seeds, are not present.
Consideration #6: Check the origin of the seed, sell by date, and manufacturer info.
Seeds from states such as Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Minnesota can have some distinct advantages due to the climates in those regions. While seed has a long shelf life if stored properly, try to find “sell by” dates in the current year.
A few specialized grass seed companies that cater to niche markets and are generally not found in the big-box stores are:
GCI Turf- Gibsonville, North Carolina
Twin City Seed Company- Minneapolis, Minnesota
Here are some of their most popular “A-list” varieties amongst the hardcore DIY lawn community:
GCI Turf Cool Blue Grass
GCI Turf Type Tall Fescue
Twin City Seed Blue Resilience Mixture
Twin City Seed Resilience II Tall Fescue Blend
What is your favorite brand and seed variety to use? Comment below!