What is the Shelf Life of Grass Seed?

Shelf Life

• Grass seeds have a shelf life of three to five years. However, the rates of germination decline 10 to 25 percent per year and seeding rate needs to be increased with stored seeds.

Successful Lawns

• A number of factors affect the success of a new lawn; planting time, type of grass seeds, soil conditions and amount of water provided to the new seeds.

Best Time to Sow Lawns

• Timing is critical when starting a new lawn. The recommended time is during spring when the shoot growth is most healthy. In the cooler regions shoot growth occurs twice; early fall and early spring. The best time to sow grass seeds in colder regions is during fall since the weeds are few and the soil is continually moist.

Choosing Grass Seeds

• When buying grass seed choose the one that has a low crop percentage, inert matter and weeds and a high percentage of germination.

Soil Condition

• The soil needs to be very well prepared before sowing grass seeds. Moisten the soil 4 to 6 inches deep since this will not only provide nourishment to seeds but also protection from wind. Avoid seeding before heavy rain as this will wash away the seeds.