 here have
been tremendous advances in lawn seed technology over the
past 10 years, resulting in many improved varieties that
are bred for lower maintenance, water conservation,
better heat tolerance, and reduced use of fertilizers and
chemical controls. These newer, improved varieties will
generally cost a little more, but within the  better seed lies the potential for an
improved quality lawn. Turn to the seed label to
determine the quality of the product you're buying.
 By law,
the seed box or container must display a label that tells
you what is in the container. Understanding the label
information is key to making a quality buying decision
(see example at left).
Look to see if the
varieties of grass are listed by a specific trade
name, rather than a generic name like Kentucky
bluegrass, ryegrass, fine fescue, tall fescue,
VNS (variety not stated), or the Latin name for
the species or variety.
Make sure the germination percentage
number is high, with at least 75% for Kentucky
bluegrass, and 85% for perennial ryegrass, fine
fescue, and tall fescue. The higher the
percentage the better. The germination figure is
important because it tells you how much of each
pure seed variety listed will "sprout"
and is capable of growing a grass plant.
NOTE: There are several places where
non-perennial (annual ryegrass and bluegrass) are
beneficial to the environment, but NOT as grass
seed purchased for a permanent lawn. A small
percentage of annual grasses can be beneficial
for erosion control when establishing a new lawn,
but should not be more than 5% by weight of the
varieties listed.
If there are any other kinds of
grass seed in the container, these
"off types" will be listed by weight
percentage under Other Crop Seed. They are not
specifically named, but can detract from the
quality of the lawn. This percentage should be
very low, generally less than 1%.
If any weed seed is
present, it is listed by percentage of weight. We
really don't want any weed seeds, but it is
difficult and expensive to catch all weed seeds
during the cleaning process. Acceptable limits
range from 0.3 to 0.5%.
Most states have lists of weeds
that are so troublesome and undesirable that
their presence must be stated on the seed label.
For quality, you want to avoid any boxes or bags
with noxious weeds listed.
Inert matter, which
is any substance that is not capable of growth
should be no more than 5% by weight. The lower
the percentage the better.
Quality seed mixtures and
blends do not contain bentgrass or Poa
trivialis (rough bluegrass). These weedy grasses
are particularly difficult to control in a lawn,
and can quickly deteriorate the lawn's quality.
If
the seed label indicates these minimum and
maximum criteria, you can be confident that you
are buying good quality seed. Quality lawn seed
will cost you more money per pound. Quality
always does cost more. But when you put the cost
of quality lawn seed in perspective to the value
of your home and property, it's a small dollar
investment with a tremendous return! It is
estimated that your landscape can add as much as
15% to the value of your home. . . and your lawn
is the "glue" that holds the landscape
together.
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