GRASS SEED

Last updated 2/27/98

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Purchasing Quality Grass

Seed for Your Lawn

Zac Reicher and Clark Throssell
Purdue University Turfgrass Specialists

AY-25

Purchasing grass seed for your lawn can be a difficult task given the large selection of brands, vendors, and turfgrass types available. The first step before purchasing any seed is to determine what species of grass to plant. Factors to consider when selecting a grass for your lawn is the level of maintenance you are planning, irrigated or non-irrigated, how much shade or sun, etc. Table 1 lists the species of turfgrasses that are recommended for homelawns in Indiana. For specific cultivars of turfgrass species recommended in Indiana, please refer to AY-5, Turfgrass Cultivars for Indiana.

Some other points to consider:

If you have heavy shade in your lawn, it may be advantageous to plant shade-loving ground covers rather than turfgrass.
If there is regular traffic on the lawn, tall fescue has the best wear tolerance of grasses adapted for Indiana. However, it must be established for 8-12 months before heavy traffic is allowed. If you can't keep traffic off the area for that length of time, consider perennial ryegrass which germinates quickly and is also fairly wear tolerant. Plan on overseeding on an annual basis with perennial ryegrass for maximum performance.
When seeding very late in the fall, a cover crop such as annual ryegrass or wheat can be used to germinate and hold the soil until spring. Plan on reseeding next spring with a recommended turf species. Unless this is the case, avoid purchasing seed lots that contain any annual ryegrass.

Interpreting Turfgrass Seed Labels
The ability to understand seed labels is critical when selecting good seed. The information on the seed label will help you determine if the seed is of high quality. Table 2 lists the preferred ranges of items found on the seed label.

Purity
The purity figure indicates the percent, by weight, of pure seed of each component in the mixture. Not all the pure seed is live seed. The purity for Adelphi Kentucky bluegrass in the sample seed label is 22.82%.

Table 1. Turfgrass species recomendations for selected sites in Indiana.

.	.	.	Seed Rate
Sun	Condition	Species	(lbs/1000ft²)
Full	Medium-high maintenance	100% Kentucky bluegrass	2
.	(regular mowing, 80-90% fertilization, and irrigation)	Kentucky bluegrass + 10-20% perennial ryegrass	3 - 4
.	.	100% turf-type tall fescue	6 - 8
Full	Low maintenance	100% turf-type tall fescue	5 - 6
.	(limited irrigation, infrequent fertilization, mowing)	100% Kentucky bluegrass	2
Partial	Dry area	30-50% shade-tolerant Kentucky bluegrass + 50-70% fine fescue	4 - 5
shade	(limited irrigation, proper drainage)	100% turf-type tall fescue	6 - 8
Partial	Damp area	100% turf-type tall fescue	6 - 8
shade	(irrigation and/or poor drainage)	100% shade-tolerant Kentucky bluegrass	2

Germination
The germination figure indicates the percent of pure seed that has been tested for germination and should grow when seeded. The germination for Adelphi Kentucky bluegrass in the sample seed label is 85%.

Crop
The crop figure indicates the percent, by weight, of seeds in a package that are grown as a cash crop. Examples of crop may include orchardgrass, timothy, redtop, clover, and bentgrass which are considered weeds in turf.

Weed
The weed figure indicates the percent, by weight, of weed seeds in the package. A weed is any seed that has not been included in pure seed or crop.

Noxious Weeds
This defines the number per pound or ounce of weed seeds considered legally undesirable. Most of those listed for Indiana are not problems in turf areas.

Inert
Inert indicates the percent, by weight, of material in the container that will not grow. This includes corn cobs or chaff for bulk to make the package larger. Sand may be added so that the package can meet weight requirements.

Date Tested
Check the date on the seed label. This date should be within the last nine months.

Table 2. Preferred ranges for items on the label of a good quality seed lot.

.	Preferred
Item	Range
Purity	>90%
Germination	>80%
Crop	<0.5%
Weed	<0.3%
Noxious Weed	0
Inert	<8%
Date Tested	last 9 months

Final Thoughts
Avoid the following when purchasing seed:

Buying out of bulk bins
Seed from the weekend newspaper circulars
Seed mixes that contain 'Linn' perennial ryegrass
Seed mixes that contain annual ryegrass
Seed mixes where the varieties are not stated

The best bet on getting good quality seed is to buy name brands from a reputable seed house or garden shop. Generally, the more expensive the seed, the better quality it is. Paying a few extra cents per pound for good quality seed is insignificant when compared to the added expense of trying to maintain an attractive lawn that was from poor quality seed.

Premium Sunny Mix

Only The Best Seed Company

Pure Seed	Germ.	Origin
22.82% Blue Boy Kentucky bluegrass	85%	Oregon
32.10% S523 Kentucky bluegrass	83%	Oregon
31.09% Erin Kentucky bluegrass	85%	Idaho
10.94% Clark perennial ryegrass	90%	Oregon

0.02% Crop	Test Date: February 1997
0.20% Weed	Noxious Weeds: None
2.01% Inert	Lot: 22-OR-661

Purdue University

Cooperative

Extension Service

West Lafayette

Indiana 47907

3/98

Cooperative Extension work in Agriculture and Home Economics, state of Indiana, Purdue University, and U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating;
H. A. Wadsworth, Director, West Lafayette, IN. Issued in furtherance of the acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914.
The Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service is an equal opportunity/equal access institution

Send corrections, suggestions, and comments to danw@purdue.edu

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