As the grass starts to grow in the spring, you remember that you have a lot of grass seed left over from last year that you have stored.
This, of course, brings us to an important question: Are my grass seeds dead or alive?
The best way to know if your grass seeds are dead or not are knowing your grass seeds shelf life, discoloration, water level, and how seeds were stored. There will be a lot of information in this article related to these areas, so stay tuned as we dive into it!
How to Check If My Grass Seeds Are Okay?
Before purchasing new grass seeds for your lawn, you should check to see if your old grass seeds are still good.
If the old grass seeds are still good, it could save you some money.
First, check the expiration date on your grass seed.
Next, you should check the viability through certain physical and water signs to see if they are alive and well enough to germinate.
Now let’s take a closer look at each of these.
Grass Seed Shelf Life
Just like many other naturally occurring products with a shelf life, grass seeds have an expiration date.
As a general rule of thumb, grass seed should be used within 2 to 3 years of purchase. If your grass seed is already past its expiration date, you should feel free to discard any stored grass seed.
After the first two years of storage, you should expect the seed to germinate about 10% to 20% less each year, so the longer it sits in the storage container, the less likely it is to germinate well.
With that, you’ll end up needing to use more of the old seeds when you sow to get proper coverage because some of the seeds will not germinate.
The bottom line: if you decide to plant the old seeds you’ll be wasting your time irrigating, feeding and taking care of seeds that will not give you a 100% growth.
Physical Signs
You can assess the viability of seeds through a visual inspection.
Certain seeds will suffice if they simply look like they cannot be planted.
Just check for any coloring or signs of fungus on the seed body – – this is the first indicator of rotten seeds.
Make sure the seeds have not absorbed too much moisture so that they are clumping together.
Water Sign
Here is another way to figure out if your seeds are still viable, by following some procedures and seeing if they germinate.
The procedures are:
- Add water to your cup until it is about halfway full (at least 1 inch of water) and add a paper napkin.
- Add several seeds to the cup until it is about halfway full. Be sure they land on the napkin.
- Cover with plastic to create a little greenhouse. You can use a ziplock bag to do this.
- Be sure to always check that your napkin has moisture.
- Leave in the sunlight for a while.
After you’ve completed this, wait 12-14 days to check if the seeds have germinated.
Factors Affecting Grass Seeds Viability
The conditions under which seeds are stored will greatly affect the germination potential of stored seeds.
Seeds will maintain their viability the longest when stored in a cool, dry environment, which is typically not characteristic of most garages and sheds.
Some of the factors that diminish seed viability include:
- Seed moisture content
- Storage temperature
- Storage humidity
- Seed deterioration
How to Store Grass Seeds?
It is essential to keep your leftover grass seeds so that you are prepared to seed again the following growing season.
In addition, they are useful for reseeding patches of grass or killing off unwanted grass patches in your lawn.
They also come in handy if you have lawn damage. Therefore, you should know how to properly store the grass seeds for harvesting.
Let’s show you how.
Dry the Grass Seeds Before Storing
You can use paper towels to dry your saved seeds.
They will stick to the towels when they are dry, so roll them up, and store them that way.
When you’re ready to plant, tear away pieces of the towel, one seed at a time, and place the seed and towel in the soil together.
Store the Grass Seeds in the Right Temperatures
By a cool weather scenario that is somewhat cold, grass seeds will store better and be more effective.
The best temperature to store seed is between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
If your seeds have been in a condition where they have been exposed to a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for more than a month or two, they will die!
Keep the Seeds Dry Inside the Containers
Put the powdered milk in a small facial tissue layer, wrapping it all up, so it would keep the seeds dry.
Another option is to use a packet of silica gel inside the container for the same purpose.
No matter which option you choose, replace the powder or silica gel every six months.
Consider the Best Location
Keep them in a different location from your garage or garden shed.
You might want to store the seeds in a basement or an indoor closet. Often basements can be damp, so you may want to put a small open box of baking soda inside the seeds bag to absorb excess moisture.
Most importantly, you have rodents and insects that should not be able to invade your seed bag.
Regardless of the type or age of your seed, they would make a delightful meal for these little animals, especially during the winter.
To add some additional protection, storing these bags of seeds off the ground can help in deterring rats as well.
Do Proper Labeling
You will want to make sure that the grass seeds you intend to keep are well-advertised, especially if the packaging changes.
Make sure you properly label the packaging with the name of the seed, the expiration date, and the testing date (the last time the germination rate was determined).
All of these things will help you in two ways keep track of your seeds, and help you determine when to use them.
Final Thoughts
If you follow my advice, you’ll be able to figure out if your grass seeds are dead or not based on their expiration date and physical and water conditions.
This will determine if you are going to plant them or not after looking at them. You certainly don’t want a naked lawn or a lawn with patches.
However, if you’ve stored your seeds in a cooler and dryer spot, then the seed is still viable and you’ll be able to have a beautiful lawn with your old stored seed.