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Don't Skip This Step Before Purchasing Grass Seed
By SANDY BAKER
When shopping for new grass seeds, it’s important to read the label since it will tell you about the specific species, the germination rate, and the amount of pure seed included.
The first thing you’ll want to consider is the pure seed rating to understand what percentage of grass seed is present of each of the various grass species in the mixture.
Look at the line-by-line breakdown of each variety to see the germination, or growth, rate. Typically, those with an 80% or higher germination rate are standard or better products.
Seed mixtures also include more than just seeds, like inert matter such as fertilizers or mulch to stimulate growth. This is a figure that should be low, typically under 0.10%.
It’s normal to have weed seeds present in grass seed mixtures since they grow in the same areas, so you’ll want to look for those that are closer to 99.99% weed seed-free.
Your best quality products will have 0% noxious weeds or will state that they are a "no noxious weed" blend because these species of weeds are particularly difficult to get rid of.
Finally, always check the sell by date (which is set by the state's laws). You don't want to purchase old grass seeds that will not germinate when you need them to.