Read the Label Before You Buy Grass Seed

Can you tell a fescue seed from a weed seed? If not ... you’ll need to look at the label before purchasing your grass seed. The label tells you how much weed seed is in the bag ... plus lots of other valuable information. Each bag of grass seed that we offer has a “blue tag” that certifies the following information found on the label:

1. The variety of fescue seed in the bag and percentages.
2. Percent of germination, which is how much of this seed will actually grow.
3. Crop seed, which could include seed such as ryegrass, bentgrass, bermudagrass or orchardgrass. Some (like orchardgrass) are very difficult to control.
4. Inert matter, which is other “stuff” such as soil.
5. Weed seed (noxious), which may be impossible to get rid of without killing the turf.

If you compare labels, you’ll understand why we always recommend Johnson's Blue Ribbon Tall Fescue Blend. For starters, this blend uses only fescue types that have been tested in this region and are the best available for this area (the types may change due to availability and continued testing). Other brands of fescue blend use the lowest cost fescues available, and chances are those types don’t test well in this area.

Johnson's Blue Ribbon Tall Fescue Blend also has a high rate of germination, and virtually no weed seed. Compare our label with other well-advertised grass seed sold here in Wichita... and remember that the more weed seed you buy, the more problems you’ll have controlling weeds later in the season.

If the label doesn’t convince you, maybe the math will, because as little as 1% weed seed can destroy an otherwise good bag of grass seed. Here’s how it figures for ryegrass, a common weed seed found in fescue:

EXAMPLE:
1% ryegrass (weed) in a 25 lb. bag of fescue 1% of 25 lbs. = 1/4 lb. weed seed
Ryegrass has 250,000 seeds per pound 1/4 lb. x 250,000 = 62,500 seeds of ryegrass in a 25 lb. bag of fescue seed
If that 25 lb. bag of fescue is spread over 5,000 sq. ft., it puts down 12.5 weed seeds per sq. ft. That would equal nine weeds in a patch of lawn the size of a piece of paper (8" x 10").

So remember the old adage “you get what you pay for” when shopping for grass seed. Spend a little extra now, and you will save yourself time, money and a big headache later.