How long can lawn seeds keep? Gardeners ask themselves this question again and again. We reveal how to properly store seeds for the lawn and how long lawn seeds can be kept and germinable.
It is easy to make mistakes when calculating the right amount of lawn seed - and what now? Leftover seeds are a valuable asset, especially if you are looking for high-quality seed mixtures like ours Plantura lawn seed mixtures have set. Throwing it away is therefore out of the question. With the seeds, imperfections can be quickly repaired or perhaps the lawn area should simply be expanded in two years. We explain how lawn seeds remain germinable for a long time and which seeds maintain a particularly high germinability.
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- Storage of lawn seeds: how to do it correctly
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How long can lawn seeds keep?
- How do you recognize overlaid lawn seeds?
- Which lawn seeds have a long shelf life?
Storage of lawn seeds: how to do it correctly
Lawn seeds last the longest in cold, dry and dark conditions. While higher temperatures don't necessarily help shelf-life, they're not the biggest problem. Only strong heat and temperature fluctuations should be avoided at all costs. Storing lawn seeds in frost is also completely unproblematic. Humidity is an often underestimated factor. Moist air can drastically reduce the germination capacity of lawn seeds in the long term. A relative humidity of 30% is therefore optimal. It is often cool and dry in modern cellars or well-insulated and solidly built garden sheds. In addition, lawn seeds are best stored in the dark so that germ-promoting processes in the seeds are not stimulated.
Tip: Moisture can also be a problem if the lawn seeds are stored in a bag made of thin plastic. In the event of temperature fluctuations, condensation quickly forms there, which inadvertently germinates the seeds or leads to mold. To avoid such a storage failure, the seeds can be transferred to paper or cloth sacks.
Summary: This is the correct way to store lawn seeds
- Storage in a cool and dry place, temperature fluctuations should be avoided
- Frost is not a problem, but heat is
- Storage in dark containers on which no water can condense (e. B. slightly open containers, paper bags or cloth bags)
How long can lawn seeds keep?
Unfortunately, this is not noted on the packaging: So how long can grass seeds keep? If stored correctly, high-quality lawn seeds can easily germinate for three years. Then the germination capacity decreases by about 10% per year. You can compensate for this deteriorated germination rate simply by increasing the application rate, but you should definitely create optimal germination conditions for these somewhat older seeds. We will show you how and when to sow the lawn ideally.
A perfect supply of nutrients also promotes the emergence of the somewhat older lawn seeds: a primarily organic lawn fertilizer like ours Plantura organic lawn fertilizer can be distributed just before sowing.
Mainly lawn seed mixtures containing different types of grass should after expiry of thefifth year no longer used even if they have been stored well. Because the different grasses are not all equally storable, so that when sowing, only part of the mixture may germinate. The result is an incomplete lawn that lacks, for example, the undergrass or the important runners.
Tip: If you have a Turf overseeding like our Plantura Premium reseeding want to use them after a long period of storage, you can simply carry out a germ test. Even if the seeds only partially germinate, they can be used - regardless of how old they are. As a rule, reseeding only contains one type of grass, so that the above-mentioned problems with a changed composition do not arise even with later sowing. For a germination test, simply sow a few seeds in a flower pot on normal potting soil, press them down and keep them moist for 10 to 14 days at at least 8 ° C. If only part of the seeds germinate, just sow the seeds a little more generously when re-sowing.
How do you recognize overlaid lawn seeds?
If lawn seeds have been stored for too long or incorrectly, they become soft, begin to germinate or mold can settle. In addition, they no longer smell dry and spicy, but musty and unpleasant. If you're not entirely sure, pick up a seed. If it is dry, firm and pointed, it can still be used. You can then test the germination capacity with a germination test in potting soil.
Which lawn seeds have a long shelf life?
High-quality, carefully produced lawn seeds have a high germination rate. All seeds that are marketed in Germany must have a minimum quality standard. The quality of seeds is checked and all seeds must - at the time of purchase - meet a certain variety-dependent germination rate.
Certified seeds from standard seed mixtures, i.e. RSM-certified seeds, achieve particularly high germination rates. This is assessed according to even stricter criteria than the law prescribes, and therefore germinates in higher percentages and even after longer storage. RSM certified seeds like ours Plantura Premium Seed Mixtures is therefore particularly long-lasting and germinable.
Have you just sown your new lawn and maybe the first seedlings are already showing? In our special article on the Sow the lawn you will also learn what the very first care of the young lawn should look like.
