Does ground thyme go bad11/22/2023 So you avoid any unnecessary waste, and maximize your chances of germination success.Ĭontrary to what you might think, your garden shed or garage is not actually the ideal location in which to store seeds. You may have used your old grass seed, or you may have thrown it out.Įither way, it’s important to understand the optimum storing conditions for any bags you might happen to pick up in the future. Read these 14 essential mowing tips and get it done right. Once you’ve established whether you can use your dusty old bag of grass seed, you might need a refresher on how and when to properly lay it down.Ĭheck out this article on how to grow a healthy lawn, which has some expert advice on overseeding and lawn repair.Īnd once you have a lush, green carpet in your yard, you’ll also want to know how best to cut it. You can still use it, you’ll just need to use more than you usually would. If only 1 or 2 have germinated then you might have a pretty low strike rate with the rest of the packet. If most of the seeds have started to germinate then you can be fairly sure that the rest of the packet is ok. Place the paper towel in a warm place for a few days and then come back to check. (First up, rule out any obvious signs of deterioration with a simple look and smell – if the seeds are visibly moldy, darkened in color or smell bad – chuck them.)Īssuming the seeds look and smell fine, all you need to do is take a small sample (may half a teaspoon) and try and get them to germinate.Īn easy way to do this is to moisten a paper towel and fold the seeds into it so they are enclosed. If you’ve had a packet of seed sitting around somewhere for a few years and you’re not sure whether it’s any good, there’s actually a really simple way of finding out. Just be aware that the ratio of seeds that actually germinate might not be anywhere near as high as if you were to use a fresh bag.Īs a rule of thumb, it is estimated that this germination rate will deteriorate between 10 and 20 percent each year the bag is open and in storage.Ĭompare this with an 80 to 90 percent success rate within the first year of opening a bag, and you have your answer. There’s no harm in giving it a go – and it sure beats simply throwing it out. Providing there are not any obvious signs of spoilage – such as mold – you can certainly try laying down grass seed that’s well past its best. With that in mind, you might be wondering if you can use expired grass seed? Packets of grass seed should come with an expiration date on them, which can be a helpful guide.īut, it is just a guide! There won’t be a definitive date that the seed suddenly packs in! Most varieties of grass seed should keep for one to two years, with a maximum shelf life of up to five years – given optimum conditions. This includes proper storage (more on this below). The length of time grass seed remains usable will depend on a number of factors. Exposure to light is also something you need to avoid.īut, you can maximize the life span of your seeds by storing them correctly in a dark place and protecting them from excesses in temperature and humidity.Īre you wondering whether other garden products go bad too? What about Fertilizer? I have a guide to the shelf life of fertilizer here too to help you out. If exposed to less than ideal storage conditions, such as humidity, grass seed can also start to harbor mold which is usually a death sentence.Once this happens, the seed will no longer germinate or have the capacity to grow into anything. Unused grass seed is a living thing in a dormant state (fascinating, right? You can read more about that here). It’s estimated that around 10-15% of the seed in a bag loses viability over the course of a year. Over time, as grass seed is exposed to extremes in temperature, it will gradually lose its viability.
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