Purity
The purity figure indicates the percent, by weight, of pure seed of each component in the mixture. Not all the pure seed is live seed. If your grass is 99.98% pure, then you either have 0.02% inert matter, 0.02% other crop, or 0.02% weed seed all of which are just trace amounts and would be considered a very high quality seed.

   
Germination
The germination figure indicates the percent of pure seed that has been tested for germination and should grow when seeded. Typically, the germination of the grass seed you are purchasing should be above 85%.

Crop
The crop figure indicates the percent, by weight, of seeds in a package that are grown as a cash crop. Examples of crop may include orchardgrass, timothy, redtop, clover, and bentgrass which are considered weeds in turf. Ideally, your label will be 0.00% other crop. However, this is not always possible. Some years, there is virtually no 0.00% weed free grass seed due to environmental factors.

Weed
The weed figure indicates the percent, by weight, of weed seeds in the package. A weed is any seed that has not been included in pure seed or crop. Ideally, your label will be 0.00% weed. However, this is not always possible. Some years, there is virtually no 0.00% weed free grass seed due to environmental factors.

Noxious Weeds
This defines the number per pound or ounce of weed seeds considered legally undesirable. This number should always be 0.00%. Never buy any grass seed that has noxious weeds.

Inert
Inert indicates the percent, by weight, of material in the container that will not grow. This includes dirt, chaff, or coating material. Inert matter does not hurt the quality of the seed, but you are paying for grass seed, not inert matter. Inert matter is usally very low in traditional lawn grass seeds, but in native grasses, inert matter can be as high as 30% because the chaff is hard to separate from the seed.

Date Tested
Check the date on the seed label. This date should be within the last twelve months. However, it is a misconception that "fresh" seed is better. In fact, it is usually the opposite. Grass seed will often germinate better 1 or 2 years later after harvest, but the differences are minute.

Final Thoughts
Avoid the following when purchasing seed:

• Buying out of bulk bins
• Seed from the weekend newspaper circulars
• Seed mixes that contain annual ryegrass
• Seed mixes where the varieties are not stated
• Seed mixes with low purity, low germination, high weed, high crop, or high inert matter

The best bet on getting good quality seed is to buy name brands from a reputable seed such as www.outsidepride.com or a local quality nursery. Generally, the more expensive the seed, the better quality it is. Paying a few extra cents per pound for planting good quality seed is insignificant when compared to the added expense of trying to maintain an attractive lawn that was from poor quality seed. Now that you know you need to buy good quality grass seed, use the links on the left to help you decide what grass seed to buy, how to plant your grass seed, and how to maintain it.