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🌱 Grass Seed

Support and answers for common grass seed related questions.
9 articles

Which grass seed is right for my lawn?

To get a custom, personalized grass seed recommendation based on your yard conditions, location, and the amount of sunlight you get, we recommend taking our quick Seed Finder Quiz.

Last updated on Aug 21, 2025

What is elite grass seed?

Elite grass seed refers to high-quality, certified grass seed varieties that are specifically cultivated and bred by growers for superior performance and are distinguished by key characteristics like: dark colour, high germination rates, weed-free certification, and increased tolerance to drought, disease, and foot traffic.

Last updated on Sep 11, 2025

Which setting should I use on my Scott's grass seed spreader?

Spreader settings are listed on our Seeding Rates & Instructions page. These are approximate recommendations because the build quality on the Scott’s spreaders seems to leave some variability and inconsistency from one spreader to the next. We recommend that you start with your spreader set slightly lower and slowly opening it until the seed is coming out evenly but very moderately. This will help ensure you can get around the entire yard and then keep making passes until it's finished.

Last updated on Sep 11, 2025

How should I store my grass seed?

Seed should be stored in a cool, dry place and in a pest resistant container. Temperature consistency is more important than anything else so we recommend some place like your basement instead of an unconditioned garage or shed.

Last updated on Apr 07, 2026

What is the shelf life of grass seed? How long does grass seed stay viable?

Grass seed doesn’t have a firm expiry date, but like most living things, it can lose some germination power over time. As long as you keep your unused seed in a cool, dry place (indoors, sealed bag / rubbermaid bin), it should stay viable for at least a year — sometimes longer. Avoid humidity, direct sun, and extreme temperatures if you can. A basement is often better than an outdoor garage or shed. We always recommend using it sooner rather than later for the best results. If you do decide to store it for the following season, consider using a slightly heavier seeding rate when you plant it.

Last updated on Sep 23, 2025

Should I pre-germinate my grass seed?

Pre-germinating grass seed—soaking it in water until it almost begins to sprout before spreading—has gained popularity in online lawn care forums and YouTube videos over the past few years. There’s nothing wrong with the technique, and it can work well in certain situations. But for most full-lawn seeding projects, we’ve found it tends to create more hassle than benefit. It’s important to understand what pre-germination actually does. It doesn’t speed up the total germination process—it just shifts part of it off your lawn. Once a seed absorbs moisture, its biological clock starts ticking. By pre-germinating indoors, you're simply doing the early part of that process in a controlled environment. The seed still takes the same amount of time to sprout overall, but because it's already partway there when you spread it, it can emerge from the soil sooner. In other words, it reduces the time seed sits on your lawn in a vulnerable, ungerminated state—not the total time from water to sprout. This can be helpful if you're dealing with a slower-germinating variety like Kentucky bluegrass or if you’re trying to minimize seed loss from birds, heavy rain, or drying out. That said, the trade-offs are real. Pre-germinated seed requires daily water changes and wet, sticky, and clumpy seed is very hard to spread evenly. You’ll often need to mix it with a large volume of dry material like organic fertilizer or granular humic to make it manageable—adding both cost and mess to your project. It can make more sense in smaller spot repairs where you don’t need to handle large volumes of seed. It may also be worth trying if you don’t have access to irrigation and are relying on rainfall, since starting the germination process early could give your seed a better shot if moisture is limited. Just keep in mind: even with pre-germinated seed, results are likely to suffer without consistent watering. In short: pre-germinating can work, and it has its place. But for most homeowners doing a full overseed or renovation, we think it’s usually more effort than it’s worth. A well-prepared seedbed, consistent watering, and high-quality seed tend to deliver excellent results—without the added complexity.

Last updated on Apr 10, 2026

Which grass seed is best for dog urine?

Unfortunately dog urine doesn’t discriminate and will kill all types of grass. The only things you can really do is try and get water on the area right after your dog goes, or let them drink more water to try and dilute the urea in their urine.

Last updated on Sep 11, 2025

How should I water new grass seed?

Watering is the single most important factor in germination. Grass seed needs constant moisture to sprout, and if the top layer of soil dries out even once, germination can stall or fail entirely. The schedule below is what we recommend for the first 2 to 3 weeks of any seeding project. The goal: keep the area looking wet For the first couple of weeks, the seeded area should always look wet. Not damp, not moist. Wet. If you glance at the lawn between sessions and it doesn't look visibly saturated on the surface, it's time to water again. Peat moss is especially helpful here because it turns from dark brown to light brown as it dries, giving you a clear visual cue. If you covered your seed with peat moss and it's gone pale, that's your signal. The schedule: 4 to 5 light waterings per day For the first 2 to 3 weeks of a seeding project, water 4 to 5 times per day, 4 to 10 minutes per session. Stop each session before water begins to pool on the surface or run off the area. Typically you would want to do this between 10am-5pm. Frequency matters more than total volume here. A couple of long sessions are not the same as several short ones. Seeds don't need deep watering at this stage. They need the surface to stay consistently wet. Long sessions can cause pooling and washout, which moves seed around and wastes water. Sunnier, windier areas dry out faster and may need closer to 5 sessions per day in the 8 to 10 minute range. Cooler, overcast conditions may only need 4 sessions at 4 to 5 minutes. Watch the area between sessions and adjust. The first week after germination Once you see sprouts coming up, you're not done. New seedlings have tiny, shallow roots, and the top layer of soil still needs to stay wet to keep them alive. Keep the same 4 to 5 times per day schedule going for about a week after germination starts. After that first week post-germination, you can start dialing back. Drop to 2 or 3 sessions per day for a few days, then 1 or 2, and then transition to your normal lawn watering schedule as the grass fills in. Automated irrigation and hose timers In-ground irrigation systems and hose timers make this much easier because you don't have to be home to run sprinklers. If you're using a timer, set it up before you seed so you can confirm coverage and timing without walking across the fresh seedbed. If you have to leave for a day or two during the germination window, a timer isn't optional. A single hot, dry day without watering can end the project. If germination isn't happening If you've been following this schedule closely and you're not seeing progress in the expected timeframe, watering is worth double-checking first. Are you actually at 4 to 5 sessions per day? Is the area actually looking wet between sessions, or has it been drying out in the afternoons? Those are the two questions worth answering before looking at anything else. If both of those are solid and you're still not seeing germination, there may be other factors involved, like soil temperature, seed-to-soil contact, or timing relative to the season.

Last updated on Apr 08, 2026

How can I tell if my grass seed germination is on track?

Waiting for grass seed to germinate is one of the harder parts of any seeding project. The lawn looks the same for days, and it's natural to start wondering whether something has gone wrong. Most of the time, the answer is that you're still inside the normal window. This article gives you a way to check. Typical germination timelines Different grass types germinate at different speeds. These are the windows we'd expect to see under good conditions: - Perennial ryegrass: 6 to 8 days, sometimes up to 14 - Canadian Elite Green and other mixed blends: 6 to 21 days, with the faster grasses in the blend coming up first and the slower ones filling in toward the end of the window - Kentucky bluegrass: up to 21 days to fully germinate - Shade blends: 6 to 21 days - Southside Turf-Type Tall Fescue: 7 to 14 days These are starting points, not guarantees. Cooler weather, less-than-ideal soil temperatures, or inconsistent watering can stretch any of these out by several days. What "on track" actually looks like Germination isn't an on-off switch. The first sprouts usually show up unevenly, with some areas coming in before others. Over the following days, more sprouts appear and the gaps start to fill in. By the end of the typical window, you should be seeing meaningful coverage across most of the seeded area, even if it's still thin in places. A few patchy spots at the end of the window are normal. Big bare areas with no growth at all are not. Mixed blends look uneven for a while If you seeded a blend with multiple grass types, expect the lawn to look uneven for a stretch. The faster-germinating grasses come up first, and the slower ones can take another week or two to catch up. What looks like a failed seeding at day 10 is often just the bluegrass or fescue components still working on it. Fresh seedlings are also noticeably lighter than mature grass. The colour deepens over the following weeks. New growth will look pale and almost yellow-green at first, which can be alarming if you're expecting it to look like the rest of your lawn right away. Two things that matter more than the calendar If you're inside the typical window and worried about progress, the two things worth checking before anything else are seed coverage and watering. Is the seed actually covered? Grass seed sitting exposed on the surface dries out in minutes between waterings and rarely germinates. If you can see bare seed on top of the soil, that area is unlikely to come in without being re-covered with peat moss or topsoil. Is the area looking wet between watering sessions? Watering is the single biggest factor in whether seed germinates, and the most common cause of stalled germination is the surface drying out between sessions. Our watering guide covers the schedule we recommend. If you're past the window If you're well past the typical window for your grass type and still not seeing meaningful progress, the most common cause is watering, so that's the first thing to revisit. If watering has been consistent and the seed was properly covered, other factors like soil temperature or seeding timing may be in play.

Last updated on Apr 08, 2026