Grass seed that doesn’t germinate is one of the most frustrating problems to run into. It’s happened to me and it is not a rare problem. Often, it’s not even something you have control over but there are steps you can take to ensure that this is not the case. Below you can learn how to identify what is causing your slow or zero germination rate as well as how to fix the problem and what to do if nothing seems to work.
Why is My Grass Seed Not Germinating?
There are 7 primary reasons why grass seed isn’t germinating. All but two of these reasons have to do with poor germination conditions. To get your grass seed to germinate well, specific conditions do need to be met. That is unless you have been sold bad seeds or the seeds have sat around for too long.
Grass Seed Not Germinating – The Main Causes
To fully answer the question, “Why is my grass seed not germinating?” you’ll need to consider the following 7 primary causes.
Temperature
Grass seeds need to be kept at a minimum of about 65F for ideal germination. Warm-season varieties should not be allowed to get colder than this during the germination period. Cold-season varieties can be allowed to start at a colder temperature, though germination will be slower.
Water Level
Grass seed should be kept damp during the entire germination process. This can mean watering your lawn many times a day, purchasing coated seed, adding a coating to seed after purchase, or a combination of these things. Seeds allowed to dry out during the germination process may die and fail to germinate completely.
Length of Storage
Grass seed can last several years in storage, but after the second year, especially if temperatures in that storage facility were allowed to fluctuate, the grass seed will have a low germination rate- around 30%. If seeds are planted after 3 or more years of storage, they may fail to thrive even if they do manage to germinate in ideal conditions.
Time
It takes cool-season grass varieties about 7 to 10 days to germinate while warm-season varieties can take 2 to 3 weeks, on average. Some grass types can even take a month or more to germinate and can have a naturally low rate of successful germination. If you’re still wondering how long your particular grass type may take to germinate, you can read more about that in this article about seed germination times.
Light
Grass seeds need some light to germinate. This is why the ideal cover depth for grass seed is no cover to 1/8” of cover.
Insects
Insects can eat or destroy grass seeds. This usually happens in the grass seed bag during storage and is less likely to cause poor germination if no insects got to the seed before it was planted.
Poor Seeds
If none of the above issues are causing you to see low or no germination, you may have been sold bad seeds. This isn’t uncommon and can be caused by several events during the life of these seeds. Often, the manufacturer or seed farm is not at fault for the poor result you are seeing.
Most seeds with poor germination have been damaged during shipping or warehousing. Occasionally, warehouses or shipments may get too cold or too hot to sustain the seeds, or they may be too cold or too hot for longer than they should have been. These incidents are rarely recorded or reported. In any case, there are usually systems in place for you to receive compensation for these mistakes.
What You Should Do When Your Grass Seed is Not Germinating
If you’ve read up on the timeline for grass seed germination day by day for your grass type, and things are not at all going to plan, it doesn’t mean that it’s dead. Given the many causes of poor or slow germination, there are a few steps you can take to encourage your grass seed to germinate. If all of these steps fail, there are also, often, ways to recover some of your investment before trying again with fresh seeds.
Prepare an Indoor Test
I always recommend that anyone planting grass seeds should reserve 10% of the bag, at least, to fill in any bare spots that show up once things start germinating. A sprinkle of these seeds can also be used to create a germination test. This can help you take the guesswork out of determining if the seeds are even capable of germinating. I often do this at the same time as I seed a lawn, just in case.
To prepare a germination test, follow these steps:
- Wash your hands.
- Prepare a small plastic sandwich bag, small glass container, or small plastic container. Makes sure all bags and containers are new or clean. Too much bacteria can invalidate this test.
- Wet a napkin or paper towel and wring it out so that it is just a bit more than damp.
- Sprinkle 20 or so seeds onto one-half of the prepared paper towel or napkin in a single layer.
- Fold the other half of the paper towel or napkin over the seeds.
- Place the seeds in the prepared container.
- Seal the container.
- Place the container in a spot that stays above 65F and gets at least a little natural light. If you have a free-standing refrigerator, placing the container on top is a great way to seed speedy germination. A clean windowsill is also a good option in most climates.
- Wait 1 week to 10 days and then check for germination. If there are sprouts, the seeds are good. If there are no sprouts, check to make sure that the paper towel or napkin is still damp. If it is too dry, you may not have a sealed container and may need to start the test again. If it is still slightly damp but not as much, add more water and wait another week. For warm-season grasses, it is normal to see no germination until the second week.
Check the Temperature
Has the temperature for the last week been below the ideal germination temp? At any time did it stay below 45F for more than 48 hours? If so, the grass seed may have gone into a hibernation-like state and will need several consecutive days of warm weather to wake it up.
As long as the seeds have not been damaged, temperature changes like this should cause no damage. Once the seeds are planted, all you can do is wait for warmer weather, unless you are only seeding a small area. If so, a sheet of clear plastic placed over the area way raise the local temperature by a few degrees and speed up germination. Do not use a solid-color tarp. Grass seeds need light to germinate.
Reduce Cover
If the seeds are buried more than 1/8” you should work to uncover them so that they can get at least a faint amount of light.
Increase Watering Frequency
Misting your lawn or the area you’re trying to get the grass seeds to germinate at least 4 times a day for 1 to 2 minutes each session, in addition to a short morning watering session of 3 to 5 minutes is recommended. You want to keep the area damp for the entire germination period. More water may be needed in hotter, sunnier weather.
Wait
Grass seed, especially warm-season grass seed, can take several weeks to germinate reliably. Keep an eye on the calendar and implement the steps above before reseeding or starting over.
Check For and Eliminate An Infestation
If there were insects or evidence of insects inside of the grass seed packaging, you likely will not see adequate germination rates. If you notice increased insect activity on your lawn after planting the seeds, insecticides may be necessary to get any sort of decent germination. Be sure to use products that are seed- and sprout-safe.
Contact the Manufacturer
Grass seed still not germinating? Now is the time to contact the manufacturer or distributor of your grass seeds. There should be contact information on the seed packaging, or you can look up the contact information online.
If the seeds have proven to be a challenge to germinate, the manufacturer will likely offer specific advice and some type of compensation, provided you still have proof of purchase. This should be a last resort as, although I have found it a reliable way to get replace something sub-par, that replacement process can be lengthy and there is a small chance you may receive nothing at all.
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