How Long Can I Keep Grass Seed and Does It Ever Expire?

This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

So you notice in the spring that your lawn needs some work. You remember that you accidentally bought too much grass seed last year. Sound familiar? You also want to know if these seeds are good or not. Well, today I am going to go over this topic in detail.

How Long Can I Keep Grass Seed?

Grass seed, like most things (except wine!), gets less and less effective as it ages. As the grass seed ages, the percentage of seeds that will germinate goes down. So, how long does it last? According to Scotts, if it is stored in a cool, dry place, the seeds can last up to 2-3 years. If I am just going to seed patches on my own lawn, I wouldn't have any problem using aged grass seed, but if I am having my lawn professionally done or if I am treating lawns for a living, I would have a big problem using aged grass seed.

Also, different grass seeds will keep longer than others. For instance, an unopened bag of rye grass seed can keep up to 5 years if stored in a dark, cool and humidity free area. If you have more questions on this, please contact the company of the grass seed you purchased.

Does It Expire and How Do I Check?

Like milk, bags of grass seed have an expiration date on them. The older the bag gets, the less effective it is. If you look at the back of most grass seed bags, you will see a section that says Date Tested and Sell By Date. You have to make sure you are looking at the right Sell By Date because a lot of times it has different dates for different states. Make sure you take time out to look at this carefully. If your bag is past the Sell By Date, it is expired.

How Do I Store My Grass Seed?

If you buy too much grass seed and you want to keep it for next year, storing it properly is key. I also want to stress that using grass seed that is aged may not give you the same results and new grass seed. Don't think that just because you store the grass seeds properly, it will yield ideal results. That said, storing grass seeds in a temperature controlled, humidity free, dry place is ideal. I would not keep them in outdoor shed unless it is temperature controlled and humidity free. Also, make sure that rodents and insects can't get at the grass seeds. And make sure you keep your pets away from the grass seed!

What To Do With Expired Grass Seed

If you find yourself stuck with an expired bag of grass seed, here are some options for you.

• Like I said earlier in this article, you could still try and use the seeds on a big area. The older seeds may not germinate very well, so you may have to use more seeds than you normally do. However, you are risking doing all of that work and not having anything grow very well.
• You could use the expired seeds just for patches of your lawn that need it. That way, you won't waste a lot of time and money if the seeds don't work.
• Check with your neighbors and see if they need any seed for lawn patches. You can get rid of your seeds and also help a neighbor.
• Throw them away.

Well, I hope I have answered some of your grass seed questions. I hope you enjoyed my article on How Long Can I Keep Grass Seed and Does It Ever Expire? Thanks!