Question
QUESTION: I had a project for a class to try and grow some grass and 2 out of the 4 did not germinate I was wondering if it could be that the seed is too old and bad. The seed that wouldn't germinate are creeping bentgrass and fine fescues any help would be great. Thanks Pete

ANSWER: Hi Pete,

There could be a few reasons for non-germination. Since I don't know the circumstances under which these grasses were planted, nor do I know the other grasses you used, it'll be hard to say for sure, but I can throw out a few possibilities.

1) Grass seed needs pretty steady moisture to germinate properly.  4 good waterings per week are minimum, and daily watering is ideal. Did you make sure to keep these seeds wet consistently? My experience is that grass seed will germinate even in the worst soil imaginable as long as it gets water. If the soil is really bad, the grass certainly won't survive long, but it WILL germinate.

2) Temperatures. Where were these plots and what was the temperature like? Were they outdoors or did you use trays or plant pots and keep them inside? If the temperatures are too cool, the seed won't germinate.

3) Germination time. All grasses have their own pace at which they germinate. For example, Annual Ryegrass just takes a few days of consistent water before you see nice little seedlings popping through. Perennial Ryegrass is more like 7 days. Kentucky Bluegrass is about 3 weeks before ANYTHING happens. Typically, Fine fescues and Creeping Bentgrass take at least 2 weeks before you see anything.  Is it possible that you simply did not give these two varieties enough time?

4) Planting depth. Seed needs to be pretty close to the surface to succeed. Could it have been more than 1/2 inch deep?

5) Bad seed. This is always an option of course, but if you purchase the seed at a store, I'd rule it out pretty conclusively. With very few exceptions, stores have pretty good procedures for keeping seed fresh, and getting rid of older stuff. If it was simply given to you by someone who found it in the back of their garage, then it's very possible that the seed was no longer viable.

Well, I hope that all helps!  Let me know how it turns out.

-C.J. Brown
www.TheLawnCoach.com



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: ok so I used a plant tray that was 10" by 22" and we used kentucky blue grass,creeping bent grass,fine fescue,and perennial ryegrass and each of them were planted at 1 1/2in,1in,1/2in,and surface.

Answer
Well, you shouldn't have gotten much gotten much germination from the 1 1/2 or 1 inch plants regardless of variety. If the 1/2 inch and the surface seeds were all kept wet consistently, they should have germinated under ideal circumstances. This means either a) they didn't get enough water, b) the temperatures were too cold, or c) the seed was lousy.