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Step 1
Prepare to spend some money. The best way to make sure you are getting high quality grass seed is to buy name brands from a seed house or garden shop that has a good reputation. Usually, the higher quality the seed, the more expensive it is. However, you will recoup your money later when you aren't spending lots of dollars trying to keep a low quality seeded lawn green.
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Step 2
Buy a pure brand. Look at the label to see how pure the mixture is. The purity number will indicate the percent, by weight, of pure seed of each component in the mixture. The higher the percentage, the better quality seed. The preferred range is greater than 90%.
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Step 3
Look at the germination number. This is also posted on the label. The germination number tells you the percent of live seed--seed that has been tested for germination and should grow when seeded. This number should ideally be 80% or higher.
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Step 4
Find out how much of the seed is crop seed or weed seed. This will be listed on the label as well. Crop, weed or noxious weed seeds are filler and not desirable in a lawn. In a high quality seed mixture, the percentage for crop or weed seeds as listed on the label should be less than .3%, and 0% for noxious weeds.
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Step 5
Check the inert number on the label, and look for the date tested. The inert number indicates the percentage by weight of filler material that will not grow. This includes items such as chaff or sand for bulk. This number should be less than 8%. The date tested should be within the last 9 months.
