# Anyone have any luck with Scotts grass seed?



## oh'mike

I've used Scotts seed many times---just the regular lawn mix not the fancy coated kind.

I never had a complaint.----We have exellent soil in this area.


----------



## rollinastang

i had the same problem with scotts. i had a bunch of posts removed from and old dog kennel so i used scotts to rebuild the grass...i put peat moss and straw on top of it and 3 weeks into the project no grass was popping up at all...i watered regularly and everything...after spending good money on the scotts i was very frustrated. not wanting to spend a mint on fixing it as i already dropeed a pretty penny i went to tractor supply and they had a 50lb bag of tall fescue seed for 35 dollars.i put it right ontop of the straw.. i also had a ton leftover to i reseeded most of the yard off my patio as well. i used a stiff rake with the flat backside down to knock the seed down through the grass to the soil and to my surprise in 7 days i had a nice start of grass coming up in all areas. it has been 5 weeks since i used the cheap stuff and i have a beautiful looking yard.apparently the fancy names and coatings don't mean anything if u plant the grass seed right and take the proper measures to grow it! i will never use the overpriced scotts again..next season i am doing my front yard and i will be using the cheap stuff!!!


----------



## user1007

Nothing beats the freshness of seasonal, open stock, lawn seed from your farmfeed/seed store or nursery. There is nothing wrong with Scotts though although it gets a little gimicky with the bird proof and sunburn coatings. The generic stuff has no pretty pictures of lawns on the packaging 4 times as large as it needs to be. 

However, you really have to check expiration dates and consider how the seed you are being might have been handled/shipped, stored and displayed and for how long. Box stores may say they rotate inventory when it has aged but you have to be diligent and check everything because it ain't not true! If it was sitting in the back of a truck waiting to be unloaded at 30 below somewhere in the Midwest in January you do not want it.


----------



## piste

I gave up on Scott's products years ago for reasons similar to yours. I think there are much better options out there. I do use Scott's "hardware" like spreaders and stuff...and maybe potting soil..but none of their seed or fertilizer. They are great example of marketing overcoming for mediorcre-at-best product quality. Not a fan at all.


----------



## CoconutPete

I had similar results to you w/ the Scott's bag o' seeds I tried on the bare spots on my lawn last fall.

I removed a stump and a small hill this summer and filled the giant hole I was left w/ with topsoil. Now I had roughly a 6' x 8' area I needed something for. I spread that Scott's 1/3 seed 1/3 fertilizer 1/3 shredded newspaper all over the area and I actually had great results with that. The grass there grew phenomenally and looks better than any other piece of my lawn. Of course the weather was perfect for it even though it was technically a little late to plant.


----------



## High Gear

Scotts Classic Sun and Shade has perennial rye in the mix at 25% if I

remember right.

I've had good luck with it on establishing a hilly new lawn.

Its not Scott's fault you didn't read the label.

You may consider erosion control blankets in trouble prone areas ( a landscape or farm service will have these ).

Straw also helps hold the soil and moisture IMO and I've done this also with

very mild to no incline .

Some of the Scotts products are gimmicky and overpriced IMO .


----------



## marym

I have used regular Scotts seed in the past without problem. This year, I bought the coated seed---it did not germinate! No more coated seed for me.


----------



## 95025

I've used Scotts' Seed, and it has been fine, but you're paying a premium for the name.

I prefer to hit up a local nursery, or even the TSC Store for grass seed. It's usually an off-name, which means it's a smaller company growing & selling it.


----------



## bubbler

I think the trouble is that Scotts is selling you the product you expect to buy--all premium seeds and no "cheap" stuff, where-as the Mom & Pop brand is selling you a "cheaper" mix.

Read the labels, find a blend of Scotts that includes Rye that you need, or if you can't find it, buy some Rye specifically and mix it yourself.

My anecdotal experience with Scotts:

The good:
1) EZ Seed DOES work. Grass comes up fast and reliably with it, particularly if you aren't prepping the area well. Just be sure to spread it to 1/4" thickness like they say, because it is 98% mulch/dirt/fertilizer.

2) "Landscaper Mix" comes up quickly, especially if you spike it with some of their Starter Fertilizer

3) "High Traffic Mix" does very well for me on my front yard where I have no walk way and there is daily traffic between front door and driveway--I'm honestly impressed with how well it holds up and how nice it looks

The not so good:
4) Patchmaster, the stuff with the shredded paper, is essentially crap in my eyes... I bought it a few months ago lured in by the slightly cheaper price vs. EZ Seed, but it really didn't do very well at all, I had the same results last year but didn't learn then... 3X will be shame on me.

5) Their "Smart Coating" reduces the actual seed weight vs. bag weight by 50%. Last year I put down a lot of it in a certain area (a dense shade mix) it did come up, but was spotty. In hindsight I wish I had simply bought a regular seed and had 2X for the same price. At the time I thought that I applied too much starter fertilizer, but now I'm wondering if the issue was the coating causing a germination problem... it seemed like I was finding the little pale blue seeds around for a weeks afterwards... they just never seemed to make it.

I've bought Pennington's competitive versions of the various products and can honestly say I haven't been that impressed, particularly considering the relatively minor price difference.

Overall I'm happy with Scotts products.


----------



## 95025

bubbler said:


> I think the trouble is that Scotts is selling you the product you expect to buy--all premium seeds and no "cheap" stuff, where-as the Mom & Pop brand is selling you a "cheaper" mix.


I don't disagree with your assessment, and obviously not your personal experiences, but I do disagree with this statement.

While it is possible that there are some small "mom & pop" outfits that are just selling cheaper seed, and hoping you'll buy it, that's probably the exception to the rule. 

Most smaller operations work harder to maintain their small customer base, and hopefully expand. Also, they have much smaller overhead and operating expenses (it takes a heckuva lot of money to bag & ship Scotts' products all over the country). So sometimes - with a smaller supplier - you're just paying less money for better, fresher seed.


You're right though, the bottom line is that we as consumers need to be informed enough to make wise choices.


----------



## CopperClad

I live in Phoenix. I use Scotts for everything pretty much seed, fertilizer, weed-n-feed.. I can only grow Bermuda because of the blazing sun but have always been very satisfied of my lush green lawn. Lawns here are like anything else, consistent proper maintenance from the sun or you lose. So I recommend Scotts all the time, follow the instructions to the T and its a quality product. After reading the OP post however.. I am now in my backyard with a shovel. I will never use it again...


----------



## Thunder Chicken

Bottom line is, if your soil is really dirt, nothing is going to grow in it. Scotts product works just about as well as fresh farm store seed in half-decent soil. I had landscaping work done in my back yard where they backfilled with good loam and topdressed with compost and hydroseeded. I almost wore out my mower trying to keep that lawn under control this spring. 

The parts of my lawn that were not graded are pretty quiet. All I can get to grow in there is clover and weeds. Every fall I topdress with more compost and overseed and I get a few more feet of real lawn every year. I've used Harts (a local seed mix) and Scotts (when I was in a box store and decided to grab a bag) and it doesn't seem to matter if it is spread on decent soil.


----------



## Rocket Ronnie

*Scotts Useless Coated Grass Seed*

I bought $74 worth of Scott's coated grass seed and sowed it over triple-mix, high quality topsoil, raked, rolled and watered. I kept watering faithfully every day for two weeks. Guess what? Not a single blade of grass came up!

I am so sorry I bought the hype: "I can almost picture it!" from the television commercials.. It is simply the worst grass seed I have ever used and would never buy it again.

I ended up over-seeding with a general, all-purpose grass seed for half the price and am now awaiting results. It can't be any worse than Scott's useless coated grass seed.


----------



## user1007

Look, as mentioned when I posted to this thread two years ago, now is the best time to buy good, fresh, seed in bulk. Mix whatever you want and that fits your needs in kraft bags without pretty lawn pictures on them and get on with it!

Seed of any kind is not going to sprout if it is old and outdated. It may not be Scotts fault and they should demand old stuff be pulled but box stores will carry the inventory over from season to season. And it may sit in boxes on an overheated or frozen truck in waiting to make it to the warehouse for stocking. The Blowe's or HD shipment of tacky lawn ornaments and gnomes was all the guys/gals could get to unloading during their minimum wage, part time shift.

And let us please not compare annual ryegrass to a nice perrennial rye hybrid. Of course it will germinate the minute it hits to soil and you water it. So you stop keeping the perennial rye (takes 7-10 days to germinate) and bluegrass and fescues (take 14-28 days to germinate) moist and scream germination failure. The annual rye sucks all the nutrient resources but is, although rather harsh looking and scary to walk on in bare feet, green.

That is not playing fair. Annual rye does not a real lawn make either!


----------



## mikegp

I've left seed in my shed over the winter and then used it the next season with good results. Obviously that may not always work, but it's possible to still use it.


----------



## user1007

mikegp said:


> I've left seed in my shed over the winter and then used it the next season with good results. Obviously that may not always work, but it's possible to still use it.


There are some really nice veges being grown from legacy seeds great, great grandma tucked away in the pages of family bible hidden in the attic for generations that sprout.

Seeds are incredible things. Some like for certain species of redwoods will only sprout if extreme heat, like from a forest fire, cracks their protective shells. Lawn seed may germinate after laying around but could you bring yourself to sell the seeds to others unless you were reasonably sure they would sprout? Again, check the expiration date on seed packages before buying name brand stuff. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, you local real, not box store, nursery, garden center, hardware store with a garden center will have nice, fresh, turf seed for you to buy bulk and mix. First off you will notice it smells fresher than an old box of Scott's.

And they all come with different germination times. If you do not respect that and nurture them until sprouted and trying to grow? You cannot expect much.


----------



## tribe_fan

I had really good success over seeding with Pennington from Home Depot last fall. I did not with Scotts. Just an opinion from experience - usually I go to the local nursery.


----------



## r0ckstarr

What was the brand of the Mom and Pop stuff?


----------



## Fix'n it

last weekend i put SCOTTS PATCH MASTER on a spot in my front yard, about 90sf. so far it has yet to germinate.


----------



## 747

If you want a natural grass lawn. The best way to go is hydroseeding. Scotts ez seed worked well for some patching on my lawn.


----------



## user1007

747 said:


> If you want a natural grass lawn. The best way to go is hydroseeding. Scotts ez seed worked well for some patching on my lawn.


Hydroseeding is amazing. It costs a fraction of sod and will establish much faster into a nice lawn. 

Not really that great for overseeding applications though. I guess if you prep bare spots and tag on to hydroseeding contractors schedule it could work.


----------



## diycoder

I have had no issues with Scotts seeds. The key is proper ground prep and frequent watering (2-4 times day). I will lightly rake an existing area and possibly put a thin top dressing of soil down. Then grass seed & starter fertilizer and rake it into the soil. Then I put a thin layer of salt marsh hay to cover the area which helps it stay wet/moist longer. Then I water it at least twice per day. Always keep the area damp.
The seed always come up within 2 weeks.

The patch master stuff is also good but the one with the brown mulch, not the blue/green paper mulch. The blue/green stuff is not as good. Looking on the Scott's website, it's their EZ See product:










Personally, I've been buying the Jonathan Green Black Beauty premium grass seed because I want a lawn that is drought tolerant. It's been working well.

I would stay away from Landscaper mix type seed. It's crap grass. I made a mistake of using it on one area of my lawn and will have to kill it this year.


----------



## Fix'n it

i used the paper mulch stuff. i have a couple of things growing there. but i don't think its grass.

i am going to let it ride. but i think next time i will mix seed with top soil.


----------



## 95025

sdsester said:


> *Hydroseeding is amazing. It costs a fraction of sod and will establish much faster into a nice lawn. *


THIS!

I was absolutely dumbfounded, about 10 years ago, when I started seeing this stuff. Nothing I've seen even comes close.


----------



## user1007

Fix'n it said:


> i used the paper mulch stuff. i have a couple of things growing there. but i don't think its grass.
> 
> i am going to let it ride. but i think next time i will mix seed with top soil.


You have to be patient and keep the seed moist. I' stress again, under ideal conditions different turf species germinate at different rates: annual ryegrass (as shows up in cheap contractor blends in 5-7 days, hybrid perennial rye 7-10, bluegrasses and fescues 14-28 or so. You want to top dress so the birds do not get at it, it stays moist, and it does not get sunburned as it does its thing.

If you just mix it in with your topsoil you will more than likely bury it too deep to germinate and will just be wasting seed.


----------



## user1007

DrHicks said:


> THIS!
> 
> I was absolutely dumbfounded, about 10 years ago, when I started seeing this stuff. Nothing I've seen even comes close.


For sure.:yes: It started out as a means of planting freeway embankments and for other erosion control situations but thankfully did spread rather quickly to turf and other residential landscape applications.

It gets more and more competitive as more contractors offer the service and if you can wait to piggyback their large job schedules (if yours is not).


----------



## diycoder

Can someone post some prices for hydroseeding for jobs that they recently had done? I have no idea what the cost is.

Personally, I've had good luck with my method of top dressing some soil, seed, fertilizer and then putting hay on it. The real key is constant watering, just enough to keep the top & seed moist. You have to do it for about 4-5 weeks before switching to less frequent but longer watering.


----------



## Fix'n it

sdsester said:


> You have to be patient and keep the seed moist. I' stress again, under ideal conditions different turf species germinate at different rates: annual ryegrass (as shows up in cheap contractor blends in 5-7 days, hybrid perennial rye 7-10, bluegrasses and fescues 14-28 or so. You want to top dress so the birds do not get at it, it stays moist, and it does not get sunburned as it does its thing.
> 
> If you just mix it in with your topsoil you will more than likely bury it too deep to germinate and will just be wasting seed.


i think what i have is bluegrass. so i will just keep it wet, and wait. 

i don't think birds would want to eat this nasty looking stuff. and it is somewhat shaded.

i was talking about mixing straight seed with topsoil, not this patchmaster stuff.


----------



## user1007

Fix'n it said:


> i was talking about mixing straight seed with topsoil, not this patchmaster stuff.


I guessed that. The seed still has to be on or just under the surface. If it gets tilled 3x4 inches down and manages to germinate, the tender shoots will not make it to the surface and will likely croak. 

It is just like planting veges and different depths depending on the seed. But turf seed requires shallow sowing.


----------



## Fix'n it

sdsester said:


> I guessed that. The seed still has to be on or just under the surface. If it gets tilled 3x4 inches down and manages to germinate, the tender shoots will not make it to the surface and will likely croak.
> 
> It is just like planting veges and different depths depending on the seed. But turf seed requires shallow sowing.


yeah. i was thinking of mixing it in my wheel barrow. then laying it at about 1/2"ish layer. that sound ok ?


----------



## user1007

Fix'n it said:


> yeah. i was thinking of mixing it in my wheel barrow. then laying it at about 1/2"ish layer. that sound ok ?


Usually seed is distributed on the prepped topsoil surface, then top dressed, then all rolled with a half full roller to press the layers together.


----------



## 95025

The best luck I've had is the old standard way. Bulk grass seed from a nursery, or feed & seed store, sown liberally on the soil and covered with about 1/4" of loose soil. I then water it twice daily till it germinates and emerges, then once daily until it's well-rooted. Then every 3-4 days for the rest of the first year (depending on weather conditions). 

Personally, I think Scott's Seed is a bit over-rated, and definitely over-priced. And I've never had much satisfaction when fiddling with some of their trendy stuff. 

I always seem to go back to the old way.


----------



## Fix'n it

well. my stuff is growing. i just checked it and watered. it is about 1/2" tall. its very hard to see, its hidden by the brighter paper mulch. but there is grass growing there. :thumbup:


----------



## Jim F

I second the comment about buying bulk seed from the feed store. I haven tried the new Tractor Supply Company store yet but have had good luck with our local McDowell & Walker store. There are some very knowlegible folks in those places.


----------

