Why Is Grass Seed So Expensive

When you decide to create a new lawn, the first thing that comes into your mind is buying the best grass seeds. Grass grows from these seeds when you plant them on your ground. When you find grass seeds in the market, you may wonder why is grass seed so expensive. The main reason for the higher cost of grass seed is the complexity and higher production cost. 

Because these seeds are very small, it is very difficult to harvest and process them and requires proper equipment. Several reasons combine and add up to the original cost of the grass seeds. Furthermore, the packing, shipping, and marketing costs also increase the final price. The average cost ranges from $3 to $10, and the whole bag of grass seeds costs between $30 to $100. This article contains complete information and reasons for the high cost of grass seeds. Stay tuned for more!

Costs of Different Grass Seeds

There are different types of grass seeds, and all these different types range for different costs. When you enter the market to buy new grass, you first must ensure the type of grass you want to grow on your lawn. These different types of grass seeds are also region-specific, and it might not be easy to find one specific type of grass in your area. Kentucky bluegrass only grows in the Northeast, while Fescue grass prefers to grow in the Midwest.

After deciding on the grass seed you want to grow on your lawn, the next thing is to decide what you want to grow. These grass seeds have multiple costs; some are more expensive than others. You need to focus on all characteristics and features of the grass seed you need to grow in your lawn, and here are different types of grass seeds along with their price and features:

1. Fescue

Fescue grass seeds are one of the most expensive grass seeds known, they are dark green, and their leaves have narrow blades. The roots are deep, almost 2 to 3 ft. in length. Fescue grass grows in a cluster, and they don’t prefer growing individually. You will notice a clump of grass growing together instead of a single grass blade.

Cost

If you are living in the midwestern, you will find fescue grass seed less expensive. You can get this grass seed for $60 to $75 if you buy 25 pounds of grass seed or 5000 square feet. It is the standard cost of the given area; if you have a much larger lawn area, the price of the grass seeds also increases.

2. Kentucky Bluegrass

Kentucky is native to the Northeast and known as the bluegrass. When you imagine a perfect lawn for yourself, you can think about this grass. You must maintain it constantly; this type of grass is versatile. It has shallow roots and grows slower than many other types of grass. It also can survive in cool weather and prefers to grow in clusters instead of individually. Kentucky grass is a well-known expensive grass, and if you need a luxurious lawn, this grass is highly recommended.

Cost

Kentucky grass seed will cost $80 to $100 for 25 pounds or 5,000 sq. ft. of land. You can estimate from the price that it is one of the most expensive grass and gives your lawn a perfect luxurious look.

3. Bermuda

It is another expensive grass seed, and they are native to the southeast region, this grass is best known for tolerating the warm weather to an extent. If you live in a warm region where summer lasts a long time, you can consider Bermuda grass. It is perfect for growing in dry and hot weather. They might be native to the southeast but come from tropical climates. It can surely bear the hot temperature, but it needs constant maintenance, and you will have to spend a lot of money on its constant maintenance.

Cost

The price of this type of grass is relatively high, and you will have to spend almost $105 to $130 for the same 25 pounds or 5000 square feet of lawn. If your lawn is expensive, you might have to spend more.

4. Ryegrass

Ryegrass is generally more demanding in the Pacific Northwest, and this type of grass has a high capacity for growth in the cold region. It can also overcome different types of diseases. These multiple diseases also tend to riddle the grass seeds when the weather is rainy. Mostly, ryegrass prefers to grow where they have agricultural settings, but that does not make them hard to use today. Ryegrass generally germinates faster, and you will see its high quantity in a very short period. Ryegrass is famous for enduring rain and drought, you can take this plant to areas with minimal rainfall.

Cost

Taking the 50-pound bag of ryegrass seed will cost $53, and this capacity of grass seed can cover 10,000 square feet of land. You can also increase the area of the land, and it will cause an increase in the price of the grass seed.

5. Bahiagrass/Centipede

Bahiagrass is native to the deep South or the Gulf Coast. These types of grass can survive drought and warm temperatures throughout the year. The Bahiagrass is very low maintenance and very coarse. This grass grows slowly, and it knows how to survive without nutrients. You can also cut the cost of fertilizers for this lawn and save from spending extra bucks on different nutrient supplements again and again.

Centipede grass has deep roots, is tolerant, and knows how to handle drought. This grass type is highly coarse but can be more, but their high durability and versatility due to which the coarseness decreases a little. This grass can also tolerate sandy soils, and you can find them mostly in the south.

Mostly, professionals and other lawn enthusiasts love the centipede grass. This type of grass is low maintenance, can tolerate acidic soil, and has no dormancy period. You can keep this grass green throughout the year as there is no dormancy period. It is a preferred grass seed over other types of grass due to this amazing feature.

Cost

Bahiagrass costs between $120 to $160 to 25 pounds, and the area is 5,000 square feet. If you want to buy the pellet of this grass, you will have to spend $340 to $385 per pallet. If you want to buy 1 square foot of this grass, it will cost you $0.75 to $0.85 per square foot.

6. Zoysia/Tall Fescue

Zoysia grass is native to the areas known as the transition zone, and they are also present in the central tier of the states from the Atlantic coast west along with Kansas. If you want to make your lawn look healthy and lush green all around the year, you will like Zoysia grass seeds to grow this grass. You don’t have to maintain this grass, as they need little maintenance occasionally. They can tolerate cold temperatures but only to an extent.

Tall fescue tends to tolerate hot weather conditions, and they also can tolerate this high temperature because they have deep roots and get most of their water from underground. Zoysia tend to bear different types of weather; even if it is highly cold or hot, they can grow. This grass can grow and flourish wherever you plant it, and it develops a thick and deep root system to anchor it.

Cost

Zoysia grass seed costs $240 per pellet or 0.55 per square foot. On the other hand, tall fescue costs $160 to $295 per pellet and $0.35 to $0.65 per square foot.

Grass Seed Cost Factors

There are different types of reasons that make grass seeds so expensive, such as:

Grow on Farmland

Grass seeds generally grow on farmland, and the farmers have a lot of work to do with them. These farmers need to get a lot of extra land to grow these seeds along with their other crops. Other crops might be more valuable, but they must find land for these grass seeds. That is why these farmers take high pay, and then the money needed for the land also adds to the total cost of these grass seeds.

Machinery Costs

Another important reason that causes grass seed price increase is the machinery cost. You need to get a lot of special machinery that takes care of this hefty workload and comes in a hefty amount. It would help if you coated these grass seeds; most manufacturers also take a lot of money to manufacture them properly. The shipping cost is another thing that significantly increases the amount of these grass seeds.

How to Save Money Planting Grass

If you want to buy these grass seeds but also want to save some money as you don’t have quite the budget to buy expensive grass seeds, you can do the following things to save more money:

Buy in Bulk

If you want to get a price relaxation in buying these grass seeds, buying them in bulk is one of the best options. You will get a discount when you buy something in bulk, and the overall cost will decrease significantly. If you are working on a new project where you need to plant new grass seed and the area is huge, you will need a lot of seed to make your lawn grow healthy. Buying in bulk is much less expensive. You can also save some if you are not using all the seeds.

Choose the Right Grass Type

You also need to choose the right type of grass to ensure that you are researching the best type of grass, which should also grow in your region. Furthermore, you should not need to spend a lot of money on its maintenance. You can also go with the least expensive option; the cost of seeds differs for different grass seeds. It is not important to get high prices for grass seed. The one thing you should check is to buy grass seeds that are ideal for the region where you live and they have the tolerance to bear the living conditions.

Cut Labor Costs

Paying the manual labor is another cause of increasing these charges. So, if you can learn to do this job by yourself, you can cut the labor cost, which will make a lot of difference in the overall price of the grass seed.

Costs to Seed Your Lawn

Different reasons will define the increase in the grass seed price; the first is the type of grass seed you use. Some grass seed types are expensive, while some are cheap. Another factor is the size of the area where you plan to grow your grass seeds. If the area is large, you will have to spend more and vice versa.

If you have certain patches in your lawn, you will have to renovate it first, and then you can ensure its proper and healthy growth. It is not very expensive; if you know the basics of creating a lawn, you can also do this yourself. This is known as a replacement if you want to replace the entire patch of grass.

Replacement costs much more than renovation and is also a complex procedure. You need to check the soil pH. You also need to check the fertilizer required and then start the procedure. It is better to set a budget even before entering the market. You can make a budget of $90 to $180 per 1000 square feet for creating a new lawn or maintaining an existing lawn with a new type.

Conclusion

Taking care of your lawn is not easy, and you must do a lot of hard work to maintain the lawn. If you start creating your lawn early, then it should be your first priority to select grass seeds for your lawn wisely. It would help if you considered certain characteristics and other grass types to consider which one to buy. You can check this article for useful information and then make a budget for buying the best grass seed.

FAQs

1. Why Are Seeds So Expensive?

The cost of production of the grass seed is very high, you need to choose among the different types of seeds, and all of them cost differently. The cost of machinery, labor, land, and many other things increases the overall cost of grass seeds. There are other costs, including the packaging, labeling, branding, and making it look different from others is another important thing to do.

2. Are Expensive Seeds Better?

According to research, the least expensive seeds have similar characteristics to the other expensive ones. The latest seed industries have become highly regulated and are experts in making the best seeds for perfect grass. Expensive seeds might give your lawn a luxurious and soft look, but buying other seeds will give almost the same look to the lawn.

3. Which Grass Seed Grow Quickly?

If you want grass seeds that grow very quickly and fill your lawn, then select none other than perennial ryegrass. The seeds of this grass germinate in less than 10 days.