Why is Grass Seed So Expensive? {10 Undeniable Reasons}

Published Categorized as Lawn Care
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Whether you want to establish a new lawn or overseed a yard with bare patches, grass seed is vital. Although grass is plentiful, it’s surprising to know that the seeds can be expensive. So, why is grass seed so expensive? Here are the ten undeniable reasons grass seed costs so much.

Grass seed is so expensive because of the type of grass seed, drought, inflation, production expenses, and time costs. Additionally, grass seed costs so much due to regional restrictions on which turf to grow and mixed seed bags. Other factors include grass seed supply shortages, increased seed demand, and decreased pollination rates.

Why is Grass Seed So Expensive This Year? (Top 10 Reasons)

Why is Grass Seed So Expensive

Here are the top ten reasons why grass seed is so expensive this year, irrespective of where you live:

1. Types of grass

There are various types of grass, and each directly influences how expensive its seeds are. Some are easier to maintain, more durable, and better-looking than others, making them more expensive.

2. Drought

Seeding companies require more water, expensive machinery, and more time to produce grass seeds during drought. All these increase the price of grass seed.

3. Seed supply shortages

There has been a grass seed shortage in 2023. Therefore, producers are hiking the seed prices to retain their profit margins.

4. Regional restrictions

Regional restrictions regarding the turf type you can grow make grass seed expensive. For instance, it’s difficult for warm-season grass to grow in winter climates. So, those selling the cool-season grass in wintery regions charge as high as they’d like.

5. Inflation

The recent inflation is undoubtedly increasing the prices of water, fertilizer, gasoline, manual labor, land and property taxes, and shipping. So, grass seed is getting more expensive due to the increased price of these variables.

6. Production costs

You require a significant amount of labor, land, fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides to produce healthy and enough grass seeds. All these make the seeds costly.

7. Increasing grass seed demand

When more clients want to buy grass seeds, seeding companies increase prices. This increase in demand happens mostly during spring when homeowners prepare their properties for summer.

8. Time costs

Planting, growing, harvesting, and extracting grass seeds may take one to two years. This length of grass production time adds to the costs of seeds.

9. Decreased pollination rates

Grass requires various insects to pollinate it for it to germinate. Due to climate change and chemicals used on grass, there has been a short supply of bees and butterflies. This results in a shortage of grass seeds, high demand, and expensive seeds.

10. Mixtures of seed

If you want to add life, detail, and characterization to your lawn, you’ll buy mixtures containing different seed types. This mixture will be more costly than one seed type.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Why is centipede grass seed so expensive?

A: Centipede grass seed is expensive as it can tolerate drought and resist more UV rays. Besides, this grass seed requires little maintenance and maintains its attractive light-green color for prolonged periods.

Q: Why is Bermuda grass seed so expensive?

A: One bag of Bermuda grass seeds costs approximately $35, which is costly. The main reason is that tons of seeds (about 2,300,000) are in that bag. Remember, the production of these seeds requires a significant amount of labor and land.

Q: Why is Zoysia grass seed so expensive?

A: Zoysia grass is more expensive as the seeds are developed using modern, costly breeding technology. The seed is also hardy, shade-tolerant, and can resist insects and diseases.

Q: Why is buffalo grass seed so expensive?

A: Buffalo grass seed is costly as it’s naturally durable and can resist drought and diseases. Additionally, it is ideal for varied weather and soil conditions, and you can use it for residential and commercial purposes.

Wrapping It Up

The grass is plentiful across the United States. For this reason, many homeowners question why grass seed is so expensive.

Well, the seed is costly due to factors like the type of grass seed, drought, inflation, production expenses, and time costs. Also, the seed is expensive due to regional restrictions, mixed seed bags, supply shortages, and increased demand.

Besides, decreased pollination rate is another factor that makes seed so costly.