Blue Grass of Vermont (not the music)

May 26, 2018 12:46 PM

I bought a 25 pound bag of grass seed to reseed my lawn. It is specialized grass seed for Vermont conditions. I have previously bought this brand before including earlier this spring. When I opened this bag today, half the seeds are coated with something blue that comes off in my hands. The hardware store doesn't know why. The seed company is closed until Tuesday. Is it safe to use? What is causing the blue color? This weekend is prime yard work time. I don't want to wait until Tuesday to seed. Hive mind?
posted by Xurando to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

Often powdered dyes are put into seed to warn people that they are for sowing, not eating.

It likely had some antifugal agents to prevent seed loss and ensure germination, and you don’t want to eat those.

I’d say this is most likely fine.
posted by SaltySalticid at 12:49 PM on May 26, 2018 [3 favorites]

Just a "me too", rather than an answer, but same thing happened to me, except my grass seed had purple/pink powder all over it. I sowed it anyways - figured it was fertilizer or something.
posted by Salvor Hardin at 12:57 PM on May 26, 2018

Yeah, it's just coated in an antifungal/fertiliser blend, possibly with additional chemicals to encourage water absorption or discourage birds from eating it -- Scott's does this, and many other brands do as well.
posted by halation at 1:01 PM on May 26, 2018

The package should be labeled with the specific treatment -- look for a FIFRA notice. Whatever it is, it should be quite safe -- just wash your hands after. Also, the dye makes it easier to see whether you're spreading the seed evenly.
posted by vers at 1:07 PM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]

I buy an organic lawn blend from Fedco in Maine and the clover seeds always have a blue antifungal coating. It's fine.
posted by Gnella at 1:10 PM on May 26, 2018

It probably does imply treatment of some kind, and for that reason I wouldn't use it because of the risk of poisoning birds.
posted by jamjam at 1:14 PM on May 26, 2018

Best answer: ditto. Gramps said they were funny colors so you could keep your eating beans/corn/etc. separate from your seed beans/corn/etc. Weird color is the norm, probably moreso for seeds that are edible-ish.

Aka... they're going to dye it some color no matter what if it has any fertilizer/antifungal/other that makes it unfit for human consumption and if nothing else... it's a marker that means "don't eat me".
posted by zengargoyle at 2:57 PM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]