The annual grass seed harvest has begun in Oregon. Oregon is the largest grass-producing area in the world, and a majority of the seed available in the United States is grown in an area known as the Willamette Valley in Oregon. This area has the ideal weather to grow grass and helps to ensure we get the most consistent harvests year after year. Some varieties of high-quality cool-season grass seed can be grown in Washington, Idaho, Minnesota, and Southern Canada as well. The majority of the products that Advanced Turf Solutions sells come directly from the Willamette Valley of Oregon, the grass seed hub of the world.
Like many other crops, grass seed is harvested once a year, usually beginning in late June or early July. The process is quite involved. The fields are cut and swathed into windrows when the plants and seed heads begin to dry naturally in the field to a specific moisture content. The grass is left to sit in the windrows to dry more for a few days before it is collected using a special combine harvester. Once harvested, the seed is taken to a cleaner where the chaff, or non-seed portion of the plant, is removed from the harvested seed. The cleaning process also can remove weed seeds and light seeds that are not likely to germinate. The cleaning process can be very time-consuming. Once cleaned, the seed is then subjected to purity and germination testing. These tests can take over a month to complete. Once the seed tests are complete, the seed can then be blended, bagged, and sent to our customers. Typically, seed purchased from July through September will actually be from the previous year’s harvest, because of all the intricacies of the harvest and cleaning cycle. This is good news for our customers because seed can actually improve in germination percentage after it is harvested. This is one case where asking for the newest product is not in your best interest. Seed harvested in the previous year or two will typically outperform newly harvested seed when it comes to germination percentage and general speed of its establishment.
At Advanced Turf, we strive to have the best quality seed possible. This means not only great purity and germination but also the best varieties available on the market, selected for our specific area. We monitor the harvest and crop quality closely to ensure we have an ample supply to fill your needs. This year’s seed harvest looks very good from a production volume standpoint. The quality is yet to be seen and we will know more shortly as the seed is cleaned and tested. There are very good supplies of pretty much everything at this point. With this said, it is always a good idea to make arrangements for your fall seed purchase as soon as possible to ensure you will have what you need when you need it. Please contact your sales representative with any questions you may have.
