# Can grass seed die?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-grass-seed-die/305031>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 23, 2005, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-grass-seed-die/305031 "2005-05-23T02:00:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-grass-seed-die/305031/1 "2005-05-23T02:00:21Z")

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If a bag of grass seed just sits for months or years at a time, can the seed die? Does the DNA just stop being dormant and rot away?

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2005, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-grass-seed-die/305031/2 "2005-05-23T02:22:12Z")

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[Maintaining Seed Viability in Storage: A brief review of management principles](http://www.seedlab.oscs.orst.edu/Page_Technical_Brochures/MaintainingSeedViabilityInStorage.htm)

Stored properly, some seeds remain viable for over 100 years. There are reports of seeds, lasting much longer; 1,200 year old Sacred Lotus seeds from China for example, but claims like that can be difficult to authenticate.

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-grass-seed-die/305031/3 "2005-06-12T15:30:11Z")

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[After 2,000 Years, a Seed From Ancient Judea Sprouts](http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/12/international/middleeast/12palm.html?)

> [@](#):
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> Israeli doctors and scientists have succeeded in germinating a date seed nearly 2,000 years old.
> 
> The seed, nicknamed Methuselah, was taken from an excavation at Masada, the cliff fortress where, in A.D. 73, 960 Jewish zealots died by their own hand, rather than surrender to a Roman assault.

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**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-grass-seed-die/305031/4 "2005-06-12T18:35:03Z")

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I seem to remember that a little less than half of a bag of grass seen will no longer be viable, after a year, if it just sits on the shelf.

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-grass-seed-die/305031/5 "2005-06-12T19:16:52Z")

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Despite rare tales of seeds germinating after thousands of years, grass seed is quite perishable. In most states, retailers who end the year with a supply of unsold grass seed need to have it tested for viability the following Spring before they are allowed to sell it. A certain percentage is allowed to die, but below some level of viability, they must discard the seed. (Generally, grass seed will carry from one year to the next, but it is not an indefinite process.)