Johnsons Lawn Seed calls on retailers to shed light on what suppliers put in their seed mix

Johnsons lawn seed offer a wide range of products for every type of lawn. Photo Credit: Daniel Watson

Many boxes on the shelf for the 2022 season are filled with different lawn seed mixes to that purchased in 2021, creating a dent in consumer confidence

Retail

21 April 2022

Lawn seed supplier, Johnsons Lawn Seed, has issued a rallying call to the garden retail sector to shed new light on what some suppliers are placing in their lawn seed box; the contents of which have the potential to dent consumer confidence.

There is no question that supply chain issues have impacted all corners of the garden retail sector, with many imported lawn seed suppliers also hit hard. Johnsons Lawn Seed said it has since “become apparent that some suppliers are cutting corners to ensure stock availability with little regards for the quality of the product on sale.”

Johnsons Lawn Seed consumer manager, Guy Jenkins, said: “Many boxes on the shelf for the 2022 season are filled with different lawn seed mixes to that purchased in 2021, leaving gardeners with a totally different appearance and growth habit. Estanzuela ryegrass is the perfect example of this. Cheaper and easier to obtain, it is being used to bulk out traditional lawn seed mixes, however as an agricultural annual ryegrass this seed will create a sharp carpet of grass when mown, grows exponentially fast and has an average life span of 18 months. Adding this to existing lawns is going to cause lawn owners endless amounts of headaches and will make many brands enemies for life.

“The same principle is also seeing wildflower mixtures being added, which, again, is going to cause nothing but issues for anyone reseeding, patching or starting a new lawn.”

Johnsons Lawn Seed is asking retailers to carefully look at the products they are stocking and to ask more questions of suppliers to ensure quality is consistent.

Guy added: “At Johnsons Lawn Seed all our products have been developed as part of an extensive R&D and breeding programme. Working with our parent company, DLF Seeds Ltd, we can develop the correct balance and blends of the highest quality lawn seed.

“Our Green Lawn Technology features tetraploid ryegrass, whereas our previous formula only featured a diploid variety. Tetraploid ryegrasses have three times as much energy as ordinary seeds and are quicker to establish, deep-rooting and more tolerant to stress compared to diploids due to the increased number of chromosomes per cell in the grass plant.

“As a result, retailers can be assured that every single seed that fills its boxes has been carefully researched, evolved and selected by a dedicated team of experts, with no substitutes added. We proudly do not, nor will we ever, cut corners so if retailers are looking for a brand they can trust in, then look no further than Johnsons Lawn Seed.”