Gold Tag KBG getting harder to find?

[southern-ct-4]

I had one vendor tell me that fewer companies are getting gold tag tests as it's becoming too costly.

They further told me that (I'm editing slightly so as not to call out the companies in question):

Vendor said "...ABCDEF Seed sent the below explanation of difference between a Sod exam and C&W exam. Seems that the lot of Mazama we have on hand would qualify for a Gold tag. Many companies are not gold tagging now because they have to pay the grower an extra $.20/lb for the whole lot even if only a small portion is sold for sod. If Vista would request a Gold tag for one bag they’d have to pay 20 cents/lb extra for the whole 46,500 lbs in the lot! Let me know if you’re interested in the Mazama with a Blue tag and C&W test."

Vendor quoting the seed company: “The sample size depends on the seed time but the difference is a Sod Exam they are only looking for specific crops and weeds while a Crop and Weed exam looks for ALL crops and weeds. So once you have a crop and weed test on something you can get a sod test approved just based on already having the passed the C&W exam.“"

Does any of this fly with you guys?

I know I went in circles on this last year, but so many of the big seed vendors are telling me the same thing.

They sent me the blue tag and C&W reports showing clean seed, but when I kept pushing for gold tag/sod quality only, the above is what they told me.

Thanks.

[turf_toes]

You can still find gold tag seed. I’d question any vendor who implies otherwise.

Maybe they don’t want to incur that cost. But most of the places some of us buy from sell primarily to golf courses and sod farms. Believe it or not, they’ll sell to homeowners too, if you buy 50 pounds. (That’s what I always do. I use what I need and freeze the rest for later use)

Most of those places are going to insist on gold tag.

[southern-ct-4]

Thanks. I guess what keeps confusing/bugging me is that I'm getting these same types of answers from so many vendors, even those highly recommended on this forum.

I tell the vendor I want a 50 lb bag of gold tag, and I get the run around...

A couple vendors have been great, and do have it, but the vast majority just push back with similar responses.

Oh well...

[Green]

Pawnee Buttes only sells sod certified seed. Try them.

[andy10917]

Many of the "facts" these vendor folks are telling you just aren't true. Having a result that indicates "you would pass the sod test quality process" just isn't so. The extra work and cost is because a significantly larger sample is done for the sod quality test, and each seed in the larger sample is viewed under a microscope. Anyone that says that the standard test is indicative of the results of the scrutiny given by the time-consuming sod test is either clueless or deliberately misrepresenting the process. After one batch of seed introduced Poa Trivialis into my lawn a decade ago and started a 6-7 year battle, I will never use anything but Gold Tag seed again - the cost of the battle was probably $2,000 (for an acre+) and 100+ hours of my time, and a $25 per 50 lbs upcharge would probably have avoided it. I can't overstate how important I think Gold Tags are.

[southern-ct-4]

Green: I spoke with Pawnee and they told me via email that "We talked about gold tags, and sod quality on the phone. Our seed is sod quality. To get certified sod quality you have a 25 gram test done, when the normal test is a 10 gram test. This test must still come back as zero crop, and zero weed to be considered sod quality. We sell some of the best KBG around." They also emailed me a label (in-house, not even blue tag or certified or whatever), which showed .18% crop (0% weed). So while they did talk about "sod quality", it pretty much sounds like they are just calling it that because they can, not because it necessarily is/they have proof that it is, and the definitely didn't have anything gold tag.

Andy: Understood and thank you. I will continue to only search for and purchase bags that are truly gold tag, regardless of whatever a merchant/seed company tells me.

On that note, does anyone here have a verified source for gold tag Mazama?

Thanks again!

[Iowa Jim]

Green: I spoke with Pawnee and they told me via email that "We talked about gold tags, and sod quality on the phone. Our seed is sod quality. To get certified sod quality you have a 25 gram test done, when the normal test is a 10 gram test. This test must still come back as zero crop, and zero weed to be considered sod quality. We sell some of the best KBG around." They also emailed me a label (in-house, not even blue tag or certified or whatever), which showed .18% crop (0% weed). So while they did talk about "sod quality", it pretty much sounds like they are just calling it that because they can, not because it necessarily is/they have proof that it is, and the definitely didn't have anything gold tag.

Andy: Understood and thank you. I will continue to only search for and purchase bags that are truly gold tag, regardless of whatever a merchant/seed company tells me.

On that note, does anyone here have a verified source for gold tag Mazama?

Thanks again!

I bought my mazama last year from long island cauliflower association and i believe it was 0 crop and 0 weed seed. I have heard that cd ford and sons has it also and it is very reasonably priced but not sure of the quality. That will give you two places to check out.

[andy10917]

Zero crop and zero weed seed is NOT the same as Sod Quality - the tests are not equivalent.

[Iowa Jim]

Zero crop and zero weed seed is NOT the same as Sod Quality - the tests are not equivalent.

Think that is close as your going to get with mazama as its pretty new and is a alternative to seed super store.

[Pway]

Many of the "facts" these vendor folks are telling you just aren't true. Having a result that indicates "you would pass the sod test quality process" just isn't so. The extra work and cost is because a significantly larger sample is done for the sod quality test, and each seed in the larger sample is viewed under a microscope. Anyone that says that the standard test is indicative of the results of the scrutiny given by the time-consuming sod test is either clueless or deliberately misrepresenting the process. After one batch of seed introduced Poa Trivialis into my lawn a decade ago and started a 6-7 year battle, I will never use anything but Gold Tag seed again - the cost of the battle was probably $2,000 (for an acre+) and 100+ hours of my time, and a $25 per 50 lbs upcharge would probably have avoided it. I can't overstate how important I think Gold Tags are.

+1000! All the time, water, herbicide, fertilizer, and fungicide costs are way more significant to me than spending a bit more to get Gold Tag. I too will never use anything else again.

[southern-ct-4]

Understood, thanks guys!

[Green]

So, Pawnee Buttes seed is no different than any other 0/0 seed?? I assumed it was a true sod quality, but have not ordered recently, and did not ask all those questions when I called.

I'm pretty certain my Poa Triv came from Blue Tag 0/0 seed, so if you're looking to avoid it, Gold Tag is the way to go.

But who currently has Gold Tag seed? Let alone the cultivars we use? And in small quantities...

Was the Rugby II from Hogan last year Gold Tag? I'm kicking myself...

Another way to avoid Triv is to use TTTF seed. Much less likely according to Stephen at Hogan due to the size/filtering and herbicides used in the seed fields.

[HoosierLawnGnome]

Sod quality is out there. I had this same conversation with a vendor. Keep calling or accept the risk and deal with it.

[Green]

Has anyone here bought Gold Tag seed in the past year? If so, where did you find it?

Does anyone pick their cultivars based primarily on availability of Gold Tag seed? I may have to think about that strategy for the future.

I only buy 0.00 weed / 0.00 other crop Blue tag seed for my main lawn. But it seems to have a good amount of Poa Triv in it. I just pulled out a bunch of small Triv plants. The larger patches are going to need to be killed off.

[southern-ct-4]

Was the Rugby II from Hogan last year Gold Tag? I'm kicking myself...

It was...

[turf_toes]

My buddy across town got 50 pounds of gold tag bewitched in February. I gave him several options. I’d have to ask him which he used.

[Green]

Was the Rugby II from Hogan last year Gold Tag? I'm kicking myself...

It was...

Maybe they'll get more this coming year. I will follow up with them in July to see if they anticipate it.

[Green]

My buddy across town got 50 pounds of gold tag bewitched in February. I gave him several options. I’d have to ask him which he used.

Please and thank you. Bewitched does seem to be one of the more common ones, though.

[Green]

I checked my Rugby II from Pawnee Buttes (which is getting old - I'm testing the germination, and hoping some still works). It didn't say Gold Tag, but it said "sod cert." right on the label. It should be equivalent in terms of the law, even if the testing procedure isn't identical; if it's sod certified, then sod farms can use it.

[Green]

My buddy across town got 50 pounds of gold tag bewitched in February. I gave him several options. I’d have to ask him which he used.

Please and thank you. Bewitched does seem to be one of the more common ones, though.

I got a few lbs. of fresh Bewitched that's in transit to me now. It's Gold Tag and is from United.