What is Smart Start seed coating?

Smart Start^™is a seed coating technology used on selected ProSelect grass seed products.

It is designed to help maintain moisture close to the seed during germination while also positioning selected micronutrients around the developing seedling.

What is Smart Start?

Smart Start coats each seed with a biodegradable polymer that can absorb and retain available moisture.

Smart Start logo

When the coated seed comes into contact with rainfall or irrigation, the polymer absorbs water and expands around the seed. This creates a localized moisture-rich environment during germination.

The coating also contains iron, zinc and manganese, positioning these micronutrients close to the developing seedling during early establishment.

How does Smart Start manage moisture?

Grass seed needs consistent access to moisture during germination.

Once hydrated, the Smart Start polymer holds some of the available water close to the seed rather than allowing it to move immediately into the surrounding rootzone.

This does not remove the need for irrigation, but it helps manage the immediate moisture environment around the seed between watering events.

Why does moisture around the seed matter?

A newly sown seed initially depends on conditions within a very small area around it.

If this area dries too quickly during germination, establishment can be disrupted. Maintaining moisture close to the seed helps provide more consistent conditions during this sensitive stage.

Smart Start is therefore designed to work alongside good seedbed preparation, seed-to-soil contact and irrigation management.

What else does the Smart Start coating provide?

In addition to the water-absorbing polymer, Smart Start contains:

• Iron
• Zinc
• Manganese

These micronutrients are positioned close to the seed so they are present in the immediate area as the seedling begins to develop.

Seed coated with Smart Start

The coating also gives treated seed its distinctive blue color, making it easier to identify in the bag and see during application.

Where does Smart Start fit into turf establishment?

SmartStart is designed to support the early stages of establishment by helping manage moisture immediately around the seed.

It does not compensate for poor establishment conditions. Suitable soil temperatures, good seed-to-soil contact, appropriate irrigation and subsequent turf management remain essential.

Its role is specific: to help create a more consistent moisture environment around the seed while positioning selected micronutrients close to the developing seedling.

ProSelect products featuring Smart Start

Selected ProSelect products are supplied with Smart Start already applied to the seed.

Products featuring Smart Start can be identified by the Smart Start icon on relevant product pages.