Overall, across species in the Willamette Valley, things look very good, but we need a wet second half of May and a timely rain in June or our yield potential will go downhill in a hurry.
Basin/ La Grande/Madras:Te Columbia Basin looks good for the most part so far. Most of the basin also had a very mild winter, allowing stands to slowly put on growth through most of the winter. Some varieties of bluegrass (namely midnight types) require very cold winters to vernalize well, and there is potential the mild winter will adversely affect these types. Winter and early spring precipitation was greater than normal in the south basin, giving this production a strong start to spring green-up. Irrigation has been in full swing since the end of March, and the perennial ryegrass in this area is looking strong for yield potential. Northeastern Oregon is starting to look below average for yield potential. Tis area of the state has been extremely dry, and while the majority of this production is irrigated, a lot of it is not under center pivots, and it is more difficult to keep up with irrigation in an abnormally dry year. Central Oregon production looks good, and their water availability for irrigating is better than it has been in recent years.
Dryland:Tis area has been dry, and older stands are looking very poor. As of mid-May, they were forecasted to get some precipitation in the coming week, but if this materializes, it probably won’t put them above anything more than average.
Minnesota: It is still early to tell, but it looks like there could be greater than average winter kill of perennial ryegrass acres in this region. Te lack of snow cover on fields combined with below-freezing temperatures has producers in this region worried.
Market Outlook Provided by Nancy Aerni, TMI Vice President Usage:We are seeing usage return to pre-Covid-19 levels. People are traveling once again, and their lawns and homes—which received minimal attention during those difficult times—are looking better than they have in years. At the same time, many homeowners have gained a deeper understanding of the importance of overseeding, fertilizing, and overall property maintenance. Tere is now a stronger desire to keep properties looking good year-round.
However, new housing starts and building permits in the U.S. are down compared to a year ago and significantly below 2022 levels, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (
census.gov.) In addition, natural disasters—wildfires, flooding, and hurricanes—have devastated some regions. Our hearts go out to all those affected by these tragic events.
Suz Trusty is co-editor of . Photos for this article are provided courtesy of the supplier.
Pricing: Producing Sod Quality seed demands significant attention and care in the production fields. While weather conditions have generally been favorable across most growing areas, labor remains a persistent challenge. Some automated technologies are being developed to detect and eliminate off- types of grasses, but the reality is that most premium fields still require manual rogueing to achieve the world’s highest mechanical quality.
As a result, pricing for Sod Quality seeded turfgrass is expected to soften slightly, but not significantly—with the exception of Elite Kentucky Bluegrass, which is projected to remain stable. Other quality turfgrass varieties may see price reductions due to carryover inventories. However, it's important to note that these lower-priced options typically lack the top-end performance and mechanical quality of higher-grade varieties.
Looking Ahead: Uncertainty looms for the grass seed industry as tariffs and international trade dynamics begin to impact the global market. Te U.S. exports hundreds of thousands of pounds of cool-season grass seed around the world, including to other major producing countries. Notably, China remains a key importer of U.S.-grown grass seed.
Currently, many companies are racing to secure space on container vessels to ensure deliveries reach destinations like China before potential tariff changes take effect. Trade policy shifts could have far-reaching implications for pricing and supply chains.
As the late Stephen Hawking once said, “Only time will tell what the future holds.”
TPI Turf News July/August 2025
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