The label

The one-pound line

Updated October 2026

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Under a pound, at or above standard Under a pound, below standard Over a pound, always So the same seed gets two or three labels The line is weight, not volume Which means weighing, not estimating And it is the federal line References

One pound is a regulatory boundary drawn through your range, and most seed packets sit on one side of it.

Under a pound, at or above standard

Vegetable seed in containers of one pound or less whose germination equals or betters the standard in 7 CFR 201.31 need not be labeled to show the percentage of germination and date of test. That is the common garden seed packet, and it is why most of them do not show a percentage.

Under a pound, below standard

The words "Below Standard" clearly shown in a conspicuous place on the label or on the face of the container, in type no smaller than 8 points, plus the percentage of germination and the percentage of hard seed if any. A different label entirely.

Over a pound, always

Each variety of vegetable seed in containers of more than one pound is labeled to show the percentage of germination and the percentage of hard seed if any, with no standard-dependent exception, plus a lot number.

So the same seed gets two or three labels

A packet, a half-pound pouch and a five-pound bag of one variety are three different printing jobs under this rule. Deciding the range up front means designing one template with a known set of variants.

The line is weight, not volume

Which matters because the catalog measures containers in milliliters. Seed density varies enormously between a lettuce and a bean, so the same jar is under the line for one crop and over it for another.

Which means weighing, not estimating

Fill the jar the way production will fill it and weigh the seed. That is the only way to know which side of the line a given container and crop combination falls on, and the answer changes the label.

And it is the federal line

State seed laws run alongside the Federal Seed Act, which reaches interstate commerce. A sale within one state can answer to different requirements, so the one-pound reading here is the federal one.

References

7 CFR 201.29 and 201.29a. Vegetable seed in containers of 1 pound or less that equals or betters the 201.31 standard need not show the germination percentage or date of test; below standard it carries "Below Standard" conspicuously in type no smaller than 8 points plus the percentage and hard seed. Over 1 pound, every variety shows the germination percentage and hard seed. law.cornell.edu

7 U.S.C. 1571, the Federal Seed Act’s prohibited acts. Subsection (b) sets the label content for vegetable seed by container weight and by whether germination meets the established standard; subsection (c) sets the five-month test window and lets the Secretary designate a longer period for seed "packaged in such container materials and under such other conditions" as will maintain viability. law.cornell.edu

7 CFR 201.25 and 201.30b. Vegetable seed in packets and larger containers is labeled with the required information in any form that is clearly legible, any tag securely attached, and additional information is allowed provided it is not misleading. Containers over 1 pound also carry a lot number or other lot identification. law.cornell.edu

Written from federal statute and regulation, not from a seed bench. Every state also runs its own seed law, and the Federal Seed Act reaches interstate commerce, so a local sale can answer to a different set of requirements. Nothing here certifies a package as hermetically sealed; that is a question about the package and the sealing process.