Is RTF grass seed a marketing gimmick or does it actuall look like Fescue & work well

Anyone with real-life experience with RTF (Rhizome Tall Fescue) grass seed?

Is RTF grass seed a marketing gimmick or does it actually work (& look good on a front and back hillside lawn with lots of sun but little water so I need it to be drought tolerant).

I bought a 25 pound bag from OSH for 60 dollars but before I use it I was wondering if it works well. The bag contains:

39% Barrera Tall Fescue 29% RTF Barlexas II Tall Fescue 19% TF-66 Tall Fescue 10% RTF Labarinch Tall Fescue

Do you like or dislike the results of RTF Fescue grass seed?

Reply to
Kat
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Useless question; what's needed in minimum to make any response is where you're located.

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Reply to
dpb

Napa, California

I called the RTF "Rhizomatous Tall Fescue" hotline at 800-547-4101 advertised at

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and they gave me the spiel.

They kept saying "it's a new patented" species and "normal fescue isn't patented" and that it grows under any conditions and "repairs itself".

All these are good things 'if' it actually works. I absolutely abhor bermuda grass because the rhizomes will suffocate you given half a chance, so, that's why I'm a bit worried that they will take over the lawn but they said it's just the 'right amount' of rhizomes.

Does anyone have any experience with RTF fescue grasses from Barenbrug Research in the UK

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but grown in Tangent Oregon?

Is it marketing hype or is it actually miracle grass?

Reply to
Kat Rabun

I used RTF to overseed a cemetery plot. I didn't look closely at the results to establish if and how much it can spread via rhizomes, but in general it appeared to perform like other tall fescues. The RTF variety, unlike regular fescues, has some ability to send out rhizomes, but it isn't going to spread aggressively like Zoysia grass. I would not worry about it taking over the yard.

I also seriously doubt that it's a miracle grass. Like anything else, it has tradeoffs. It all depends on what you are looking for: sun/shade, color, texture, spring green up, growth rate, drought tolerance, disease resistance, etc. For most applications, I'd also question whether it's a good idea to have turf consisting of one kind of grass, ie tall fescue. For example, a better choice might be a mix of tall fescue and bluegrass.

Reply to
trader4

What is the percentage of weed seeds? I look for fescue seed that is

99.5% weed free. How well it grows will depend on your climate location and to a lesser extent, when you plant. I use Rebel Supreme for overseeding, about $100 for a 50# bag. A mix is better than one kind of seed. Use a "starter" fertilizer which is not quite as harsh as regular fertilizer on seed/seedlings.
Reply to
Phisherman

They're lying to you. It's a marketing gimmick. So is the weed percentage.

The advice on the weed is useless because every bag you find at a hardware store will be 99% weed free anyway, so don't base your decison on useless criteria.

It's MARKETING BS! None of the grasses listed exist in the grass database

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The ONLY way to pick grass is to pick known TESTED grass (tested by NTEP)
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Use NTEP to find a variety for your soil and use a tested variety only!

Reply to
Arnold

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