[w0lfe]

Alright, so I'm a warm season grass guy, mostly due to location but I have about a 300 sq ft section that is under pretty thick shade. So I'm tired of it just being strictly dirt and blowing dust everywhere when it's windy, and have decided to plant some fescue or other shade grass. Before I decided to do this, I had already applied some pre-emergent but it should be wearing off soon. I would prefer to do it by seed, so would it be best if I just spread a certain type of fescue and lightly cover it with some topsoil or compost?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I use peat moss. relatively inexpensive, Easy to spread with a household dust pan. Knits together after wetting. helps hold moisture once wetted and kept wet. Changes color to indicate when it's good and wet or getting dry. Get the soil good and moist before seeding so the peat moss holds the moisture in.

 

[MarkAguglia]

I use peat moss. relatively inexpensive, Easy to spread with a household dust pan. Knits together after wetting. helps hold moisture once wetted and kept wet. Changes color to indicate when it's good and wet or getting dry. Get the soil good and moist before seeding so the peat moss holds the moisture in.

I second this. I seeded many spots with TTTF, several large areas, and used peat moss to top dress. It works excellent for the reasons above.

 

[w0lfe]

TTTF?

 

[social port]

Yes, TTTF has much between color than ky 31. I suppose that if the area is very heavily shaded, you should also consider fine fescue.

 

[w0lfe]

Yeah I guess I need to do my research. I wasn't familiar with any of those different types. I do like fine bladed grass, so some type of fine fescue would be nice

 

[social port]

Absent additional information, I'd recommend something like this:
Since it's only 300 sqft, my suggestion is to start with TTTF. If it germinates and survives, stick with it (TTTF usually needs reseeding annually). If the TTTF doesn't work out, transition to fine fescue. You will be getting relatively fine blades with both options.

 

[w0lfe]

Absent additional information, I'd recommend something like this:
Since it's only 300 sqft, my suggestion is to start with TTTF. If it germinates and survives, stick with it (TTTF usually needs reseeding annually). If the TTTF doesn't work out, transition to fine fescue. You will be getting relatively fine blades with both options.

Thank you very much

 

[social port]

I've seen plenty of people use fine fescues when they have trees that lead to large areas being heavily shaded. I'm not familiar with the criteria for deciding when an area is too shaded for TTTF to thrive...but I think you'll be happier with TTTF if you can grow it.

 

[w0lfe]

So would it be best to look at buying just TTTF seed, or trying to find some of the scott's or pennington stuff that home depot or someone has?

 

[Sinclair]

So would it be best to look at buying just TTTF seed, or trying to find some of the scott's or pennington stuff that home depot or someone has?

I would strongly caution against using commercial big-box store shade seed blends. There could be some nasties in there.

As others have said, if you can get TTTF established it will provide much better quality over a shade mix with creeping red and other low input fescues.

 

[social port]

1) You might want to give the NTEP data from 2012 a look. http://www.ntep.org/reports/tf12/tf12_15-4/tf12_15-4.htm
OK is included as a location studied. If you identify 8 or so cultivars that perform well, then you can look online for a source (e.g., Hogan's, SuperSeedStore). You can then order a blend of 2-3 cultivars based on availability.

2) Or even simpler: Give Hogan Seed Company a call. Tell them your location and that you are looking for a shade tolerant TTTF for 300 sq ft of your yard. I'll be willing to bet that they will have a recommendation.

3) I can't believe I am saying this, but you might also want to consider a warm season alternative. I've read that St. Aug can do well in shade, but I don't know enough to advise on St. Aug. or other warm season alternatives.

 

[w0lfe]

1) You might want to give the NTEP data from 2012 a look. http://www.ntep.org/reports/tf12/tf12_15-4/tf12_15-4.htm
OK is included as a location studied. If you identify 8 or so cultivars that perform well, then you can look online for a source (e.g., Hogan's, SuperSeedStore). You can then order a blend of 2-3 cultivars based on availability.

2) Or even simpler: Give Hogan Seed Company a call. Tell them your location and that you are looking for a shade tolerant TTTF for 300 sq ft of your yard. I'll be willing to bet that they will have a recommendation.

3) I can't believe I am saying this, but you might also want to consider a warm season alternative. I've read that St. Aug can do well in shade, but I don't know enough to advise on St. Aug. or other warm season alternatives.

Thanks for the website, I'm going to run by eckroat seed today since it's relatively close, and see what they suggest as well.. I'm worried about adding any other warm season to my lawn. I really don't want anything creeping into my Bermuda, if that makes sense.

 

[social port]

It does make sense. TTTF won't creep, so no worries there. But avoid any cultivar tagged LS (lateral spread), just to be safe.

 

[w0lfe]

Alright, eckroat seed had a mix called Endo that's a mix of three different tall fescues. He said it would thrive in the shade. I can't remember what the 3 were exactly, but one he said was Memphis, I believe.

 

[social port]

I'm not familiar with the cultivar, but local experts carry weight, in my opinion.

Just make sure that you're at 0.00 percent for both weed AND crop/other crop in the analysis of the bag's content.

 

[w0lfe]

So I called back to see what the 3 were to be exact, and they were Memphis, Marrakech, and Serengeti

 

[social port]

Memphis has been used in NTEP. It is difficult to evaluate. I will say that it would not be my first choice for the southeast.

But for OK...the performance looks about average relative to other types of fescue--at least in Stillwater. Not top of the class, but not bad either.
I'm not familiar with the other two.
In general, it doesn't look like fescue enjoys the success that it has in other regions. Ironically, you may need that shade for the fescue to have its best performance.

But FYI, I am doing a lot of interpreting and speculating here. I would be curious to know how this seeding turns out for you.

 

[440mag]

So would it be best to look at buying just TTTF seed, or trying to find some of the scott's or pennington stuff that home depot or someone has?

I would strongly caution against using commercial big-box store shade seed blends. There could be some nasties in there. . . .

Heed ... this ... caution ... !

I've pretty much hijacked at least 1, probably 2, threads herein withinlast couple days lamenting the travails I am undergoing with some pretty noxious and very difficult grassy weeds. I've been completely baffled until - going back through my journal for 2017 and the light bulb exploded over my head about 30-minutes ago when I saw I used some of that "off the shelf" bagged and "blended" stuff and, you guessed it, THE ONLY PLACES WHERE I AM FINDING THESE WEEDS (after wining the war and the battle last year) are where I spread that stuff.

I have got to get it through my thick head to just keep sourcing my seed only from our local SiteOne. Or, after this experience, I may just jump in and order online (from Hodge's, IIRC).

 

[w0lfe]

Alright so a little over a month later, I've got this stuff growing pretty well in decent shade. It's starting to stay in the upper 80s to 90 almost every day, so I've been putting the water to it and it's growing on in. I've got some bare spots in the middle due to some heavy rain washing seeds around initially and also from me just randomly throwing seeds down and missing spots. So now my question is, when should I start mowing this and at what height? Should I maintain that height throughout the season? Summer? Fall? Winter? Like I said, I'm new to fescue completely.