"But wait, there's more .... and if you act now ..." We have all seen these ads. Most are bunk but some seem enticing anyways. One which has peaked my interest this time of year (planting season) is Grassology. So I started looking at reviews and other information. I found this site which seems to review nothing but "As Seen On TV" ads. It is highya. Check the site out. It seems to cover all categories of commercial advertised products including dating sites, the pocket hose, and is just not only the "But wait, there's more .... and if you act now ..." offer prompts.
It might be just what you need in Texas. Apparently it's not for shady areas. I have Zoisia in my sunny spots and I love it, but the shady spots are pitiful. I've been introducing Mondo Grass in those areas, but it's painfully slow to watch the progress. Let us know how the Grassology turns out.
My grandma used to buy stuff on those infomercials all the time, then she'd sell the "extra" one at full cost to a friend. So she had tons of stuff for free.
"But wait, there's more .... and if you act now ..." We have all seen these ads. Most are bunk but some seem enticing anyways. One which has peaked my interest this time of year (planting season) is Grassology. So I started looking at reviews and other information. I found this site which seems to review nothing but "As Seen On TV" ads. It is highya. Check the site out. It seems to cover all categories of commercial advertised products including dating sites, the pocket hose, and is just not only the "But wait, there's more .... and if you act now ..." offer prompts.
Any forum member thoughts on Grassology ?
a. If you want to try it, understand that $15/lb = $750 for a 50lb bag. I don't pay anywhere near that much for some of the most high priced grass seeds available. b. What are you actually buying? Ask what the seed content mixture really is. I suspect their representative won't tell you over the phone. Go to walmart and read the tag--by law, the ingredients have to be listed on any seed products. From what I have read, it is a mix of the following: They are creeping "red fescue, hard fescue, tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, Chewings fescue, sheep fescue and perennial ryegrass". How much of it is perenial rygrass, I don't know, but it will require allowing to grow tall at some point and seed out for it to return the next year. (I planted some here for pasture instead of annual ryegrass.) It does not spread by stolons or rhizomes so it has to produce seeds to reproduce for next year's growth and regrowth.
This is a mix of "fine fescues" for the most part, tho again, I don't know the specific ratio of the mix.
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Hard fescue (Festuca longifolia or duriuscula) is gaining wider use due to its better heat tolerance, relative to the other fine fescues. This better tolerance to warm summer conditions makes it especially well suited to use in the Front Range of Colorado. As with the other fine fescues, hard fescue performs best with minimal nitrogen fertilization and when soil is kept on the drier side (but supplemental irrigation IS required to keep a good hard fescue lawn in Colorado). This is a bunch grass, so uniform seeding at establishment is essential for obtaining a good quality lawn.
Chewings fescue (Festuca rubra subp. commutata), named after George Chewings of New Zealand (who discovered and first sold the seed of this species in the late 1800s), is typical of the fine fescues in that it possesses excellent shade tolerance. It has a darker green color and very fine texture, resulting in a very good quality turf. This species does not creep, so uniform seeding is essential.
Creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra subp. rubra) is a creeping fine fescue (has rhizomes) that has been used in shady lawn seed mixtures for years (‘Pennlawn’ was commonly used a number of years ago). A “common type” (possessing lesser turf qualities), grown in large amounts in Canada is sold in lower quality, less expensive seed mixes (sometimes called ‘Boreal’ in these mixes),. Improved cultivars, sometimes referred to as “strong creeping red fescue”, are produced in the Pacific Northwest, with a few being imported from Europe.
Slender creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra subp. litoralis) produces rhizomes, but is not as vigorous a grower as (strong) creeping red fescue. These fescues are tolerant of lower mowing heights, which can allow their use in golf course fairways. However, the biggest advantage of fine fescues in this grouping lies in their generally good to excellent salinity tolerance. This makes them attractive for use where deicing salts are aggressively used. Their fine texture and compatible color allow them to be mixed with alkaligrass (Puccinellia distans). ‘Fults’ is the most commonly planted alkaligrass variety) for use on salty soils.
Sheep fescue (Festuca ovina), sometimes called “blue sheep fescue” is generally used in lower maintenance lawns, performing especially well in infrequently- or un-mowed, naturalized lawn areas. They are long-lived bunch grasses that mix well with wildflowers, without dominating them. Some sheep fescues have been developed to produce a blue-green or glaucous green color (Azay Blue, SR3200), while others are more powder blue or “flat” blue in color (Azay, Quatro).
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Fine Fescue The fine fescues are among the most complex groups of turfgrass species, comprising at least five different types. Hard fescue, Chewings fescue, (blue) sheep fescue, creeping red fescue and slender creeping red fescue are the five species or subspecies. Although all are fescues, they differ both in appearance and where they are most effectively used. In general, this group of grasses performs well in the cooler, more temperate climates of the world (including cool, maritime locations). In North America, the fine fescues do well where most cool-season turfgrasses are used. The relative advantages and disadvantages of using the fine fescues for turf are as follows:
Advantages
+ quick germination (but may establish slowly) + fine leaf texture + high leaf density + prefers low nitrogen fertility + tolerates poor (rocky, sandy, clay) soil conditions + drought resistant (but will go dormant) + moderate to very good salt tolerance (6-10 mmhos/cm) + good to very good shade tolerance + very cold tolerant + EXCELLENT high elevation/mountain grass
Disadvantages
- moderate wear tolerance (NOT for constant high traffic areas) - slower to recuperate from traffic injury - can become thatchy - may be difficult to mow (lodges; "tough" leaves) - may go dormant during extended (1-2 weeks) heat (90s +) - some are susceptible to red thread, leafspot, and dollarspot
It also has (according to my research) and contains Ky bluegrass of an unknown ratio:
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Qualities Kentucky bluegrass is a cool-season grass that grows best during the fall, winter, and spring months when temperatures are cool. Its growth slows during the warm summer months. Kentucky bluegrass prefers full sun, but will tolerate some shade. This species is used widely throughout the U.S. where it is well adapted, but it has a poor summer performance in California in areas with warm to hot temperatures. When stressed by temperatures, lack of water, or poor soils, Kentucky bluegrass can be susceptible to disease and weed invasion. For a more disease resistant turf that offers good color and year-round performance, Kentucky bluegrass is often mixed with perennial ryegrass. Usually 2 or more cultivars of each species are used and it is recommended that at least 15% of the mixture is perennial ryegrass.
Identifying tips A dark-green, medium-textured turf. The new leaves are folded in the bud, there are no auricles, and a short, membranous ligule is present. The leaf blades have a boat-shaped tip; the sides of the blades are parallel, giving a stiff appearance. This species spreads by underground rhizomes that can self-repair injured, worn, or damaged spots. Kentucky bluegrass produces a dense turf.
Maintenance Moderate to high maintenance. It can tolerate cold winters but has a relatively low tolerance for heat and is only moderately drought tolerant. During the summer months if stressed for water, Kentucky bluegrass can go dormant. It has moderate wear tolerance, recovering quickly from some abuse.
And, perennial ryegrass. (perennial means it comes back year after year)
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Qualities Perennial ryegrass is a very competitive cool-season grass, best adapted to coastal regions that have moderate temperatures throughout the year. It prefers full sun but will tolerate partial shade. Perennial ryegrass has the highest wear-tolerance of any cool-season grass and can tolerate high traffic. It is often used around homes, schools, and parks. Because it germinates quickly, it is often used for overseeding winter-dormant bermudagrass lawns. Its rapid emergence helps to suppress weeds. For a more traffic and disease-resistant turf, it is often mixed with Kentucky bluegrass.
Identifying tips A fine-textured, rich green grass with the leaf folded in the bud. Leaf margins are parallel, the back of the leaf is shiny, and the tips of the leaf blades are tapered. The collar usually has outgrowths (auricles) that clasp the stem. Ryegrass may form clumps where marginally adapted. There are no rhizomes or stolons. Perennial ryegrass has a bunchgrass-type growth habit.
Maintenance Moderate to high maintenance. It has a moderately low tolerance for heat, shade, and drought and a high tolerance for cold temperatures.
Planting and management tips Turf adaptations and tolerances table Grass species and key
And now you know.............
[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 04-03-2014).]
My pocket hose burst - it only took my wife a month to have food stick to the magic ceramic pan and the lawn plugs in the box I ordered a few years back arrived as a pile of dead grass. Good luck --- BUT if Bob Villa says it's good how can you go wrong
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