Rhizomatous Tall Fescue grass seed - best place to buy?

dappledshade

Just this really!

There are a few sites online that sell the seed but it isn’t cheap because it’s a particularly good type for withstanding drought, some shade and heavy traffic.

I guess you get what you pay for when it comes to grass seed… i’ve usually bought cheap and cheerful in the past and I have to say it has not served me well at all, so it’s time to buy something a bit better and her property!

Background: I am re-seeding some bare, muddy patches in my lawn following too much rain and probably not great mowing technique over the past few months after it was laid. There is no compaction by the way and it has been very free draining.

Has anybody had any good experiences with an online supplier in particular please? Many thanks.

AnniD

*Bump* 

GardenerSuze

@dappledshade There is an excellent on line company called Lawnsmith perhaps they could help. Also lots of info on lawn care. I used their lawn feed last year and from now on will use nothing else.

Fairygirl

What do you mean by 'not great mowing technique'? Most people aren't really mowing over winter.  If you're constantly cutting too short, that certainly won't help either

dappledshade

Fairygirl said:

What do you mean by 'not great mowing technique'? Most people aren't really mowing over winter.  If you're constantly cutting too short, that certainly won't help either

I didn’t mow during the winter, but I think our push lawnmower was a bit rough on our new ish lawn back in May, when it wouldn’t stop raining and the grass wasn’t yet sitting enough. 

dappledshade

Thanks @GardenerSuze I shall investigate.
And @AnniD for bumping ☺️

Alchemist

A1 lawn. Was suggest by a lawn care expert in this forum a few years ago. They know their stuff and are only a phone call away. 

Fairygirl

Have you got a photos of the site @dappledshade?
Unless you're wanting absolute perfection in terms of a lawn, most problems can be solved fairly easily, without the expense of these companies   
The way you use the lawn is also a major factor. If you need to be on it all year round, it may not be worth having at all. If it's shady as well, that just adds to the difficulty.
If your mower was chewing up the grass, it's the mower that probably needs attention, but certainly - if you were cutting too soon, that won't have helped. If the site was properly prepped, the ground shouldn't have been spongy weather  - regardless of rainfall.
We would never be able to have lawns up here at all if rain was going to be a problem.

dappledshade

It’s sunny, but there was an unprecedented amount of rain over spring and summer 2021 when it was laid, so it never really got off to the best start.
It never received the sun it needed, because there wasn’t sun to be had sadly.
The ground was very well prepared, from scratch.

We definitely mowed too soon, but the grass was also maybe too finely bladed? The worst bits are the entry and exit points to the lawn, which is where the grass area is narrower, so worse footfall there too.

Have now laid stepping stones, which I actually rather like, despite thinking I would hate having them!

No intention to use any expensive company by the way, just where to buy the seed really.

Fairygirl

I live in an area which is officially the wettest part of the UK @dappledshade. Annual rainfall average is four feet. That also means there's less sun.
None of that makes any real difference to grass if the site's well enough prepped - it just means it grows rapidly in wet summers, and it also means you can sow lawns in June if you want   
It can make grass soggy for longer periods of the year, and it doesn't dry out so quickly, but it's pretty standard for most areas to have soggy lawns over winter, unless it's those very dry areas of the south east. It just means you have to be more careful about using it.
A coarser grass seed will certainly help if you need to use the grass all year round, and probably being a bit more careful about when you start mowing   

AnniD

If you have a Toolstation nearby (and need 10kgs or can share it !), my OH mentioned this
https://www.toolstation.com/turfline-grass-seed/p89653.
Another thing is to spike the turf with a fork to aid drainage apparently