Hostas are best known to thrive in shade beds, but are there some that can withstand the sun? Such varieties as 'Invincible', 'Sun Power' 'Sunny Delight', 'Fragrant Bouquet' & 'Fried Bananas' do just fine in full sun. Usually, hostas with thicker leaves hold up in the sun because they retain moisture better. Yellow-leaved plants typically are more tolerant than those with blue leaves.
RTF- (rhizomatous/Spreading Fescues)- Post by Rodney St. John, Kstate Turf Blog
Just to get everyone on the same page….tall fescues are classified as a bunch type grass or a clump forming grass. It does not spread out across the lawn with rhizomes like Kentucky bluegrass or with stolons and rhizomes like Bermudagrass or zoysiagrass. So when we get some damage in a TF lawn from a dog digging, drought damage, or anything, and there is a hole or thin area in the TF lawn, the only way to fix that area is to re-seed it or re-sod it. Small damaged areas in a KBG or Bermudagrass lawns will fill back in with a little water, fertilizer and time. So grass producers have developed what they call Rhizomatous Tall Fescue, or tall fescue that produces rhizomes and can spread the grass out across the lawn.
That sounds great. But however in most of the field research I’ve read, and the research we conducted at KSU, the RTF fescues don’t spread any faster than normal turf-type tall fescues. The RTF varieties generally performed just like any other turf-type tall fescue in terms of color, density, and appearance. So the RTF varieties should act like and give a good tall fescue lawn, but don’t expect them to spread out like Kentucky bluegrass.
Now that research is a couple of years old, and new varieties have come out since that research was conducted. So it is possible these newer varieties perform better, but I’d take any claims about spreadability with a grain of salt.
Is my grass dormant or dead? I've had this questions posed to me many times over the last couple of weeks. The heat wave seems to be over, but it left a huge wake of destruction in its path. Many yards with full exposure to the sun have spots that have completely been burned up and will not return. Other areas have spots that simply are taking a nap, or have gone dormant. A good way to tell is to envision bristles on a brush, if your brown grass is still standing upright like bristles on a brush, no need to worry. If the grass is laying/matted down, then most likely it is dead. These thin/dead areas will not fill back in on their own, seeding must be done this fall to recover those areas lost.
If you are a member of our 7 Round Turf Program and are planning to seed this fall on your own, please call the office or your turf manager to inform us. We alter the chemicals in round 6 to benefit seed growth and development!
