Lawn grass can vary according to the amount of sun they require for their growth to remain healthy. While some need direct sunlight, some can even grow in partial shade.
Let’s read on further to understand the Tall fescue vs. sun and shade comparison that we have drawn in this article.
While the tall fescue is also considered as a sun and shade grass, let’s see how it differs from that, i.e., on which factors they stand separately.
What Is Tall Fescue And Sun & Shade Grass?
Before we start comparing the tall fescue grass or sun and shade type grasses, let us try & understand what they exactly are first and how similar, or different they are from each other.
If you’re trying to find the right kind of grass for your lawn, you must know exactly what demographic it falls under.
For instance, there could be some tall trees in your lawn that create shade over your lawn, and if the wrong type of grass is planted, it could lead to uneven growth that might ruin the look of your lawn.
It is crucial for anybody who is looking to grow grass to see certain factors such as the soil quality, its pH levels, the temperatures, lighting conditions, drought tolerance, etc. while selecting a grass seed to plant in their lawn.
Sun And Shade Grass
Sometimes certain trees, shrubs, or even buildings create shade throughout the day depending on the sunlight. Certain grasses grow well under such conditions.
When we talk about shade, professionals divide this into full sun, partial shade, and heavy shade.
- Full sun: when the grass is exposed to eight hours of sunlight daily.
- Partial shade: when the grass gets 4 to 6 hours of sunlight daily, and then partial light penetrates from tree branches.
- Heavy shade: light from heavy canopies, i.e., in a negligible amount.
While some require the scorching sun, some grow very well in moderate to low light as well. Common examples include shade grasses from the fescue family.
Creeping red fescue is the best grass type for shady areas with different soil types.
Tall fescue is also one example that grows well in shady areas. It is included in the blend of seeds that are created for the lawn.
The fescue variety is known for its disease resistance, soil adaptability, and even drought tolerance. So, it is always to create a blend of grass seeds to get proper coverage of grass in your lawns.
Among so many blends, the best one is ryegrass, some bluegrass, and fescue grass. The most expensive seed is known as a cultivar that is used for high-end places like golf courses.
You should never go for cheaper seeds as they might result in a low germination rate and, as a result, might be disappointing for some people.
Tall Fescue Grass
Tall fescue is considered as one of the most adaptable grass to wide-ranging climatic conditions.
It is also highly tolerant of varying cold, heat, drought, and shade.
It is known as one of the most versatile kinds of grass that are an amazing option for improving the lawn’s durability and resilience.
It is also considered one of the best grasses that grow under low shade areas.
It germinates very quickly, and its roots reach up to 2 to 3 feet deep that contributing to its high heat and drought resistance.
Fescues harbor this characteristic because of the presence of a type of fungus known as Endophytes.
Endophytes enable the grass to withstand heat and drought and provide substance to eliminate insects.
Tall fescue is a good example of a sun and shade grass as it grows in sunlight or no sunlight in the same way. Therefore, it is an excellent cool-season grass variety for a lawn.
It also tolerates poor fertility, and although it prefers sunny areas, it does tolerate shady areas well.
While these may not be as different as they seem, seeds that are sold commercially are of different varieties. Here, we are going to discuss one of such seeds, i.e., Scott’s Thick’r lawn tall fescue mix & Scott’s Thick’r lawn sun and shade mix.
Scott’s Thick’r Lawn Tall Fescue and Sun and Shade Mix
Let’s see the comparison between Scott’s Thick’r Tall fescue mix and Scott’s Thick’r lawn Sun and shade mix.
We are going to draw certain comparisons based on the drought tolerance, grass type, wear tolerance level, soil pH, and seed use.
We will see both the differences as well as similarities that these mixes might share.
| Specifications | Tall Fescue mix | Sun and shade grass mix |
| Drought tolerant | Yes | Yes |
| Grass-type | Fescue | Sun and shade |
| Traffic/wear tolerance level | Medium-light | Bright light |
| Coverage area | 4000 sq. Ft. | 4000 sq. Ft. |
| Soil pH | 5.5 to 7.2 | 5.5 to 7.0 |
| Grass Seeds use | Grass thickener | Grass thickener |
Key Differences
- Grass-type
The Tall fescue belongs to the fescue family.
At the same time, the sun and shade mix has a blend of seeds comprising of different varieties of seeds like rye, fescue, and bluegrass that grow best in shady areas.
- Traffic/wear tolerance level
The tall fescue mix can tolerate medium light wear, whereas the sun and shade mix can tolerate bright light wear.
This wear can be understood as the effect of varying degrees of sunlight on these fertilizers.
- Soil pH
Tall fescue requires 5.5 to 7.0 pH levels, whereas sun and shade can take up to 5.5 to 7.2 levels which are slightly higher than the other.
Summary
- Tall fescue is of the fescue family. Sun and shade comprise three types of seeds such as rye, bluegrass, and fescue.
- Soil pH is slightly different but different nonetheless.
- Sun and shade mix can bear more tolerance of light than tall fescue mix.
Similarities
- Drought tolerance – They both are drought tolerant. Therefore, both of them can be considered as desirable fertilizers mix.
- Coverage area – they both can cover up to 4000 sq. ft. that is a good coverage area.
- Grass Seeds use – the tall fescue mix as well as the sun and shade mix both can be used as grass thickeners. This means that these improve the quality of the grass by providing them with good features.
These similarities show that both can be used for your lawn as they are not that different.
Summary
- The Tall fescue mix and the Sun and shade mix are both drought-tolerant, i.e., they can overcome less use of water on the lawn.
- They both cover a minimum of 4000 square feet, which is a good lawn area.
- Both mixes are fertilizers that are used as grass thickeners.
Conclusion
From the discussion on Tall fescue vs. Sun and shade, it can be understood that there wasn’t much difference between both sides.
Tall fescue is a type of grass that can grow well in any type of condition, which includes partial sun and shade.
Whereas sun and shade grasses are those that include a variety of grasses that can grow in varying sunlight conditions.
It could be in the scorching sun, partial shade, or dense shade. One can buy seeds for such types of grasses online, as these are considered some of the most versatile grasses.
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