Pennington 100081770 The Rebels Tall Fescue Grass Seed, 7-Pound

This is our second bag of the Rebel seed. Grew first batch in a NC spring/summer.

Bought this for spring overseeding/patching. Seed was 18 mos old and germination was not what I expected.Otherwise, I do love Rebels. It's the best seed and grass i've put down but will purchase it in store from now on.

Seed was alright. I kept it watered and about half of it came up. Was trying to "patch" some areas that my dog caused to die before she passed away. I think the ph in the ground may have been a little off and why this seed didn't grow everywhere.

Turf type tall fescue (TTTF)is highly recommended by most state AG extension depts for lawns in the so-called transition zone (basically, the Mid Atlantic from NJ to the Carolinas, back through much of the Midwest) due to its drought tolerance and quick establishment. However, be aware that it does have some limitations. The drought tolerance, which comes from its ability to root deeply, can be poor in clay soil, which is very common all over the country, but particularly in the Mid-Atlantic region, much of which is in the transition zone. The color is a good dark green, but the blades are not as fine as Kentucky bluegrass, and they tend to get even wider as the grass ages. You also need to overseed bare spots constantly, because it is a bunch type grass that does not spread by rhizomes the way KBG does. It is also a little more prone to fungus infections than KBG, a consideration in the humid parts of the country. Finally, it does not really go dormant in high heat/drought the way KBG does -- it survives because it finds water in the deep roots. If the roots are not deep, like in clay soil, it will be toast above about 90F. So I would say this -- if you do not have clay soil, this is going to be a great choice. But if your soil usually feels brick hard in summer, meaning it has a lot of clay, I'd try either KBG or perennial ryegrass, which do much better in compacted soils.

Germination rate for this product was EXTREMELY poor (in the Raleigh, NC area). I would say less than 10% of the seed germinated.Even worse, Pennington (who makes Rebels) does NOT stand behind its product guarantee. The Rebel Guarantee states they will refund your purchase price, but the words "may be entitled" come into play. I submitted a printed receipt and they declined to offer a refund because they said it wasnt an "original" receipt.BUYER BEWARE: poor product, even poorer customer service