Defining Turfgrass Quality
“Turfgrass quality” is a term often used to describe the characteristics, rating, or ranking of turfgrasses. But what does it actually mean, and how is it defined or measured? According to the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) Turfgrass Evaluation Guidelines, turfgrass quality encompasses both aesthetics and functional uses. Aesthetics include factors such as density, uniformity, texture, smoothness, growth habit, and color. Quality ratings are not based solely on color but on a combination of color, density, uniformity, texture, and resistance to disease or environmental stress. It’s important to note that these ratings are performed visually and are subjective to the evaluator. They are also relative to the specific location and the entries in that trial.
For these reasons, turfgrass quality ratings are best used to evaluate how a cultivar compares to other entries at a specific location in a given trial. These ratings help us understand how a cultivar will perform under similar conditions in similar locations. It’s always important to note the least significant difference (LSD) value in your review. While the information may be limited, it provides a valuable starting point for determining where and how a cultivar can be used. For further information, visit www.ntep.org.
Our Top Turf Tall Fescues for 2025
We’d like to give you a formal introduction to our top turf-type tall fescues for 2025. You can find extensive information on each of them at www.SmithSeed.com. Use the following to decide how to best fit them into your program:
Fairfield
Fairfield excels in the Southeast and Southwest regions, boasting excellent shade tolerance and being our darkest colored tall fescue. While versatile enough for all cool-season zones, we especially recommend it for our southernmost customers and for shade-tolerance. Its dark green color also makes it ideal for premium blends.
Gro-Pro
Gro-Pro establishes quickly and responds exceptionally well to traffic, drought recovery, and disease pressure. Its vibrant color, density, and medium-fine leaf texture make it perfect for blending with other tall fescues and cool-season species. Plug this into your program as a dependable workhorse variety for the majority of your turf mixes and applications requiring resilience.
Galactic
Galactic lives up to its name, evoking the beauty of a clear winter night sky. It combines density, color, and texture, creating a visually appealing and resilient turf. Galactic excels under high traffic, close cuts (1.5”), drought, cold, disease, and various stresses. We rank it among our top offerings, deserving a premium in the marketplace.
Titan GLX
Titan GLX is our best Titan release to date, excelling in nearly all regions and applications tested by NTEP. This variety raises the bar. The turf is upright, uniform, dense, fine-bladed, and boasts excellent color. These features, combined with a robust disease resistance package, make Titan GLX highly recommended for use as a standalone cultivar or in premium mixes.
