Specification – RTF Turf
Uses
RTF (rhizomatous tall fescue) is a hard wearing, drought tolerant turf used in landscaping where quality combined with sustainability is required. RTF is widely used on public parks and green spaces, domestic lawns, business and science parks and commercial landscaping. It has been particularly successful in the drier parts of the UK where water shortages are becoming more common.
Characteristics
RTF is the latest innovation in turf. Bred by Barenbrug Research, RTF is a new type of tall fescue, which produces rhizomes. A rhizome is an underground stem that grows outwards from the main plant, producing more shoots as it goes. In this way RTF has the ability to repair itself, and produce a nice dense mat of grass to give a very hard wearing surface.
In addition to its rhizomatous nature, RTF Turf has a remarkable tap-root system that can grow down to a depth of 1.5m (nearly 5 feet!) in search of water. This gives RTF Turf its special ability to withstand periods of drought, for which it was awarded the prestigious Waterwise Marque. Even in severe drought, when traditional grass species can die, tall fescues will recover very quickly with the first rain.
In addition to withstanding drought, RTF is very salt tolerant. For this reason it is used on seaside landscaping where salt spray can be a real problem for traditional grasses.
Composition
The typical seed mixture used in RTF is:
- 45% Rhizomatous tall fescue – Festuca arundinacea
- 40% Tufted tall fescue – Festuca arundinacea
- 15% Smoothstalked meadowgrass – Poa pratensis
Mowing
RTF should be mown at a height of no less than 30mm, but it can also be maintained at a height of up to 75mm. Rotary mowers are the best machines for the job. The key to maintaining quality is to mow regularly, and to never take more than a third of the leaf off at any one time. The longer the grass, the better the turf can cope with wear and tear.
Nutrition
RTF needs approximately 150kg Nitrogen per ha per year. This can be provided by two applications of fertiliser – one in the spring and one in the autumn. A typical programme would be:
April – 40gms/m2 Scotts All-Round 23:5:10
September – 40gms/m2 Scotts Pre-Winter 14:5:21
These fertilisers use controlled release technology which provides an even food source for the plants over 4-5 months. The autumn application is particularly important for RTF because, unlike ryegrass, it is able to take up nitrogen during the autumn and store it in the crown of the plant. Without autumn nitrogen RTF swards can lose their density over the winter
