# TifTuf vs Tifway 419 color/texture



## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

I was thinking of sprigging some Tiftuf into weak areas of my Tifway 419 that are partially shaded by my fence and house. Does anyone know how these two cultivars look when going next to each other. I'm not concerned about winter color or dormancy differences, just texture and color in season.


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## cglarsen (Dec 28, 2018)

My neighbor has Tifway and planted some Tiftuf sod around a tree ring and there's a noticeable difference. The Tuf is a bit lighter green, and probably a little better texture but I've not studied it up close. I'd say having good coverage would be worth any difference in color.


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## anthonybilotta (Aug 11, 2018)

Tiftuf will definitely be a lighter shade of green


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## DuncanMcDonuts (May 5, 2019)

I've heard TifTuf and Tifway 419 should blend fairly well together. I'm looking to sprig or sod 1000 sq ft of TifTuf into an area I'm renovating. I'm 95% positive my builder installed Tifway 419 in my yard. My 3 year plan is to establish this part into TifTuf this year and over the next few seasons, I can harvest sprigs from it to transition the rest of my yard into TifTuf.


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## DuncanMcDonuts (May 5, 2019)

I just picked up some TifTuf sod to renovate an area of my Tifway 419. Here are the comparisons.









My Tifway 419 turf on the left with a TifTuf sod piece on the right.









Close up on my Tifway 419 turf.









Close up of the TifTuf sod.

Handling the TifTuf sod, it looked and felt like my Tifway 419. Any color difference isn't noticeable to me. Besides, I've even heard some identical cultivars can have color variations depending on the farm it came from.


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

@DuncanMcDonuts I have heard the same thing about getting the same cultivar from different farms. That looks very similar. I may go ahead a mix it this season.

Thanks for the photo comparison!


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## dslab (Oct 18, 2017)

@DuncanMcDonuts I see your posted the pictures the sod back in April, which is very helpful, after having it on your lawn for a few months how does it look now?


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## dslab (Oct 18, 2017)

Anyone else used Tipway 419 and Tiftuf on the same lawn? Can you tell much of a difference?


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Low maintenance homeowner here. (A neighbor) see the line?


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

jayhawk said:


> Low maintenance homeowner here. (A neighbor) see the line?


Used to be a maple tree there, then tiftuff was put in. Little more density, but not certain original is 419


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## dslab (Oct 18, 2017)

@jayhawk Wow, that is a noticeable difference!!! Appreciate you taking the time to share!


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## DuncanMcDonuts (May 5, 2019)

I sprigged the TifTuf on one side of my lawn, so I don't have a good pic of them side by side for comparison. My neighbor has the same builder installed Tifway 419, but his lawn gets nowhere near the same attention so it's a bad comparison, too.

Texture wise, they feel the same. When my neighbor's grass isn't scalped, my TifTuf may look a shade lighter.

I intend to renovate the rest of my Tifway 419 slowly with the TifTuf I installed. My plan is to do a couple rounds of glyphosate over a month, dethatch the area, then sprig the TifTuf over it and cover with germination blankets.


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## dslab (Oct 18, 2017)

@DuncanMcDonuts Thanks for help!!


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

Is it me or does TifTuf just seem like Tifway 419 3.0? I don't really see the huge advantage other than the shade tolerance.


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## DuncanMcDonuts (May 5, 2019)

It supposedly requires >30% less water so it's more drought tolerant. It'll also green up faster in the spring and go dormant later in the winter. I'll take pics when dormancy happens. Temps are still 80'F in central Texas.


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

Mightyquinn said:


> Is it me or does TifTuf just seem like Tifway 419 3.0? I don't really see the huge advantage other than the shade tolerance.


Ehhhh. Yeah.. I mean I fully expect TifTuf to be the next 419 for sodding new homes in general, atleast here in the south.

Pretty forgiving for the most part. Similar look, I think it's a little lighter, but hard to tell against my neighbors. Mines deeper and darker but that's nudt because of the cultural practice. It responds very well to iron and when you give it a drink of water once in a while.

I rarely watered, more so to get applications into the soil or off the grass, and when it was hot my neighbors yards almost went dormant and crisp. Mine was trucking along, and was evident in the growth from my yard into their 419.


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## LoCutt (Jul 29, 2019)

TifTuf is supposed to green-up sooner in the spring, and its color last longer in the fall than 419. TifTuf is more aggressive than 419 (which is more aggressive than TifGrand). TifTuf requires less water and fertilizer. I would expect TifTuf to spread into the 419 area if the two were planted side by side. TifTuf is a lighter shade of green.

Sod farms are going to push TifTuf because it's patented while the 419 patents are expired.

All of this information is based on what I've read... I have no real experience with TifTuf. I have plenty of experience with 419 and its genetic cousin 419-II.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

LoCutt said:


> TifTuf is supposed to green-up sooner in the spring, and its color last longer in the fall than 419. TifTuf is more aggressive than 419 (which is more aggressive than TifGrand). TifTuf requires less water and fertilizer. I would expect TifTuf to spread into the 419 area if the two were planted side by side. TifTuf is a lighter shade of green.
> 
> Sod farms are going to push TifTuf because it's patented while the 419 patents are expired.
> 
> All of this information is based on what I've read... I have no real experience with TifTuf. I have plenty of experience with 419 and its genetic cousin 419-II.


That's the point I was trying to make with the whole 419 3.0 comment. It's like they took 419 and just tweaked it a little bit so it's a little better in the Spring and Fall and other minor improvements. I have also noticed that a lot of the claims these sod producers are making on these new strains of turf are usually pretty hyped up and in the real world applications they do not hold up.

As for the requiring less water and less fertilizer, most people on this forum are not going to be pushing these limits so this aspect of the sod is moot. I have not heard anything about the aggressiveness of it compared to 419 but I would think it would be naggable to most people.

I am not trying to bash TifTuf and I'm sure it's a fine turf grass and has a lot of advantages over 419, I think I am just tired of it being force fed down our throats by the turf farms, so I guess I am kind of playing devil's advocate here


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

My turf farm offers both for the time being. I'm pretty sure I had patches of Tif-Tuf in the last batch of 419 I ordered from them.


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## LoCutt (Jul 29, 2019)

Mightyquinn said:


> That's the point I was trying to make with the whole 419 3.0 comment.


I agree with your comment.

I think TifTuf's good points were bred for the "average" homeowner instead of the somewhat fanatical (at least me!) people you find here. However, during a drought several years ago, a whole lot of people here lost grass and shrubs with the ban on watering. In an email with Dr. Hanna, he clearly stated that some of his recommendations were meant for average people who used rotary mowers (hence higher HOC). To be precise, Dr. Hanna did not directly refer to "average".

Early green-up and late dormancy are attributes we all appreciate. Its more aggressive growth is advantageous for sports fields. The folks in Tifton want to see TifTuf replace 419 as the grass of choice for athletic turf.


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

Here's a photo of what I was talking about regarding the Tiftuf mixed in with my 419.


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## wiseowl (May 25, 2020)

@Redtwin thank you for posting that. I have an area that's next to the front door that's about 100 or so sq ft that gets like an hour of sun on a summers day. Really struggled in its first year since I laid it in May. It could possibly have been because it was over seeded with rye and refused to die in the summer because it was shaded but the 419 really thinned out. Was thinking I made a mistake with 419 instead of tiftuf only because of this area and thought of getting some tiftuf and putting it in that area. Its definitely lighter,

I'll have to see how the thinned out area does after I kill my overseed this year now that the sod is established. I'd rather have thick light green than thinned dark green.


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

@wiseowl This section was just put in last summer so the HOC is around 1". In my opinion, the 419 is way darker and looks far superior to the TifTuf (If that is what the light green is). If shade is an issue with the 419, it will be an issue with the TifTuf. Once you wipe out the overseed next year, start that section on a T-Nex regimen. I have heard that helps if you have a little bit of shade. If it is significant, you may want to install or expand your beds.


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## DuncanMcDonuts (May 5, 2019)

Here are pics of my TifTuf side and Tifway 419 compared to my neighbors who have the same builder sodded Tifway 419. Don't shame me for having it at 2" right now. I got lazy since October and stopped mowing. Taken at sunset on an overcast day.









My TifTuf on the left.









My Tifway 419 on the right.

Honestly, I can hardly tell a difference up close.


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## DuncanMcDonuts (May 5, 2019)

So here are some photos of the cultivars going into dormancy

Tifway 419









Closeup of Tifway 419









TifTuf









Closeup of TifTuf









You can definitely tell the TifTuf is holding onto its green color longer than the Tifway 419. It may be a week's difference or so. Pretty negligible in my opinion, but there's some truth to the claims.


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

Here's my TifTuf in south atlanta metro before this week. We had 3-4 days near freezing in the evenings/morning. Two or three where the yard was white with frost. 
The after is yesterday, neighbor has 419 that's been asleep for nearly 3 weeks, more in certain areas.


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