# Tifway, Tifgreen, Celebration, what's the difference?



## Bermuda_Newbie (Jun 15, 2018)

This question has been asked several times and I've seen lots of responses but I'm going to throw mine in there as well.

I've decided to plug my fescue in the front yard with some sort of hybrid bermuda and let it spread (thanks @erdons ). I was pretty sure that the landscapers put Tifway in the backyard but now that I'm learning more about grass, I'm not sure. It's a little embarrassing to admit around here that I didn't even choose my grass for my backyard but you learn and move forward. I have contacted them to ask but haven't heard anything and I'm not sure they kept records anyway. I know the farm it came from so it's either Tifway, Tifgreen, or Celebration. I'm pretty sure it's not celebration. How would I tell if I have Tifway or Tifgreen? I've looked at pictures online and video and I can't tell. The reason it matters is I was originally thinking to get a couple of rolls of sod to match the backyard so I didn't have to make a bunch of holes in my grass. If I can't figure out the type, I can just plug the grass from the backyard to be safe it's the same type.

The other option is to do something different. Would it be advisable to have different types of grass in the front and back? Am I asking for the inevitable mix of the two of them by doing that? (Edit: back yard is not connected to the front yard)

Does anyone have Celebration? How do you like it? Tifway, Tifgreen? Which one do you like best and what's the reasoning?

The front yard, once it has transitioned from Fescue will have no foot traffic and will be mostly sun so I think any of them are an option.


----------



## erdons (Apr 3, 2018)

From what I know celebration is supposed to be more tolerant to shade than tifway and tifgreen. I have a putting green I'm working on with tifgreen, it does look nice, but if i could go back i would have gone with tifsport or maybe celebration because i have a very small section that gets more shade. In effect I have different type of grass in my front yard and backyard. My goal is to maintain both at around 1/2 inch regardless of Bermuda type. It is very common that contractors go with Tifway which is a pretty nice cultivar if you ask me. You can just pull plugs from your fescue yard and set them upside down in your backyard holes, basically trade plugs, the fescue likely won't survive in that Bermuda anyway and will cover it up pretty quickly.


----------



## Bermuda_Newbie (Jun 15, 2018)

erdons said:


> From what I know celebration is supposed to be more tolerant to shade than tifway and tifgreen. I have a putting green I'm working on with tifgreen, it does look nice, but if i could go back i would have gone with tifsport or maybe celebration because i have a very small section that gets more shade. In effect I have different type of grass in my front yard and backyard. My goal is to maintain both at around 1/2 inch regardless of Bermuda type. It is very common that contractors go with Tifway which is a pretty nice cultivar if you ask me. You can just pull plugs from your fescue yard and set them upside down in your backyard holes, basically trade plugs, the fescue likely won't survive in that Bermuda anyway and will cover it up pretty quickly.


Upside down? I didn't think of that. I was planning on buying a bag of sand if I decided to plug from the backyard. That's a better idea.

The sod farm told me that tifgreen was softer than tifway. I'm not sure how to compare that with what I have. The celebration interests me. I've read that it's a darker green than the tifway which is more lime. But, the pictures online vary so much depending on lighting and camera settings. I do have an olive tree in my front yard but the sun peaks through the canopy and it gets enough sun I think that tifway wouldn't be a problem. Perhaps I should observe my front yard more closely throughout the day before I bank on that.


----------



## Guest (Jul 19, 2018)

@Iriasj2009 He had probably one of the nicest looking celebration lawns although he's gone to tifgrand I think now.


----------



## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

firefighter11 said:


> @Iriasj2009 He had probably one of the nicest looking celebration lawns although he's gone to tifgrand I think now.


  
Yes I installed tifgrand. Celebration is a great choice but it's not as soft. It's very aggressive which could be a good thing or bad thing.
Tolerates a high soil PH. and needs very little fertilizer. Looks best between .625"-1"

HOC 1"-1.5" pic taken before killing the lawn.


HOC .375"


----------



## Bermuda_Newbie (Jun 15, 2018)

Iriasj2009 said:


> firefighter11 said:
> 
> 
> > @Iriasj2009 He had probably one of the nicest looking celebration lawns although he's gone to tifgrand I think now.
> ...


Thank you for the pictures@Iriasj2009 That's a big help. Your yard was beautiful. Can I ask why you decided to go with a different type?


----------



## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

@Bermuda_Newbie 
Thank you. Choose to Mainly because I had a lot of tifway Bermuda mixed in and even though the celebration was taking over, I couldn't mow below .5" without noticing the difference. Therefore I killed it and decided to try out tifgrand. I choose tifgrand because I prefer the lower HOC and I'm hoping to be able to maintain it at .25" year long. Celebration didn't look that good at that height.


----------



## XLT_66 (Jul 17, 2018)

I've got Celebration on one side yard with some more shade as well as 60-70% of the back yard. It's only about 4 weeks old right now but the most noticeable difference is that it's more of a blue-green as compared to the rest of the 419.

I may be one of those things you only notice when they're side by side, though.


----------



## BlakeG (Jul 17, 2018)

I have Celebration in the front yard and a side yard with 419. The most notable difference to me is the color. I agree that the Celebration is a darker blueish color compared to the 419. Here's a pic of the Celebration from 7/13.


----------



## Bermuda_Newbie (Jun 15, 2018)

Thanks everyone for your pictures. Your lawns are gorgeous and give me something to aspire to. From my research, and for other people who may someday look up this thread, here's what I've learned. If any of these are incorrect, feel free to correct me.

Tifway will spread faster than tifgreen. Tifgreen seems like it's a better product overall from what I've read. Kind of like the 2.01 of Tifway. The sod farm told me that it's softer than Tifway. The downside would be it's not quite as durable for something like a sports field and is geared more toward residential. Had I have thought to research grass types, I probably would have gone with Tifgreen in my backyard when we laid sod. For my front yard plug project, it's not the best because of the slow spread. Celebration is very aggressive and good for spread but it wants to be cut higher. From what I've read, it needs to be dethatched at least once a year ideally more whereas the other two can be dethatched every two years. That's just what the sod farms' spec sheet said. It also said that celebration grows up faster (although this can be controlled with PGR I'm sure). The sheet said from 1/2" to 3/4" a week during growing season. Compared to a 1/4" to 1/2" with Tifway and Tifgreen. Celebration tolerates shade much better. If I had a lot of shade, I would definitely choose it because I prefer bermuda to cool season grasses.

I've decided to go with the Tifway. A couple of reasons for this. The first is, it's free. The second is that as beautiful as celebration's color is, that growth rate would be a little more than I want to maintain. Having to dethatch that often is kind of an issue until I can afford a Swardman. I'd have to rent a detatcher. Not only is the cost of that a problem but having to haul it back and forth from home depot is a pain. I'd also like to maintain at about .5" to .75" at the most. I love a short neat lawn. Why I ever put fescue in my front yard I don't know.

Thanks everyone for your experience. It's a way bigger help than just looking at tiny pictures on google images and spec sheets.


----------



## Jackofalltrades (Jul 17, 2018)

@BlakeG what's your Hoc in that picture?


----------



## Jackofalltrades (Jul 17, 2018)

@Iriasj2009 I'm considering Celebration based on what I can get for my area. I have a Toro Flex 21 so my max Hoc is .500 would the celebration look bad under .500 or just not as good as if it was taller?


----------



## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

Jackofalltrades said:


> @Iriasj2009 I'm considering Celebration based on what I can get for my area. I have a Toro Flex 21 so my max Hoc is .500 would the celebration look bad under .500 or just not as good as if it was taller?


Not at all. I was able to mow it at 3/8" and it looked good but i had to verticut it a couple times throughout the summer to avoid scalping since it gets so thick. 1/2" would be a great height but you won't be able to mow higher once the lawn thickens and only way to maintain it at .5" will be to verticut the lawn.


----------



## Jackofalltrades (Jul 17, 2018)

Did you notice a big difference between it and your tifgrand now? I wish I could get tifgrand but nobody sells it in California.


----------



## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

Jackofalltrades said:


> Did you notice a big difference between it and your tifgrand now? I wish I could get tifgrand but nobody sells it in California.


Not yet. I just sanded my lawn and mowed it for the first time at 3/8" but it has a long ways to go. Lots of sand and crabgrass everywhere so can't compare the two just yet. I really like the tifgrand color vs celebrations and it is much finer bladed.


----------



## BlakeG (Jul 17, 2018)

Jackofalltrades said:


> @BlakeG what's your Hoc in that picture?


About 5/8".


----------

