I took the liberty of fixing you post so people could see the pictures.

I was lucky enough to locate 2 pallets of TifGrand close by.
They were $168 ea.
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I used one pallet to replace the 419 that had dwindled due to shade and erosion this winter.
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Here is the Tif Grand
Front under tall oaks and pines
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And the checker board in the back yard {{gwi:91578}}

I also put in one flat of shadow turf in the corner.
Will be interesting to see how this goes.

Thanks!

Cool. I'd be interested to see how it turns out by the end of the summer. If they are really somewhat shade tolerant, they could easily replace 419 for widespread use one day.

Thanks wrager. Appreciate the update to last year's posts. Keep us posted!

Here is a link that might be useful: TifGrand - the world's fuirst sterile hybrid bermudagrass for shade!

wrager, are you planning to put dirt in between the checkerboard? Otherwise, won't it be bumpy?

Yes, I'll add sand later on when I fix all the other bumps.
I'm sure the price will come down and ultimately replace 419. Why not, as long as it perfoms equally in full sun.

I came close to getting Celebration, but the closest available seller is 2.5 hours away. It would be coll to do a side by side comaprison.

I've got 419 side by side with Celebration in the backyard up against the side of my house which gets around 5 hours of sun a day. The Celebration has far out performed the 419. In fact, I would say I like everything about the way the Celebration looks compared to the 419 except for the fineness of the leaves.

It maybe to early to answer, but does Celebration require less mowing (as advertised)? What does it cost? I can get 419 as cheap as $85 per pallet.

Here in Dallas I got a quote of $105 for a pallet of celebration. I have about a dozen pieces throughout my yard and I do notice it grows slower than the princess/419 in my yard.

interesting..ive been geting a few boxes of plugs for some tough spots in my small backyard. i got one of each and love the 419 over the celebration. as a matter of fact i committed to ending my affair wih celebration. i guess i will see how it goes over the summer , huh ?

That's interesting. You prefer 419 over Celebration? Tell us more. Shade issues aside, what makes you pick 419 over Celebration?

Does not TifGrand still need about 5 hours of sun? And according to there website "While relatively shade-tolerant cultivars were identified in this study, all cultivars, including shade tolerant ones, had unacceptable TQ scores"

wrager, shade issues aside, the blades on Celebration is thicker than 419, but the color on Celebration is darker, and IMO nicer looking. Toss up right?

So, I wanted to provide a 5-6 week update. The TifGrand is awesome. It is thicker and darker than 419. The photos probably don't do it justice. I replaced the 419 sod under my pine/oaks 3 times now....never again.
Here's 419 in full sun http://s236.photobucket.com/albums/ff260/wrager46/?action=view&current=Yard2011004.jpg

TifGrand after 5 weeks
http://s236.photobucket.com/albums/ff260/wrager46/?action=view&current=Yard2011007.jpg

The TifGrand checkerboard
http://s236.photobucket.com/albums/ff260/wrager46/?action=view&current=Yard2011001.jpg

The Shadow turf is back ther in the left corner. Hasn't done much so far.

Is the Tifgrand spreading at all? I put a pallet down about a month ago and it hasn't spread a bit yet.

Hey jtyrie, mind telling me where in the DFW area you got the TifGrand from and how much was a pallet? I'm looking to get a couple of pallets myself. Thanks.

I couldn't find anyone in DFW. I drove to Quality Turf Farms in West Columbia to pick it up. I believe I paid about $80 for the 500 Sq foot pallet. If you call them, they will put you on a list for delivery. If enough people from DFW call in to fill a truck, they will deliver. I missed a delivery here by one week. I may call them back and ask to be put on the list for another pallet. It's quite a haul for one person to buy one pallet, but I was desperate.

There's a place in Lubbock, Holland Gardens, that will UPS you a tray of 3" plugs for a little over a hundred dollars. I think it's 60 or 70 plugs. I actually bought a couple of trays before getting the pallet. They don't go very far, spaced 12" apart. So far, they haven't started spreading at all either.

wager, I fixed your links so we can see the pictures.

So, I wanted to provide a 5-6 week update. The TifGrand is awesome. It is thicker and darker than 419. The photos probably don't do it justice. I replaced the 419 sod under my pine/oaks 3 times now....never again.
Here's 419 in full sun {{gwi:91580}}

TifGrand after 5 weeks {{gwi:91582}}

The TifGrand checkerboard {{gwi:91584}}

The Shadow turf is back ther in the left corner. Hasn't done much so far.

How do you like the Tifgrand so far? If you don't mind me asking what kind of lawn mower do you use? We just had 40 pallets of Tifgrand put on our yard a few weeks ago.

Aside from the higher cost, I really like it vs. 419. It is a little darker and seems more dense. The literature says it requires less fert too.

It will be more interesting to compare after a full season, next year. Hopefully the cost will come down by then.

It's hard for me to imagine a grass denser than 419. I have some thin areas near some of my shrubbery. I may have to get a few of those plugs and see this for myself.

I've never had 419 before but some spots in the yard that get more water than others gets really thick and will bog down my mower. Its been really hot here, upper 90's low 100's for some time and im trying to keep it watered pretty good. It looks like your front yard is pretty level, i might have to topdress mine next spring. Keep up the good work.