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I recently bought 1KG of tall fescue from a hardware store but I have since realised that I would prefer perennial ryegrass. Why is it so hard to find this in Australia? It's easy to find cool-season seed mixes that contain perennial ryegrass but finding it by itself is proving very difficult. Is there some way of obtaining this? I'm not looking for a specific source but is there a way to obtain this seed before it is mixed into a blend and packaged for commercial use?

You might say that I should use a blend because a mix of seeds provides year-round growth, however I don't think it is necessary in my situation and after all, pure tall fescue is available and it is a cool season grass. Surely there are people who use pure cool season grass seeds and don't want their lawn bastardised with 10 different grass types.

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All the different types of grass seed/types that you find in mixes ensures that one doesn't lose everything with a mono planting. Different types of grasses do give your lawn/pasture a sort of protection. If one type gets a disease that the other types are not vulnerable to you probably won't notice the difference. Monocultures are not a good thing unless you are growing just for seed. And then they've got to be protected from pollen that would cause a hybrid. Fescue is very cool as a sustainable grass plant but you don't want a monoculture. What are you making? A lawn? What is the environment and soil conditions that you have to deal with? Monocultures are never a good idea...send pictures and a bit more information with which we can help further!!

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  • I have a Blue Couch (thelawnguide.com.au/lawn-varieties/35-lawn-varieties/…) lawn and it only grows in full sun so the weeds and carpet grass have taken over in the shadier (50% sun) areas. I've noticed that cool season grasses grow just fine there and I also noticed that the patches of perennial ryegrass growing there are the exact same colour as the Blue Couch so it blends in perfectly. The Tall Fescue I planted just stands out as it grows straight up and has a lighter green colour. I just think the last thing my lawn needs is more types of grass.
    – Luke Allison
    Commented Aug 29, 2015 at 22:10
  • Please don't tell me to replace the grass in the shadier areas with concrete/ rocks. Blue couch is just a sun fiend but almost all other grass types would tolerate the light shade.
    – Luke Allison
    Commented Aug 29, 2015 at 22:12
  • Then I guess I have to be the bearer of bad news. Seed mixes for lawns include at least 4 or 5 different species to include grasses that can deal with different conditions, such as shade, different fungus disease...etc. If you keep looking, and I would go to the seed companies themselves I am sure you could get ONE strain of grass seed. For the shade, you could get cool season grasses that can take SOME shade. No grass LOVES the shade. Any grass planted in shade will be stressed, whimpy, never vigorous. Sorry, I WOULD get rid of grass in the shade. There are other plants that are called
    – stormy
    Commented Aug 30, 2015 at 20:56
  • 'Steppables'...meaning they can endure being walked upon a bit. But gee, I don't know what you imagine when you think of shade and that walking upon finely ground gravel is not fun? Japan's parks are mostly crushed gravel. Clean, easy to walk on, clean up, still allows water to percolate into the water table...little to no maintenance. Not talking concrete or rocks...just crushed gravel (not pea gravel) with edging between the gravel and plant beds. Tell me what bothers you...
    – stormy
    Commented Aug 30, 2015 at 21:00

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