Will RTF lawns become so thick that it will choke the grass plants?
RTF’s rhizomatous nature (i.e. the ability of the roots to form new plants) will only occur when the plants have room to spread themselves. In a very thick planted lawn, you will find very few of these rizhomes. In thin spots, where the plants have the ability to spread, the RTF plants will develop rhizomes and new plants will emerge to fill in and keep the lawn dense and attractive.

Will RTF creep in to my flower beds?
Yes, that is very well possible. On the edges of your lawn, the RTF plants have the room to spread and so they will do that. It is not going to happen at a very high speed. The rhizomes developed by the RTF plants are relatively short, but over time, the new plants will make their rhizomes and so the lawn will slowly advance in to your flowerbeds. Once a year edging will keep your lawn in its place.

I just planted my new RTF lawn and haven’t seen any rhizomes in my new RTF seeding yet.
Rhizome development takes place when there is a need for them, i.e. there must be room for these rhizomes to grow. If you have a very dense stand of grass, the root system is so dense that rhizomes will not develop. Although we have found very young plants that were growing rhizomes, usually only more mature plants will develop rhizomes.
Rhizome development is triggered by shortening day length. This means that most rhizomes develop in the fall. If you plant your lawn early fall, still you can already find some rhizomes here and there. But your stand is still dense and the plants are still young, two conditions that are not favorable for rhizome development. In the following fall or after a spring seeding, you will be more likely to find rhizome development. The grass plants are more mature and the lawn less dense after a full year of growth and use.

How do I maintain an RTF lawn?
An RTF lawn needs maintenance like any other fescue lawn. Phosphorus is an important nutrient for rhizome development. Proper irrigation and fertilization keep the plants healthy. And healthy plants are strong plants. Under those circumstances you will experience the advantages of RTF over regular fescue: it stays dense and fine leaved and will repair itself! Click here to read more about the role of the various nutrients for your RTF lawn.