Two Tampa Bay news stations visited the farm this month to report on Fusion™, the patent-pending blend of four St. Augustine grass genotypes that Bayside Sod grows in Manatee County.
Fusion™ St. Augustine is the newest grass in the Bayside Sod lineup, and this month it made Tampa Bay television, with stories on both FOX 13 and Spectrum Bay News 9.
On Spectrum Bay News 9
Reporter Julia Hazel visited the farm for “Manatee County sod farm grows one-of-a-kind Fusion grass blend”, published October 9. Tiffany Bailey explained the idea behind the blend: “Instead of just having one variety, there’s four different cultivars or varieties blended together.” The story also spoke with a UF/IFAS Extension agent in Manatee County about why that matters, since one St. Augustine cultivar may do best in shade while another handles full sun better.
On FOX 13 Tampa Bay
Reporter Kimberly Kuizon followed with “Manatee County sod farm unveils new St. Augustine grass blend designed to reduce pest and disease risk” on October 13, including a video report from the field. The story does not oversell the grass. As Tiffany told FOX 13, Fusion is “not bulletproof by any means,” and it still needs routine care.
What Fusion Is
Fusion is a proprietary blend of four St. Augustine genotypes, grown on our own farm and patent pending. It is the first commercially available four-genotype St. Augustine blend in Florida. Because it combines four genotypes instead of one, it adapts to a wider range of yards than a single variety such as Floratam or Bitterblue.
- Thrives in full sun and moderate shade
- Built for enhanced resistance to Lethal Viral Necrosis (LVN), improved disease tolerance, and better insect resistance
- Needs the same care as any St. Augustine lawn: permanent irrigation, routine fertilization, and a mowing height of 3 to 4 inches
Getting Fusion for Your Yard
Fusion is available now from our Bradenton farm. See the Fusion page for the details, request a quote with your square footage, or call the farm at (941) 702-1746.
Thank you to FOX 13 and Bay News 9 for telling the story, and to everyone on our team who has grown Fusion from an idea into a crop.
