... See all the pros and cons about using the perennial and annual varieties. The first step to a great-looking lawn is knowing what kind of grass you’re growing and its characteristics. 3. This grass type is a cool-season grass—it takes better to cooler weather. Perennial ryegrass as said before germinates quickly after planting the seeds. It has been around for many years and is now available in many different blend formulations. As long as you’re not living way up north, your fescue grass will withstand winter easily. Although Kentucky bluegrass seeds are a cool-season lawn type, they prefer direct sunlight for optimal growth. It is used on lawns, fairways and athletic fields in the cooler areas of the U.S. Find out what makes this grass so special. The soft, dense turf and cool green color created a living carpet under bare feet in summertime. Bluegrass seed lawns can still grow well in partial shade, however.Our Velvet Blue Blend and Blue Ribbon Turf Blend products are great choices for areas with minimal amounts of shade. However, researchers developed tough, drought-resistant tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) roughly 50 years ago. The Pros and Cons of Thatch. Kentucky 31 is an economical, low maintenance Tall Fescue variety that is unique for its increased heat tolerance when compared to other fescue varieties. Kentucky bluegrass creates a high quality lawn. This popular grass variety is known for its durability as well as lush landscape capabilities. Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) was once the reigning king of neighborhood lawns, and rightly so. Thatch can have either beneficial or detrimental effects on turf depending on the amount present. It resists high traffic. Kentucky Bluegrass. It has a coarse texture and light green color, is easy to establish, and tolerates both wear and drought. Kentucky Bluegrass Kentucky bluegrass is one of the most popular of all cool season grasses. Kentucky bluegrass is the most common cool season grass and probably the best known. Though it is a slow grower in the heat of summer, this medium-textured, deeply green grass offers thick ground coverage and is commonly planted throughout much of the United States. I did this because my original plan for a shade tolerant zoysia went out the window when they had a seed shortage and prices went to $1600 per 50 lb bag. Common grasses found in Midwestern lawns include Fine Fescue, Kentucky Bluegrass, and Perennial Ryegrass; each grass type comes with its own set of pros and cons. Kentucky Bluegrass is a cool season grass that is excellent in the Northern region of the country. History of Kentucky 31 We mentioned earlier that it spreads quite aggressively. So I recently bought 200lbs of SPF-30 hybrid bluegrass from Outsidepride. The new varieties of Kentucky bluegrass, unlike the old standards, are quite disease-resistant, keep their fine-textured looks without a lot of feeding, and have some drought tolerance. For example, a thin layer of thatch in lawns (½ inch or less) provides insulation against temperature extremes and fluctuations in soil moisture. It can survive long and cold winters and enjoys a mild to a hot summer season. Related Post: The Best Cool-Season Grasses. Kentucky bluegrass is very favored in the northern parts. It looks and feels so much like Kentucky Bluegrass that even the pros have trouble distinguishing it from Bluegrass. So living in North Texas I needed something that was shade tolerant that wasn't St. Augustine (wife hates it). Consider the pros and cons of fescue grass before making your decision! Vibrant color and durability in heavily trafficked areas has made Kentucky bluegrass a popular choice for parks and home lawns since the mid-20th century. 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