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Best Kentucky Bluegrass Seed. Do you want to grow Kentucky Bluegrass? First thing you must know:
After your lawns (grass) suffer from drought stress, insect or disease damage, or that show other evidence of decline, such as bare patches, you want it to be healthy grass.
One way to achieve this good Kentucky Bluegrass is to overseed the lawn. Overseeding a lawn with new types of turfgrass is usually the optimum way to improve health and appearance and to thicken the lawn. When choosing turfgrass replacement, find the one which good resistance against drought, diseases, and insects. For these reasons, one of the right types is Kentucky bluegrass for turfgrass replacement.
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The benefits of overseeding a lawn include:
The Overseeding
Usually, lawn overseeding is an effective way by itself. Although it can be combined with aeration. Right after the lawn aerator pulls cores of soil from the lawn, then the seed must be applied with drop seeder or rotary. To achieve an even coverage, the seed should be spread to equal lots and spread in a different direction.
When applying both overseeding and aeration, it allows the seed to contact the soil in a good position. This will promote seed germination and then the seedlings must be kept moist with frequent watering after the seed established. This lawn overseeding procedure is most beneficial to ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and fescue or the cool-season grasses. [1]
Regarding how to choose grass type
In a time when you have to choose the right type of grass for overseeding is depended on the region, you live in.
The cool-season grass is better suited at a higher altitude area and in US northern region because they do not handle heat and humidity well. Not as well as warm-season grasses.
Kentucky bluegrass for the lawn is a soft, dark grass variety that is known for its robust nature. It is a type of grass that is suitable for foot traffic from pets, kids, and known for its resistant to extreme temperatures and prolonged droughts.
Things to consider choosing Kentucky bluegrass seed
Here the list of consideration when choosing the seed:
Here’s our recommendation of top 8 best Kentucky bluegrass seed.
| No. | Product | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jonathan Green 10323 Black Beauty Ultra Mixture | 25.3 pounds |
| 2. | Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed – Kentucky Bluegrass Mix, | 7.3 pounds |
| 3. | Barenbrug Kentucky Bluegrass 50 | 50 pounds |
| 4. | Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Seed | 5 pounds |
| 5. | Mountain View Seed 17650 Horizon Economy 3-Way Kentucky Bluegrass | 3 pounds |
| 6. | Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Seed (Certified) | 10 pounds |
| 7. | Natural Alternative Grass Seed – For A True Bluegrass Lawn | 10 pounds |
| 8. | Outsidepride Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Lawn Grass Seed | 10 pounds |
1. Jonathan Green 10323 Black Beauty Ultra Mixture
This Kentucky bluegrass seed featuring a three variety turf type. It contains a combination and mix of 10% sod quality Blue-Tastic Kentucky bluegrass , tall fescue, and 10% frontier perennial ryegrass. Using the mix, will promote fast germination, quick fill-ins. It will also give boost optimal and maximum.
It may grow in full sun or partial shade and clay or sandy soils. Contains naturally inset resistant grass. Available in a twenty five pound bag covering approximately 10,000 square feet.
Dimension: 29 x 15 x 5 inches. Weight: 25.3 pounds. Good value for money, easy to spread and easy to grow.
2. Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed – Kentucky Bluegrass Mix, 7-Pound
When you use this Scotts Kentucky Bluegrass mix seed (7 pounds), you will notice that it grows thicker, quicker and greener than other seed. This features are guaranteed by the manufacturer (Scotts).
It can provide feeds with nutrients, help absorbs more water for better growth, and protects the plant from disease. It grows and live well in a high foot traffic moderate shade, and sunny areas too. It is cold tolerant during cold months and winter. The good features are that it can self repair from damage cause by foot traffic, drought and heat.
Dimension: 4.5 x 9.5 x 15 inches. Weight: 7.3 pounds.
3. Barenbrug Kentucky Bluegrass 50
The Barenbrug cotts Kentucky Bluegrass is a 50 pounds grass seed (not sold in Louisiana) for growing a thicker, quicker, and greener grass.
This Barenbrug seed is cold tolerant during winter and cold weather. When you are developing a high traffic lawn, this particular grass seed will perform well, as well as moderate shade and can do well on sunny areas. The seed will provide self repair plant from damage caused by foot traffic, drought and heat. It is categorize as high density grass seed.
Dimension: 35 x 20 x 20 inches. Weight: 50 pounds. Manufacturer: Barenbrug, USA.
4. 5 Pounds Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Seed
This 5 pounds of Kentucky Bluegrass seed is a perennial season seed and fits perfectly for a full sun grass.
You can use this seeds for an easy establishment. It is a cold tolerant seed with the plant color of dark green. The seeding rate should be at 2 – 3 pounds per 1,000 square feet.
Weight” 5 pounds. A very dark blue-green color grass. Dwarf growth habit. Very high tiller density. Known for its drought tolerance. Strong disease resistance. Good tolerance to close mowing. More than 15 years of proven performance.
5. Mountain View Seed 17650 Horizon Economy 3-Way Kentucky Bluegrass (3 pounds)
This Kentucky Bluegrass lawn seed from Mountain Vew Seed is a combination and mix of three varieties that contains 34% Arrowhead Kentucky blue, 33% Bluenote Kentucky blue, and 33% Volt Kentucky blue.
It is a 3 way Kentucky bluegrass mix. The seed is a perfect fit for full sun areas east of the cascades.
Dimension: 10.5 x 1.5 x 13.8 inches. Weight: 3 pounds.
6. Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Seed (Certified) – 10 pounds
This 10 pounds Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass seed can cover to up to 3,000 square feet of lawn area. The end result of color would be blue or deep green.
You can mix the seed with other seed such as Fescue grass. You will get the best lawn in the neighborhood with beautiful color grass.
weight: 10 pounds.
7. Natural Alternative Grass Seed – for a True Bluegrass Lawn 10 LB. (11010 – Cool Season Cadillac) Kentucky Bluegrass Blend
This Natural Alternative is a blend of three Kentucky bluegrass varieties. With this blend you will get a one beautiful lawn.
It will create exceptionally outstanding quality of lawn. It can grow in full sun area without worry. If you want to have the most awesome result, you must at least fertilize the lawn 5 times annually with the watering frequently.
Weight: 10 pounds. Plant Rate of 2 – 3 lbs per 1,000 square feet.
8. Outsidepride Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Lawn Grass Seed – 10 pounds
This Midnight Kentucky bluegrass seed – 10 pounds has a high rated perennial grass seeds. It has many features including disease resistance, thick texture, has tolerance against cold weather, produces a beautiful dark green color.
It has soft texture, disease resistance, and easy development grass. This grass seed is suggested good as for golf course, parks, home lawns, and athletic fields. 10 pounds of this seed can cover to up to 3,000 square feet.
Dimension: 18 x 4 x 13.5 inches . Weight: 10 pounds.
What is Kentucky Bluegrass? [kentucky bluegrass facts]
For a large number owners of lawn in the USA (United States of America), Kentucky bluegrass is closely associated with the ideal lawn.
It is not the same as Perennial Ryegrass and red fine fescue.
When incline its most likely consideration of growing conditions and the correctly care, this grass create a durable, growing luxuriantly, dense, lush, durable lawn that can deliver what it is known for its reputation.
When growing Kentucky bluegrass it can not just grown its own.
You have to take good care and the grass requires a high level of maintenance to perform its best, and the results can be worth it.
Kentucky bluegrass can be your perfect choice depending on how you take care of your lawn and your grass growing region.
So this is how to define Kentucky bluegrass:
1. Cool season lawn grass. They are grass types that can live and grow in areas with hot summers and cold winters. This means that Kentucky bluegrass can also adapted to grow well in areas with tremendous temperature fluctuations including cold, freezing winters and hot, dry summers. Kentucky bluegrass grow best when temperatures are between 60-75 degree Fahrenheit. Kentucky bluegrass grow most actively in the spring and fall. (Best kentucky bluegrass seed) Kentucky bluegrass commonly grown from seed, and they have to be maintained at a mowing height of 3-4 inches to perform its best.
2. Suitable for and it is a very popular cool season grass in the northern U.S. The area including the Upper Midwest, High Plains, New England, Northern California, and Pacific Northwest.
3. Limited shade tolerance. Kentucky bluegrass thrive well in high traffic parts of the lawn or yard, areas with moderate shade, sunny areas and very hot areas.
The name “Kentucky” can be associated with the state of Kentucky, but Kentucky bluegrass is not originally from the state.
It is not even native to North America, instead it is native to Northern Africa, Asia, mountains of Algeria and Morocco and Europe.
It might came from early colonists who brought seed of Kentucky bluegrass and grew them in their lawns.
The plant was probably introduced to the U.S land sometime after 1600, and was spread by settlers in a short period of time.
Description of Kentucky bluegrass
Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) tallest height would be 24 inches. The shape of the grass can be easily identified by its boat shaped leaf tip. It forms a dense sod and spreads by tillers and rhizomes.
New tillers and rhizomes (shoots) are primarily created and produce in late summer and the spring. The germination of Kentucky bluegrass is rather very slow compared to other cool season grasses but it can establish easily from seed. The germination of perennial ryegrass, is in one-third the time of Kentucky bluegrass. Kentucky bluegrass spread itself and sod forming grass.
Once established from the seed, it spreads via underground rhizomes to form a thick and dense turf.
The nature of aggressive growth habit, make the Kentucky bluegrass can recover quickly from damage.
A healthy Kentucky bluegrass lawn has emerald to blue-green color.
A Kentucky bluegrass lawn can be define as beautiful to look at and comfortable for bare feet.
When significant heat kicks in during hot summer months, Kentucky bluegrass will likely grow slow significantly.
It will go slow in certain period of time.
When irrigation and the temperature returns to normal, Kentucky bluegrass recovers quickly.
Kentucky bluegrass will thrive under full sun, even though some varieties can do well in lightly shaded areas.
A durable Kentucky bluegrass is good for athletic fields.
The varieties of Kentucky Bluegrass
There are about more than 100 cultivars or varieties of Kentucky bluegrass that had been established during the past 2 decades.
Some varieties tolerate southern climates better than others, some tolerate closer mowing, and some have moderate shade tolerance.
You can combine about 3 or 4 varieties of Kentucky bluegrass to increase your chance to succeed.
The method of combining several varieties would appear to be more successful than a single variety.
| Type | Wear Tolerance | Characteristic | Varieties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compact-Midnight | Fair | Have a very dark green color and good against heat. | Arcadia, Odyssey, Absolute, NuGlade, Alexa, Midnight II, Ginney, Rambo, Rugby II, Award, Impact, Midnight, Total Eclipse, Liberator, Quantum Leap, , Courtyard, Tsunami. Awesome, Freedom II, Beyond, Perfection, Chicago II, Excursion, Barrister |
| Compact-America | Fair | Usually have a bright dark green color, low compact growth, can do well in shade, higher density plant. | Showcase, Apollo, SR 2284, Bedazzle, Avalanche, Glenmont, Arrow, Blue Ridge, Royale, Goldstar, Mallard, Brilliant, SRX 2394, Langara, America, Unique, Boutique, Bluemax. |
| Aggressive | Excellent | Aggressive lateral growth, high shoot density, excellent wear tolerant, knitting sod and repair in a very fast time. | SRX 26351, Mystic, Limousine, P-104, Northstar, A-34. |
| CELA (Challenger, Eclipse, Liberty, Adelphi) | Good | Spring green-up, good turf quality, sometimes good sometimes not so well performance during winter. | Challenger, Adelphi, Eclipse, Jefferson, Liberty |
The propagation methods of Kentucky Bluegrass
Where bluegrass is established from seed, plant 2 to 3 pounds per 1,000 sq. ft. of lawn.
Lower seeding rates require much longer to develop a cover, particularly where seed are broadcast over the soil surface.
Where seed are drilled into the top inch of soil, lower seeding rates can be used.
Kentucky bluegrass can be seeded year round, but best results are obtained in the spring and fall.
New seedings require light, frequent watering (2 to 3 times per day for the first 2 weeks).
After seedling emergence, watering frequency can be reduced.
Rhizomes
The Kentucky bluegrass seedling starts life in spring season as a rolled bundle of five (maybe four) leaves above a few roots.
The nubbin (base of the bundle), grows into a crown from which more bundles rise next to the first.
During early time in the summer, the crown expands and forms thick or node.
What increases the plant to grow is the space between nodes (internode).
New plants will thrive at nodes (which are closer to the surface), developing baby plants around the parent plants.
Stolons
3 months after summer (fall), the rhizomes have shaped and formed a group of new plants.
Tillers rise from leaf axil and hang downward limply to the ground.
When tillers touch the ground, there will be new roots grow.
It will create new nubbins that become crowns for new baby plants.
Another 2 or 3 months later or early winter, stolons and rhizomes create the dense mat of grass plants.
This would be the successful development of Kentucky bluegrass.
Apomixis
By the next spring, seed panicles will appear, and it will provide the plant its blue green color.
Seeds
When a seed contains a plant embryo, seeds sown in fall germinate in warm soil.
Radicles reach down to form roots as plumules grow up to form leaf bundles.
The seeds delivered by gametophytic apomixes, would form Kentucky bluegrass plants the same shape as the parent.
How to manage Kentucky Bluegrass
You have to mow your young Kentucky bluegrass when it rise above a 2-inch cutting height.
You must use a properly adjusted reel and sharp blades, to prevent pulling up young grass.
Use either rotary or reel type mowers.
2 inches of height should be the cutting initially.
The mowing should be frequent to keep one third of the leaf removed after mowing.
The mowing should start again when the grass reaches 3 inches.
The usual mowing time is 2 weeks apart to keep 2-inch height.
Kentucky bluegrass has a high water requirement with at least 2 inches of water per week.
It is really needed to keep Kentucky bluegrass growing and keep the green color during summer months.
During drought period, Kentucky bluegrass will not grow, it needs at least 2 inch of water every 2 to 3 weeks to keep the grass alive.
When rainy season comes, the Kentucky bluegrass will quickly recover and gets better.
Even so, Kentucky bluegrass can survive several months without rainfall or irrigation.
The application of Nitrogen for Kentucky bluegrass are greater than the normal quantity during the establishment year than during subsequent years.
The Kentucky bluegrass will have to receive at least 5 to 6 pounds of nitrogen during the first year.
After that, it needs 2 to 3 pounds of nitrogen for maintenance after the first year.
When the temperature is hotter during summer, Kentucky bluegrass will likely to burn if too much soluble nitrogen is applied at one period of time.
It will also get burnt if the plants is not watered in immediately after Nitrogen application.
Limit to 0.75 pound of soluble applicable nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. in one application.
If you are applying slow release nitrogen, less frequent application and larger amount of nitrogen should be applied.
Sources:
Kentucky Bluegrass timing – Oregon State University
The Fate of Nitrogen Applied to a Mature Kentucky Bluegrass Turf – Florida State University
Fertilizing Schedule for Home Lawns – University of Illinois
Planting and management tips for Kentucky bluegrass – University of California
Kentucky Bluegrass – North Dakota State Government
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