Bluegrass Lawns

Description

Bluegrass lawns are the lawn grass most people aspire their lawns to look like. Deep green to Blue in color, finely textured, and when well cared for developing a tightly knit turf. It does better in the northern areas and is not very tolerant to high heat.

Bluegrass is late to green up in the spring. It is often mixed with other seed types, usually ryegrasses, for this reason. These blends are quite often used in playgrounds and athletic fields as well since the perennial ryegrass helps create a stronger sod that will stand up to the activities on these fields.

Bluegrass Lawn
Robert H. Mohlenbrock @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA SCS. 1989. Midwest wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide to plant species. Midwest National Technical Center, Lincoln

Another blend is Bluegrass and Creeping red Fescue (Fine Fescue). This is used for areas that have more shade then bluegrass will tolerate as the Creeping Red Fescue will fill and thrive in the shadier areas.

It is considered a creeping grass, single plants sends out stems that eventually root and become plants in their own right. This eventually results in a woven network that provides a strong base for the plants and helps to cut don on weeds as well as water loss through evaporation. Bluegrass has a very shallow root system and does not tolerate drought conditions very well. It will go dormant during dry spells and has the capability of recovering if kep minimally watered during dry spells.

Note that Bluegrass is highly susceptible to leafspot disease

Characteristics

Traffic Moderate Traffic Tolerance
Type  Cool Weather Grass
Acidity PH 6.0-7.5
Maintenance  Moderate  Maintenance
Fertilizer Commercially Available Lawn Fertilizers
Growth Rate  Moderate
Light: Full Sun to partial shade
Watering  Regular Watering (Not Drought resistant)
Mowing Height  1½ to 3”
Propagation Seed and Rhizomes
Salt Tolerance Low to Moderate, Varies by Bluegrass type
Best USDA Zones  2-6