Tall Fescue vs Kentucky Bluegrass: Which is the Best Grass for Your Lawn? | Jarrak Media

When it comes to choosing nan correct writer for your lawn, location are galore factors to consider, including climate, ungraded type, and attraction requirements. Two celebrated options for homeowners are tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass. While some person their strengths and weaknesses, deciding which 1 is nan champion fresh for your section tin beryllium a daunting task.

In this article, we’ll comparison gangly fescue and Kentucky bluegrass and thief you find which 1 is nan right choice for your lawn.

What is Tall Fescue?

Tall fescue is simply a cool-season grass that is commonly recovered successful nan bluish parts of nan United States. It has a heavy guidelines system, which makes it much drought-resistant than different grasses.

It’s besides known for its expertise to withstand heavy ft postulation and is often utilized successful parks, athletic fields, and different high-traffic areas.

Characteristics of Tall Fescue

• Cool-season grass
• Deep guidelines system
• Drought-resistant
• Can withstand dense ft traffic

What is Kentucky Bluegrass?

Kentucky bluegrass is simply a cool-season writer that is autochthonal to Europe and Asia. It’s commonly recovered successful nan Midwest and Northeast regions of nan United States.

Kentucky bluegrass is known for its good texture and dark greenish color. It’s often utilized successful residential lawns, golf courses, and different low-traffic areas.

Characteristics of Kentucky Bluegrass

• Cool-season grass
• Fine texture
• Dark greenish color
• Used successful residential lawns and play courses

Comparison of Tall Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass

Now that we person a basal knowing of gangly fescue and Kentucky bluegrass, let’s comparison nan 2 and spot really they stack up against each other.

1. Appearance

Tall Fescue is simply a clumping writer pinch coarse, wide blades that turn up to 12 inches tall. It has a darker greenish color than Kentucky Bluegrass and a coarser texture.

On nan different hand, Kentucky Bluegrass has a finer texture pinch constrictive blades that turn up to 4 inches tall. It has a agleam greenish colour that is pleasing to nan eye.

2. Climate and Environment

Tall Fescue is known for its adaptability to different climates and tin turn successful areas pinch hot summers and cold winters. It is much drought-tolerant than Kentucky Bluegrass and tin turn successful a wide scope of ungraded types. 

On nan different hand, Kentucky Bluegrass thrives successful cooler regions pinch mild summers and winters. It requires much h2o and cannot tolerate extreme heat and drought conditions.

3. Maintenance

Tall Fescue requires less attraction than Kentucky Bluegrass, arsenic it is much resistant to diseases and pests. It besides requires less watering and fertilization, making it a bully prime for engaged homeowners. 

Kentucky Bluegrass requires much maintenance, including regular mowing, watering, and fertilization to support it healthy.

4. Durability

Tall Fescue is more durable than Kentucky Bluegrass and tin withstand dense ft postulation and play. It is besides much resistant to illness and pests, making it a bully prime for high-traffic areas.

Kentucky Bluegrass, connected nan different hand, is less durable and whitethorn not beryllium capable to withstand dense postulation and play.

5. Cost

Tall Fescue is mostly little costly than Kentucky Bluegrass, arsenic it requires little attraction and is easier to grow. However, nan costs whitethorn alteration depending connected nan region and nan value of nan seed.

6. Planting

Tall Fescue tin beryllium planted successful some outpouring and fall, while Kentucky Bluegrass is champion planted successful nan fall. Both grasses require well-prepared ungraded pinch due drainage and a pH level betwixt 6.0 and 7.0.

7. Seed Mixture

Tall Fescue is often mixed pinch different grasses to create a much durable and disease-resistant lawn. Kentucky Bluegrass is usually planted arsenic a pure strain, arsenic it does not operation good pinch different grasses.

8. Time to Germination

Tall Fescue germinates wrong 10 to 14 days, while Kentucky Bluegrass tin return up to 21 days to germinate.

9. Shade Tolerance

Tall Fescue is much shade-tolerant than Kentucky Bluegrass and tin turn successful areas pinch partial shade. Kentucky Bluegrass requires full sun and whitethorn not turn good successful shaded areas.

10. Traffic Tolerance

Tall Fescue is much traffic-tolerant than Kentucky Bluegrass and tin withstand dense ft postulation and play. Kentucky Bluegrass whitethorn not beryllium capable to withstand heavy traffic and play.

11. Allergies

Tall Fescue is little apt to origin allergies than Kentucky Bluegrass, arsenic it produces less pollen grains. However, immoderate group whitethorn still acquisition allergies to Tall Fescue.

12. Pest and Disease Resistance

Tall Fescue is much resistant to pests and diseases than Kentucky Bluegrass. It is little prone to communal lawn diseases for illustration brownish spot and dollar spot, arsenic good arsenic pests for illustration chinch bugs and sod webworms.

Kentucky Bluegrass is much susceptible to these problems and requires more predominant treatments to forestall them.

13. Lawn Use

Tall Fescue is simply a bully prime for homeowners who person children and pets, arsenic it tin withstand dense postulation and play. It is besides a bully prime for those who unrecorded successful areas pinch extreme upwind conditions.

Kentucky Bluegrass, connected nan different hand, is simply a bully prime for those who want a much aesthetically pleasing section and are consenting to put successful much attraction work.

Conclusion

Both Tall Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass person their ain unique features and benefits. Choosing nan correct writer for your section depends connected a assortment of factors, including climate, ungraded type, attraction requirements, and intended use.

If you’re looking for a low-maintenance, durable writer that tin withstand dense postulation and play, Tall Fescue whitethorn beryllium nan correct choice for you. If you want a much aesthetically pleasing lawn and are consenting to put successful much attraction work, Kentucky Bluegrass whitethorn beryllium nan measurement to go.

FAQs

Additional Questions

Is Kentucky Tall Fescue suitable for lawns?

Absolutely! Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue could beryllium nan writer you’ve been looking for. Being a section proprietor myself, I highly admit it for its simplicity to establish, resilience against drought and enhanced capacity to withstand heat. Its economical and low-maintenance characteristics make it a peculiarly appealing prime for galore homeowners. Plus, Kentucky 31 boasts a rich | history that adds an absorbing communicative to immoderate landscape.

Can I blend Kentucky bluegrass and gangly fescue?

You’d beryllium amazed to cognize that it’s really proven fruitful to operation these 2 types of grass. To get a robust consequence from this combination, I propose utilizing a scope of “turf type” gangly fescue cultivars mixed astatine nan complaint of 6 pounds per 1,000 quadrate feet. You tin besides incorporated difficult (fine) fescue and Kentucky bluegrass seeds into nan operation astatine a complaint of astir 1 to 2 lbs per 1,000 quadrate feet. In my experience, this operation enhances wide guidance to various section issues.

What are nan drawbacks of bluegrass?

Kentucky Bluegrass does person immoderate shortcomings that you’ll request to consider. It’s adjacent to statement that this writer type often struggles successful shaded areas and is prone to definite diseases for illustration Leaf Spot and Necrotic Ring Spot. Additionally, I’ve recovered that it tends to shape an undesirable thatch furniture quickly and besides takes its saccharine clip to germinate, often up to 3 weeks. But don’t count it retired conscionable yet! Despite these disadvantages, it is still loved by galore for its dense, vibrant, carpet-like quality.