Kentucky Bluegrass

Kentucky Bluegrass - One of the most popular grass varieties.

Unlike some other grasses, it is not such an aggressive grower that it becomes a pest. Most importantly, it makes a beautiful lawn, too, with its dense, blue-green blades.

A Kentucky bluegrass lawn can be started from seed or from sod. Bluegrass is often found in blends of grass seed for lawns, but can also be bought individually. It should be kept at about two inches once it is established. The first mowing should take place when the grass is about three inches high. It is important to have a sharp lawn mower blade because the young seedlings can be uprooted by a dull blade.

A Kentucky bluegrass lawn can be started from seed or from sod. Bluegrass is often found in blends of grass seed for lawns, but can also be bought individually. It should be kept at about two inches once it is established. The first mowing should take place when the grass is about three inches high. It is important to have a sharp lawn mower blade because the young seedlings can be uprooted by a dull blade.

Kentucky bluegrass grows a little more slowly than some other grasses. For this reason, it may take a couple of months for a new lawn to be established. Prepare your seedbed and fertilize before planting. Five pounds of nitrogen per 1000 square feet is an appropriate amount of fertilizer to start the lawn, but do not use more than one pound after the lawn is established unless it is a slow release formula. Sow two or three pounds of seed per 1000 square feet if you wish the grass to cover the ground quickly.

Be sure to water it consistently in the first months. Bluegrass is quite drought resistant, but will lose its color during dry weather. It goes dormant, but will green up quickly with watering. The best climate for growing a Kentucky bluegrass lawn is one in which the summer days do not often get warmer than 75 degrees F. Watering is best done in large amounts at each watering, such as an inch or two once or twice a week.

One reason it may be good to get a grass blend is that bluegrass does not do well in shade. If your lawn grass blend contains some fescue or rye grass, you can be sure of green grass even in the shady places. Another consideration is that there is now a variety of bluegrass that is tolerant of higher temperatures and is sometimes called "thermal" bluegrass.

Kentucky bluegrass is considered to be a "creeping" grass. Creeping grasses are those that have shallow roots that mat together forming a thick sod. It seeds itself well, and can take a moderate amount of traffic when established. No wonder it is one of the most popular grass varieties.