Kentucky Bluegrass

Common Name: Kentucky bluegrass
Latin Name: Poa pratensis L.; Poa arachnifera Torr x Poa pratensis L.
Strengths: Spreading growth habit, cold tolerance, traffic tolerance, low mowing heights, fine leaf texture
Weaknesses: Shade tolerance, heat tolerance, drought tolerance, salt tolerance, slow to germinate
Growth Habit: Tillers and rhizomes

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Management Tips
Planting Method: 1 to 2 lbs of seed per 1,000 sq ft; Can also be planted as sod
Mowing Height: 1 to 2.5 inches using a rotary mower
Mowing Frequency: Weekly during the growing season
Fertilization Requirement: Single application rates; 0.5 to 1 lb of Nitrogen per 1,000 sq feet during the growing season months. Annual application rates; 2 to 3 lbs of Nitrogen per 1,000 sq feet per year. Application of other nutrients including Phosphorous, Potassium, and others should be based on soil test results.

Description: Kentucky Bluegrass is a cool-season grass species that is one of the most widely planted lawn grasses in northern, cooler regions. It spreads laterally by rhizomes, has dark color, and fine leaf texture. It can tolerate lower mowing heights than tall or fine fescue and is often used in mixtures with fescues and even ryegrasses to add diversity and recuperative potential due to its spreading growth habit. The seed of Kentucky Bluegrass is significantly smaller than tall fescue, fine fescue, and ryegrass and as such it has a much lower seeding rate due to the fact that there are more seeds per pound of Kentucky Bluegrass than other species.

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