Creeping Red Fescue vs. Kentucky 31 – How do they differ?

Both the Creeping Red Fescue and Kentucky 31 are incredibly beautiful grasses. They are used in many American homes to create beautiful lawns on which to relax and on which kids can play. They are both low maintenance and perform well in cool regions. So what characteristics set them apart?

Differences between the Creeping Red Fescue and Kentucky 31?

Grass Type	Creeping Red Fescue	Kentucky 31
Appearance	Fine, deep green	Fine, blue-green
Climate	Cool regions	Cool regions
Propagation	Horizontally, by short rhizomes	Bunch forming, grows in clumps
Care and maintenance	Low maintenance	Medium maintenance

Creeping Red Fescue vs. Kentucky 31 – How do they compare?

Appearance

The Creeping Red Fescue is a fine grass with small leaves closely knit together. They have a deep green color. The blades are usually thin and are folded near the bud. Since it grows horizontally, it makes for a carpet-like appearance that needs little care to make it look good.

The Kentucky-31 is a grass that also has fine grass, but the blades are wider than those of the Creeping Red Fescue. These blades grow upwards and it has lighter hue than the Creeping Red Fescue.

It has been described as having a blue-green color. It has a tendency to grow vertically, but it also makes for a good looking lawn that has carpet-like characteristics.

Climate

The Creeping Red Fescue is largely a cool climate kind of grass. It has excellent resistance to harsh cold, and has the capacity to withstand winter. For this reason, it thrives quite well in regions that register lower temperatures. It reaches the peak of its growth in the cooler seasons.

It however, likes to be in the sun. It thrives in areas with shade, much preferring little exposure to the sun. Much as it is a cold-season grass, it also has great resistance to extreme heat, and it is able to withstand hot summers without drying up.

The Kentucky 31 grass is also an excellent grass for the cooler regions, and much like the Creeping Ref Fescue, it reaches the peak of growth in the cooler seasons of autumn and spring. It has a preference for sunlight and likes to be in a region with little shade. It has the capacity to withstand harsh winter, but it is prone to drying during hot weather.

Propagation

The Creeping Red Fescue should ideally be planted in the cooler seasons since it germinates faster during this time. Unlike the Tall Fescues, this grass grows horizontally, making a compact lawn. It forms short rhizomes, and has somewhat shallow roots. It grows slowly, and is not as aggressive as other grass types.

The Kentucky-31 grass has a tendency to form bunches as it grows. It develops deep roots as it grows, giving it the ability to reach water that is deep in the soil. This is the main reason as to why it is quite tolerant to extreme heat. It is also planted during the cooler seasons of fall as it tends to germinate and grow faster during this time.

Maintenance and care

The Creeping Red Fescue generally requires little care. Seeing that it grows horizontally, it tends to patch up and leaves few spaces that are without grass. It does not require fertilizer and also demands little water. Being that it is not an aggressive grass, it does not need constant mowing.

The Kentucky-31 is also a grass that needs little maintenance. It also requires little fertilizer, and seeing that it is deep rooted, it does not require a lot of watering. This grass does not develop a lot of that, but it greatly benefits from routine over-seeding over periods of 2 to 3 years.

Creeping Red Fescue vs. Kentucky 31 Overview

Creeping Red Fescue

The Creeping Red Fescue is a fine grass that has thin fine leaves. It has a deep green color and is mostly used for lawns. This grass tends to perform well in cool regions. It tends to grow horizontally albeit quite slowly and with little aggression.  It is usually planted during the fall since it germinates faster during this time.

This grass does not require fertilizer for it to grow well, and its water demands are also low. Since it grows horizontally, it hardy leaves patches that do not have grass. As a grass that grows with little aggression, this grass hardly forms thatch. For this reason, it stays mostly tidy, though mowing can be done from time to time.

It has the capacity to withstand harsh winters and is also highly resistant to drought. It also prefers shady areas, having little preference to places that are exposed to the sun.

Pros

• It is resistant to harsh cold
• It can withstand hot weather and drought
• It does not need fertilizer to thrive
• It does not thatch a lot
• It needs little maintenance

Cons

• It tends to grow very slowly

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Kentucky-31 Grass

The Kentucky-31 is a fine grass, but it has wider leaves than the Red Creeping Fescue. It has a tendency to grow vertically. This grass has a light shade of green, and some people have described it as being blue-green.

Much like the Creeping Red Fescue, this grass does well in the cold. It is mainly planted during the colder seasons as it germinates faster then, and it also reaches its peak during this season. It grows by forming bunches at grows, but it eventually makes a carpet-like lawn.

It requires little fertilizer, and it can grow just as well without it. It forms deep roots, giving it the ability to reach water from deep soils. This makes it resistant to drought, but not as much as the Creeping Red Fescue.

Pros

• It is resistant to cold weather
• It grows fast
• It requires low maintenance

 Cons

• It may be affected by drought

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Verdict

The Creeping Red Grass and the Kentucky 31 are excellent grasses for home lawns. They both prefer cold regions, but they are also resistant to harsh winters and drought conditions. Aside from this, these grass types are able to handle heavy traffic and repair fast. They both make for excellent environments on which to relax.