Kentucky 31 tall fescue vs bluegrass – Which one should you grow?

Picking the right type of grass to plant for your lawn or farm may be a tedious decision. It involves considering the climate in your area against the soil and the requirements for certain grass species. Kentucky Bluegrass and 31 tall fescue are two popular grass varieties, each with its own advantages and drawbacks which can only be assessed against your personal needs and requirements. This summarized review of the two should be helpful in helping you make the decision on which one is more suitable for you.

Kentucky bluegrass

Kentucky Bluegrass is a classic in low traffic and low temperature areas. It has a seeding rate of 2 pounds per 1000 square feet (pure live seed). This value could be higher if you count damaged seeds. It grows best on well drained fertile soil and requires open sunlight which makes it great for open areas with no shade. It is also poorly suited for both human and animal traffic, which makes it ill-suited for busy areas. It typically does not do well in extremely high temperature because of its high water requirement. However, improved cultivars have better quality for summer; higher disease resistance and drought tolerance.

 

Tips on maintaining Kentucky Bluegrass

• Maintain the grass at high mowing heights of about 3 inches
• Minimize the traffic that the grass is exposed to
• Grow on open land, away from shade
• Ensure efficient soil drainage and consistent irrigation
• Use nitrogen fertilizer sparingly

Advantages of growing Kentucky Bluegrass

• It has a dense growth coverage
• Its leaves cut evenly during mowing
• It has great regrowth from rhizomes (good recovery)
• It has fine leaf texture

Disadvantages of growing Kentucky Bluegrass

• It has a low tolerance for traffic
• Turf diseases like summer patch and dollar spot can cause thinning during summer and spring
• It requires regular irrigation when maintained with high nitrogen fertilizers
• It can develop severe thatch build up
• Its seed germination is slow

Kentucky Tall fescue

Kentucky tall fescue has a wide, light green colour leaf and is popularly used for lawns, fields and pasture grounds because of its high traffic tolerance and low maintenance. It has an impressive seeding rate of 6 pounds per 1000 square feet (pure live seed). The grass is considered to be bunch type and non-spreading due to its slow coverage rate. This can be remedied by establishing a dense turf and having a little patience and care when the grass patch is young. It is also extremely widely adapted and can flourish on a variety of soil types ranging from sandy soils to heavy clay.

Tips on maintaining Kentucky tall fescue

• Grow in an area with medium shade or full sun coverage
• Mow the grass frequently to ensure that it looks its best
• Use sharp mower blades to avoid shedding and subsequent thinning of leaf blades.

Advantages of Kentucky tall fescue

• It has great traffic tolerance
• Is extremely competitive with weeds
• It is not prone to thatch build up
• Requires little maintenance and irrigation except during drought or harsh summers
• germinates very fast (seven to ten days)
• It is not prone to insect infestation

Disadvantages of Kentucky tall fescue

• It requires frequent mowing
• May develop brown patch disease during hot wet summers
• It has a slow lateral spread

Comparison Table

Feature	Bluegrass	Tall Fescue
Nitrogen requirement per 1000 square feet	3 – 6 lbs	1 lb
Traffic resistance (human and animal)	Low (does not tolerate high traffic)	High (does well with high traffic)
Water requirement	2 inches per week	1 inch per week (1.5 inches if grown in sandy soil)
Performance in summer and hot climates	Vulnerable to weeds and diseases in summer and hot climates	Heat tolerant and resistant to summer weed and disease infestation.
Sun exposure requirements	Requires at least 8 hours of direct sunshine	Requires 4 hours of direct sunshine

What are the differences between Kentucky 31 tall fescue and bluegrass?

 

• Appearance

Kentucky 31 tall fescue is a bunch-type grass and grows in clusters. It has broad leaves, is coarse and has a light green colour. On the other hand, Kentucky Bluegrass is fine textured and has long thin leaf blades. It grows in a carpet fashion which makes the Bluegrass have a better appearance than the Tall Fescue

• Shade requirement and tolerance

The tall Fescue and Bluegrass can both resist a specific amount of shade without withering. Tall fescue requires 4 hours of direct sunlight to thrive while Bluegrass requires 8 hours of the same. This makes Tall Fescue a better pick for an area with shade.

• Maintenance required

Kentucky Tall Fescue is tough and grows without much maintenance. It can grow in a wide variety of soils, ranging from thick clay to sandy soils and is drought tolerant due to its deep root system. Bluegrass is more delicate and requires regular fertilizer and watering. It often goes dormant during drought or dry periods only to revive itself once favourable conditions are met. Bluegrass also requires double the amount of water for it to thrive and this amount increases during summer. In conclusion, Kentucky Tall Fescue requires less maintenance and has a shorter and more attainable list of requirements.

• Traffic tolerance

Kentucky bluegrass has a very low tolerance for traffic, both human and animal, and will do very poorly in areas with high traffic. Tall Fescue on the other hand, is more traffic tolerant and this makes it better suited for grounds and lawns that have heavy usage like pitches and other playing fields

Final thoughts

The choice between Kentucky Tall fescue and Bluegrass is largely dependent on your needs and area of residence, seeing as they strive in different areas. Tall fescue is more heat tolerant and requires less maintenance, while Bluegrass is best suited for cooler areas. However, after an in depth comparison, it is clear that Tall fescue would be better suited for a wider application area and requires less maintenance and care, making it the easier pick of the two.