ive used the hgt bluegrass and it does pretty well in the summer heat. i mixed mine w/ midnight and mazama kbg though. the color is pretty bright green and the blades are alot thicker so it stands out against mazama and midnight kbg.

 

I havent found just the Barvette HGT seed for sell yet. Todd Valley Farms sells HGT bluegrass but its a 3 or 4 way mix of different bluegrass, 1 of the cultivars is Barvette though. Like the last post said its not as dark green as some KBG but seems to do well in transition zone.

 

Do you have irrigation? I have it for my front yard but not the backyard. Not sure if it will just go dormant or just die off like perennial rye. Right now, I have a lot of bermuda and I thought about doing the bluemuda concept. I would really just like KBG in the front yard but i'm not sure how doable that is here in east TN. Does it do ok in the shade? Thank you

 

I don't have any experience with HGT, but I have a few thoughts.

1. You are probably aware that TTTF and bermuda are your safe choices; and you are OK with the possibility of having a negative outcome (Hey, it isn't like TTTF is risk-free either).
2. If you want bluegrass, I'm curious about why you are leaning towards HGT rather than traditional bluegrass options.
3. I'm growing small plots of bluegrass in middle Tenn. right now, and it is doing very well. Of course it is early summer. Your location may be better than mine for bluegrass. Several years ago, I believe that I remember the one-and-only Matt Martin (The GrassFactor) killing a bluegrass yard in Knoxville to transition it to bermuda. I almost threw up, but, for me, it was an indication that bluegrass could work in Knoxville.
4. I recently learned of a forum member growing bluegrass in the Texas Panhandle.
5. Irrigation practices and a fungicide program will be two key ingredients. The more expertise that you have here, the better your chances, at least in theory.
6. Personally, for 21,000 sq ft, I would not try to maintain bluegrass, HGT or otherwise, without an irrigation system. I don't have an irrigation system, and I struggle to keep my fescue watered during those long stretches with no rain.
7. It sounds to me like you have two major challenges before you. The HGT is one of them. Arguably, getting rid of that bermuda will be the harder thing to do.
8. You may find this thread interesting. Virginia is not Tennessee, but the thread is relevant to what you are looking for.

 

i have irrigation in the front and the back. i dont have a large amount of shady areas in my yard but it doesnt appear to do any worse in that spot. The HGT blend does really well in the summer heat here and if you are ok w/ a brighter green turf it should do ok there

 

I chose the HGT variety because one of the lead professors at UT recommended it in a video I watched for the transition zone. (https://twitter.com/sodsolutions/status/996420554222653440?lang=en)

I also thought about doing a RTF or TTTF with HGT bluegrass to be safe. Just not sure what the best direction to go and how that would look. If I did decide to go that route with the fescue and bluegrass mix I'm not sure what rate I would put down. I know that too much seed is not a good thing either. I really appreciate all the great responses.

 

In addition, g-Tech used HGT for their baseball field this past year.

 

I believe the STL cardinals use HGT bluegrass as well but don't hold me to that.

 

I believe the STL cardinals use HGT bluegrass as well but don't hold me to that.

the cardinals use a blend from graff turf farms called hy-performance blue. last years blend had mallard, bewitched, bandera, and ridgeline. i think this years blend is the same

 

I believe the STL cardinals use HGT bluegrass as well but don't hold me to that.

the cardinals use a blend from graff turf farms called hy-performance blue. last years blend had mallard, bewitched, bandera, and ridgeline. i think this years blend is the same

HMMM when you go to sodsolutions website and the HGT bluegrass page it shows a picture of the field at Busch Stadium.

So after some quick research I found that in 2013 Graff's Turf installed HGT bluegrass in Busch Stadium. Maybe they have changed the type of bluegrass used there and HGT just still uses that picture for advertisement.

 

If this were your yard and were planning a renovation (area that has irrigation) what would you plant?

 

If this were your yard and were planning a renovation (area that has irrigation) what would you plant?

What's your goals? Diesease resistance? Dark color? I'd say award, bewitched, and mazama. You get a compact midnight, compact, and an america.

 

I believe the STL cardinals use HGT bluegrass as well but don't hold me to that.

the cardinals use a blend from graff turf farms called hy-performance blue. last years blend had mallard, bewitched, bandera, and ridgeline. i think this years blend is the same

HMMM when you go to sodsolutions website and the HGT bluegrass page it shows a picture of the field at Busch Stadium.

So after some quick research I found that in 2013 Graff's Turf installed HGT bluegrass in Busch Stadium. Maybe they have changed the type of bluegrass used there and HGT just still uses that picture for advertisement.

https://www.baseballpilgrimages.com/grass-at-major-league-ballparks.html

That's where I got the info about graf's turf farm. I ended up calling them last year and spoke with one of the elder Graffs and he was the one who told me about the specific varieties they used at Busch.

 

Where would I buy those varieties from? Is that sold as a mixture or do I need to get them individually?

 

the cardinals use a blend from graff turf farms called hy-performance blue. last years blend had mallard, bewitched, bandera, and ridgeline. i think this years blend is the same

HMMM when you go to sodsolutions website and the HGT bluegrass page it shows a picture of the field at Busch Stadium.

So after some quick research I found that in 2013 Graff's Turf installed HGT bluegrass in Busch Stadium. Maybe they have changed the type of bluegrass used there and HGT just still uses that picture for advertisement.

https://www.baseballpilgrimages.com/grass-at-major-league-ballparks.html

That's where I got the info about graf's turf farm. I ended up calling them last year and spoke with one of the elder Graffs and he was the one who told me about the specific varieties they used at Busch.

Ive looked ar their site before but cant remember, was he willing to sell you seed or do they just do sod?

 

If this were your yard and were planning a renovation (area that has irrigation) what would you plant?

I think it's kind of personal preference. In the transition zone we can grow just about anything but nothing real well. So you have a lot of options. Some people prefer the look of a low cut warm season grass like Bermuda or Zoysia. Others like KBG or TTTF.

If I had an irrigation and the money to completely renovate my yard I think I would go with KBG. I'm going to renovate a 1,000 sqft area this fall with KBG but as of now I'm undecided on what type. Will either be a local KBG blend that my local store can supply me with or maybe the HGT blend from Todd Valley Farms. I've also considered making my own blend using Award, Mazama, Midnight, Blue Note, Bluebank or do a monostand of one of those, decisions, decisions.

This looks like a pretty good blend as well but not sure if anyone here has tried it or not. https://unitedseeds.com/product/sure-shot-kentucky-bluegrass-blend/

 

If this were your yard and were planning a renovation (area that has irrigation) what would you plant?

I think Budstl is asking the right question. You still have plenty of time to research and narrow down your choices based on your goals.

If it were me doing the renovation, then I would be looking at KBG or TTTF.
Why?
I prioritize color (dark green, deep, rich) and disease resistance. Uniformity is a plus. Thinner blades are a plus.

Under those specifications,

I pass on the Hybrid bluegrass because I can get better color elsewhere.
I pass on a TTTF and KBG mix because I value uniformity (though, they do often look good together!)
That leaves KBG and TTTF.

If I go KBG, then I'm doing a mono stand. Nice and uniform, but perhaps risky. There is the benefit of thin blades. Plus, there is no need to overseed. The downsides include less certainty about how the effort will go , and worry about summer patch.

Downsides of TTTF include thicker blades, need to overseed, and diseases like brown patch. But it is truly difficult to top the color of healthy TTTF.

Many of us buy cultivars from companies that sell bags which are completely free from weed seeds. There is a list of suppliers on the forum. I think it is linked in the cool season guide.

 

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and information. I truly appreciate it. I will think about it some more and do a little bit more research before I decide what to do.

 

HMMM when you go to sodsolutions website and the HGT bluegrass page it shows a picture of the field at Busch Stadium.

So after some quick research I found that in 2013 Graff's Turf installed HGT bluegrass in Busch Stadium. Maybe they have changed the type of bluegrass used there and HGT just still uses that picture for advertisement.

https://www.baseballpilgrimages.com/grass-at-major-league-ballparks.html

That's where I got the info about graf's turf farm. I ended up calling them last year and spoke with one of the elder Graffs and he was the one who told me about the specific varieties they used at Busch.

Ive looked ar their site before but cant remember, was he willing to sell you seed or do they just do sod?

They sell both. They sell their seed in 5lb pales

 

here is that list of seed suppliers.
There are a lot of considerations in weighing TTTF vs KBG. One that the major differences that I didn't mention is establishment. Getting KBG established will test you mentally and physically. It takes a long time, and a lot of things can go wrong. TTTF will put you through the paces, no doubt, but KBG is a different kind of beast. A renovation is a major undertaking no matter what you are growing, and converting from Bermuda to cool season is arguably the most challenging kind.

I'm excited to see what you end up doing.

 

Busch stadium got new sod in 2017 after the winter classic. According to @NoslracNevok they have p105, rockstar, and diva.

@Nehf11 21000 square feet is quite a bit to renovate. What's the current status of your yard? Do you need to kill everything? Usually by know most people by know would have sourced their seed and start the killing process in the next week or two. For kbg most would be seeding by the middle of august to get it established by winter. Being in the transition zone will give you an advantage since our growing season will last longer than those in the north. I've done 2 kbg renos now in st louis and my seed down date was the last weekend of august.

Here's a reno guide written by @g-man that will help the process.

 

@social port - Do you have fescue/bluegrass lawn? I think I saw a pic of your yard. If so, I think that looks great and stripes very well. Did you do a full renovation or just overseed your existing yard?

 

@Nehf11 Most of my lawn is 100% TTTF.
I have two small plots of 100% KBG. One of the plots if a mix of Mazama, Award, and NuGlade. The same mix is being grown by another member in NC. The other plot is a Midnight monostand.
I did renovations for both the TTTF and the KBG. I usually seed TTTF in late September. Last year, I seeded the KBG on 8/22.

Budstl's post reminds me of how long you should be fallowing to do a renovation. The thing is, if you are going to renovate, you are not doing a normal kill if you are trying to kill the bermuda. Bermuda can walk through 4 glyphosate apps in one season. I would need to think it through, but I'm a little concerned that you do not have enough time to get a life-ending kill on the bermuda.

Have you treated the bermuda yet?
And do you have any renovation experience?

 

I have not done a full renovation on this scale before and when I did I didn't have an irrigation system like I do now. So that will help. Concerning the Bermuda it is not a major issue to me because one area I may end up keeping it (celebration Bermuda plugged). The rest of the yard is rye (that hasn't died yet), fescue that is a mix from the previous owner, and common Bermuda. The common Bermuda is the one that I would like to decrease or eliminate. My plan is to start the kill off In mid July then water to get the rest of the yard to germinate whatever seed is there and then kill it again. Planning on seeding end of September. Right now I'm looking at doing 8 pounds per 1,000 sqft of RTF and 1.5 pounds per 1,000 sqft of HGT bluegrass.

 

I have not done a full renovation on this scale before and when I did I didn't have an irrigation system like I do now. So that will help. Concerning the Bermuda it is not a major issue to me because one area I may end up keeping it (celebration Bermuda plugged). The rest of the yard is rye (that hasn't died yet), fescue that is a mix from the previous owner, and common Bermuda. The common Bermuda is the one that I would like to decrease or eliminate. My plan is to start the kill off In mid July then water to get the rest of the yard to germinate whatever seed is there and then kill it again. Planning on seeding end of September. Right now I'm looking at doing 8 pounds per 1,000 sqft of RTF and 1.5 pounds per 1,000 sqft of HGT bluegrass.

That sounds like a nice project, and I would be interested to see how the RTF and HGT blend looks. It's an interesting choice :thumbup: . I would double-check rates with someone who has experience growing a similar blend.
As far as the bermuda, you may be able to knock the bermuda back a bit with that plan, but you will not eliminate it. That may or may not be a problem depending on your expectations. Decrease, perhaps. Elminate, not likely.
The seed is the smallest part of the problem. A majority of the plants that you hit with gly will come back from the dead. Bermuda plants network under your soil in a way that is denser and more complex than the internet.