[j4c11]

I'm currently growing Barenbrug's Turf Blue HGT in Greensboro NC. I chose this mix because it contains Barvette HGT, which tops the NTEP KBG chart in Raleigh NC and other transition zone areas. It is an aggressive cultivar with very high resistance to summer patch. It's meant for athletic fields and fast recovery from wear and traffic.

For that matter, I believe you can get a good look at it right in your "back yard" :thumbup:

 

[j4c11]

Almost everywhere you go you read that KBG requires more water than fescue. This is typically based on the argument that fescue roots can go about 36 inches deep, while bluegrass roots only go about 12" deep. In a typical lawn setup where mowing occurs regularly, fescue roots will only go about 6", same for bluegrass - and fescue's deep root advantage get erased. So far I am noticing no difference in drought resistance with bluegrass vs fescue last year. Another factor that is worth mentioning - in my area, bluegrass grew and spread through the winter while fescue stopped altogether. I had to mow pretty much once a week in December, January, February, March.

I'm going to give it a couple of years - I'd like to see how it behaves as it matures, and I'd also like to see how it recovers from dormancy after a brutal transition zone summer. If it actually recovers instead of just dying like fescue, it may actually be a superior choice of grass for the transition zone.

 

[j4c11]

Midnight does surprisingly well in summer patch tests and overall in the transition zone in NTEP.