[Green]

• HGT Only. Upsides: Looks to have the overall best NTEP ratings by a pretty much uncontested margin. Good in all categories. Downsides: Color isn't as good as the others on the list. Seems like I can only order in a (minimum) 50 lb. bag?

Check out this place: http://toddvalleyfarms.com/store.html
Less than 50 lbs.

 

[Smaptastic]

So 50lb costs about $215. I need around 25lb. At the rate on that site, 25lb would be $200. I've seen other places that offer it in smaller sizes, but they all have the same issue. 25lb comes out to about the same price as just buying the 50lb bag.

 

[Miggity]

Another option would be to add Mazama to HGT. Straight Mazama is available from CD Ford in 10#bags for $40.

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

Like others said, Mono is the only way to get true uniformity. But if you similar varieties of KBG you can keep growth fairly uniform and hedge your bets on disease a bit. But as others said, Fungicide is always an option to keep things at bay.

I loved my 5 way bluegrass blend + PRG when mowed. The problem was the next day the PRG would be a 1/8th of an inch taller than everything else and it bugged the hell out of me seeing all the "spikes" in the grass.

Honestly if i were you i would start with a Mono or KBG blend, and if in a year your struggling due to disease or some other reason, you can always overseed TTTF into it. Once you go TTTF/KBG blend you cant ever go back to see what a Mono/KBG only looks like without renovating the entire thing. If your willing to invest the time, start Mono, then add more varieties of KBG and or TTF in if you see it struggling.

 

[Captquin]

Something else to consider is that HGT is a blend of five cultivars, not a single one. You would already be getting some of the resistance with avoiding a monostand.

That said, I would love to see an HGT and Mazama blend!

 

[appsdeacs]

Just joined the site and have been reading and trying to learn as much as possible. I'm in WSNC, near by, and have similar lawn situation to you so I was Intrigued by approach. Thanks for writing this and to everyone that has commented. I have been looking at a tttf/kbg mix and now may go full turf blue hgt. Even found it at Nebraska turf for what seems like a good deal. Guess I'm going to jump in head first on my reno.

 

[Pezking7p]

I'm interested in hearing how this goes. I'm in Greensboro, and I wasn't aware that you could grow KBG here without a perfect setup.

Is it feasible to grow 5,000-10,000 sq ft KBG without irrigation, full sun? Asking for a friend...

 

[Captquin]

I have no idea how @j4c11 maintains his without irrigation, but he does. Also believe his gets more sun than mine. I have moderate shade and it still got scorched until I watered 3x a week.

For what it's worth, here's what the Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech had to say when I asked:

Research out of HRAREC [Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center]and NC State indicate that the fescue/bluegrass combos outperform monocultures (better disease tolerance, better color maintenance, no clumping concerns with the new fescues as it used to be, etc... these combos are now the norms for sod producers at 90% tall fescue and 10% Kentucky bluegrass... works out to be a 50/50 mix by seed count on the basis of the seed size) with the norm being regular fall interseeding of tall fescue to try to keep the bluegrass in balance... it tends to dominate over time as the bluegrass spreads by its rhizomes. So, if you have a bluegrass base, consider interseeding one of the best tall fescues into it... 2-3 lbs per 1000 sq ft... if you can aerate/seed or slit seed into the existing stand that would be ideal. Soil disruption will tend to also encourage some winter weed germination, and you can use Tenacity (mesotrione) to manage annual bluegrass in particular... can spray with one hand and seed with the other with Tenacity.

The only reason I'm hesitating is because mine is a first year lawn and J4c11's looks so good. And as some else mentioned, there's no going back once you overseed with a different species

 

[Pezking7p]

I have no idea how @j4c11 maintains his without irrigation, but he does. Also believe his gets more sun than mine. I have moderate shade and it still got scorched until I watered 3x a week.

For what it's worth, here's what the Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech had to say when I asked:

Research out of HRAREC and NC State indicate that the fescue/bluegrass combos outperform monocultures (better disease tolerance, better color maintenance, no clumping concerns with the new fescues as it used to be, etc... these combos are now the norms for sod producers at 90% tall fescue and 10% Kentucky bluegrass... works out to be a 50/50 mix by seed count on the basis of the seed size) with the norm being regular fall interseeding of tall fescue to try to keep the bluegrass in balance... it tends to dominate over time as the bluegrass spreads by its rhizomes. So, if you have a bluegrass base, consider interseeding one of the best tall fescues into it... 2-3 lbs per 1000 sq ft... if you can aerate/seed or slit seed into the existing stand that would be ideal. Soil disruption will tend to also encourage some winter weed germination, and you can use Tenacity (mesotrione) to manage annual bluegrass in particular... can spray with one hand and seed with the other with Tenacity.

The only reason I'm hesitating is because mine is a first year lawn and J4c11's looks so good. And as some else mentioned, there's no going back once you overseed with a different species

This makes me wonder about some of the lawns in my neighborhood. Some of them look very different from one another, and I wonder if the ones that look very different (finer blades, more....wirey?) have managed to help the KBG outperform the TTTF in the sod. I have mistreated mine, and all that's left is likely whatever variety of TTTF puts up with the worst conditions.

 

[j4c11]

I just want to clarify, I do irrigate when drought stress sets in, but I don't have an irrigation system. It's quite a bit of work moving sprinklers and hoses around, but it's only for 3 months so it's worth it.

Having just renovated last fall, my not even 1 year old grass looks like carp right now. 2 and 3 year old bluegrass can take abuse much better, obviously. I'm ok with it, some controlled natural selection is a good thing. Grass that survives will get to spread its superior heat/drough characteristics, grass that goes dormant and comes back gets to spread it's superior dormancy characteristics, and grass that just dies, good riddance I don't need more of that. I'm just looking to get to fall with at least 50% of the grass and no large dead patches, I can nurse a uniformly thin KBG lawn back to health in no time.

 

[Captquin]

...and grass that just dies, good riddance I don't need more of that.

I laughed...