What Type of Seed Should I Use on My Lawn?

Tall Fescue or Kentucky Bluegrass, which one is better?  This is a common question we receive every seeding season.  The problem is there isn’t an easy, one size fits all answer.  There are multiple reasons that you would choose one turf type over another. But, for the sake of this blog post, let’s say we are talking about the average lawn here in the Kansas City Metro.  

The Lawn Coaches Top Seeding Choice

Over the last 20 years we have tried dozens of combinations and we think the best mix for the average lawn is a mix of 90% fescue and 10% bluegrass.  This combination seems to hold up the best year in and year out.

• It gives good traffic durability
• Better disease resistance than single stands of either grass on their own
• Reasonable drought and heat resistance 
• The newer varieties have nice color and reasonable texture.  

We like the 10% bluegrass in this mix because it gives the lawn the ability to heal from traffic or damage better than fescue alone; it also helps soften the texture.  Fescue is very tough but it is a “bunch type” of grass where the bluegrass is a “spreading type” .  You can think of a bunch type grass as a grass that spreads in clumps or like an onion with the next new plant sprouting directly off the old plant right next to it.  They spread slowly.  The bluegrass on the other hand has runners that it sends out kind of like a strawberry plant so it can spread quicker and in multiple directions.  The ability to spread will allow the bluegrass to fill in holes faster but if just left alone it will eventually take over the fescue and you will return to a monoculture of bluegrass.  Not good!

The Exception

 Only use the 90/10 mix when seeding bare ground.  If you already have bluegrass in your lawn you don’t need to add more, remember it spreads.  Use fescue alone when over-seeding to help keep your percentages in balance.  The thick healthy lawn is the best defense against weeds.  Over-seeding every couple of years or anytime the lawn has been damaged will help keep the balance you want in order to maintain a beautiful lawn.If you have any questions on what would be best for your lawn this seeding season, contact a Lawn Coach today!-Wes Ory