KBG recommendations

15 years ago

I was hoping you can advise me on a mixture I am considering for my lawn. I live in St. Louis, MO. I am thinking of the following:

30% America

30% Moon Shadow

20% Total Eclipse

20% Midnight

Additionally, I am wonding if I would be better off to overseed or start over. Currently I have some KBG (unknown varieties) and majority tall fescues with a little under 10% weeds (spurge, crabgrass, and a little clover). My husband likes to mow the lawn to about an inch or inch and a half and I think the fescues are struggling in the summer months because of this. This is when the weeds really start to show up. Anyway, do you think I would be better off to overseed or destroy the lawn and start fresh.

Thanks in advance for your advice on my KBG mixture and best strategy to fix my lawn. Ultimately I would like mostly fine bladed KBG.

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Comments (3)

gryd
15 years ago
I don't know whether or not those varieties are best for your area. Have you checked www.ntep.org ? I overseeded 2 years ago and find myself wishing I had just started from scratch. I'm actually starting from scratch now with KBG. Your husband's mowing height is way too low for Tall Fescue or even KBG. Tall fescue should be mowed at around 3.5 inches! I'm surprised it's not "toast" by now. Plus, mowing too low will encourage more weeds.
soccer_dad
15 years ago
I wouldn't plant any new grass until you get hubby's cultural practice changed.

You will have the best results with a complete kill off and reseed of the new blend.

Midnight and Total Eclipse are the same types so I see no advantage there. The trick in blending is getting the characteristics and traits correct that work together, but I don't see anything wrong with what you have put together.
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I would cut it to 2 inches. Yes I know about the 1/3 rule, but you are in Canada, cooler temps, and you are watering daily, the grass can handle it every now and then. Your KBG seed can handle being walked on pre germination. I would probably mulch mow as using the bag can suck up some seed and topdressing, and I would probably double cut it, the first cut north to south at around 3.5 inches, the second cut east to west at 2 inches. This will also make your clippings much smaller.
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Great information! Thanks grass1950!
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You know, GRASS1950, I've known who you are on the other forum for quite a while. And I chose to ignore the fact that you "borrow material" from the other site and represent it as your own - I found it very funny that someone that previously pointed at other people for being nothing but reposters of Google material would do it himself from another site. But since you've chosen to single me out, I'll take the bait. I wonder if the folks here are aware that on a score-your-own-lawn poll, you gave your own lawn a 46 on a scale of 0-100. That you've posted that you didn't know the difference between sand and silt. I kind of think that advice about soil that comes from someone that knows the elementary things about what the primary topic is. By the way, all of this is from public postings that others are free to read. Why don't you post your ID that's on the other site, or give me an OK to do the same. Then people can draw their own conclusions and read about how other people did when they followed the advice given. Let's chat for a moment about what evidence you DO find legitimate. Academic and university sources are clueless in your opinion. (PS: I think academics follow to "industrial" an approach myself). So are anecdotal experience from people with 25-40 years of experience with lawn care, even when accompanied by photographic evidence. So, what is it that is acceptable to you? I make no bones about it that I think disturbing the soil is a big mistake. I personally lost a renovation to Poa Trivialis following core aeration. I still own a core aerator and it is outside my barn rusting away since it will never be used again. This post was edited by andy10917 on Sun, Sep 1, 13 at 15:56
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Many consider KBG the king of grass. Nice dark color, vigorous spreading and thus damage-correcting. It does require sun (6 hrs/day), watering, fertilizing, and occasional "thatching". Midnight and Midnight II have been mainstay varieties but have recently been downgraded due a susceptibility to powdery mildew. In a separate reply I'll send the University of Kentucky's recent recommendation. There's always a risk with a mono-culture, so a mix is preferred. Note that you may be buying a "coated" seed, now a common practice among seed packagers. Such is usually only disclosed in fine print on the contents label and is often 50% of the package weight.
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fescuedream
15 years ago
(posted this to wrong thread before; here goes)

I mow mine lawn at 1.2" and the fine fescues are the only areas on the lawn that look green and lush! In fact, those areas look fantastic right now. Now, if I could just get rid of that ratty-looking perennial ryegrass.

If he wants a neat, short-mowed yard, here are some tips I've found to work: water often in summer. Someone suggested watering twice a week, with a total of 1" per week. This seems to work well.

Invest in a good, reel-style power mower and maintain it religiously. The grass will not do well mowed short with a ragged edge from being whacked off by a rotary blade. Since rotaries are 99.99% of the market, that's why so many recommend mowing high - to accommodate these mowers' weakness. The reel blade will slice the blade off cleanly and pinch it in, resulting in a very small wound with little area.

Proof of the above: Grass in left group mowed with rotary (at higher setting). Grass in right group mowed with reel. I tried to get a couple of fat-bladed grass blades in each group.

{{gwi:103289}}

Which group looks healthier?

So the mechanism of cut affects the health of the grass, which is one of a couple of reasons why you need one to cut low.

(both machines are in good shape. The rotary lawn tractor is practically brand new, and the reel is regularly backlapped.)

KBG recommendations

Comments (3)

gryd

soccer_dad

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