The Truth About Bluegrass

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis)

• High quality, Great recuperator, Sod-former, Stress-resistant, Thatch-former, Poor shade tolerance
• Disease-and insect-prone?
• Higher water and N requirements???
• Kentucky bluegrass is drought resistant
• Kentucky bluegrass cultivars vary in ability to remain green during extended drought

Drought Tolerance

• Can tolerate dehydration
• Often possess excellent dormancy mechanisms
• Good ability to recover from dormancy

Factors Affecting Drought Survival

• Condition/health of turf entering drought
• Exposure to sun, wind
• Soil type (better survival on fine textured soils)
• Excess thatch will reduce survivability
• Varietal differences
• Traffic will reduce ability to survive prolonged drought

Turf Survival Without Water

BEST: buffalograss, blue grama, bromegrass, wheatgrasses, bermudagrass can survive without ANY supplemental irrigation

FAIR: Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescues, bentgrass and zoysiagrass can become dormant and survive for many (3-6) months without irrigation; some thinning will occur

POOR: perennial ryegrass and tall fescue may survive 2-4 months without ANYirrigation, but will be severely thinned

Landscape Irrigation

The IA also estimates that more than 20 million acres of residential and commercial landscape are irrigated today, consuming approximately 20 million acre-feet of water a year.

 

see the full presentation, The Truth About Bluegrass.pdf