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Spotlight on Species

Kentucky bluegrass (Chapter 6 pg 125)

(Poa pratensis)

Background

  • Perhaps the most abundant grass in Ohio
  • Important not so much because of its quality, but because of its widespread abundance
Kentucky bluegrass pasture
click to enlarge (219kb)

ID
  • Leaf veins
  • "Boat" tips
Kentucky bluegrass lamina tip
click to enlarge (103kb)

Use

· One of the most hardy grasses, tolerant of low fertility
· Little growth during summer (drought adaptation)
· shade tolerant

Agronomy

· small seeds - typical sowing rate alone would be 6-8 lb/acre (rarely sown alone, a component of a mixture)
· invasive - usually appears once the sown species are depleted
· vigorous stolon growth; sod-forming species
· moderate quality

Common varieties

Many turf varieties (which should be avoided) - relatively few forage varities

old varieties: Kenblue, Park, and Troy

new varieties: Sidekick

Establishment

extremely small seed: 0.2 g / 1000 seed, it has very slow establishment

sowing rate 2-4 lb/ac in mixtures (pure sowing is not recommended)

can be spring (April) or fall (August) planted, ideally sown with a Brillioun seeder, but can be no-till planted

 

 

 

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