►►► Want to fix your lawn for the long haul but don't know where to start? I can help! Click here right now and get started today: turfmech.link/dont-know-where-to-start ◄◄◄
I've been professionally fertilizing lawns in Michigan for 31 years. This video is outstanding! It can be very difficult identifying grass types at times. Subbed.
The detail you put into this video helped me tremendously! You just confirmed that I have a mix of TTTF and KBG in my lawn. Clear closeups of the root systems and the actual grass were spot on. Thank you!
So glad to hear that Chris! I hope to keep you and all my other viewers invested through the year- as always I have too many ideas for future content, its all about finding the time to get it produced. BTW, make sure to watch my tall fescue guide, it's long but there's some good summer tips in there that may be useful for you.
I tried searching the internet for "the best cold tolerant golf grass" and found nothing anywhere close to what I was looking for. You nailed 2 birds with this video, best hot golf grass and best cold golf grass. Tysm! I'm a gardiner in the state of Maine so I need to learn about the actual biology of plants to farm year round and everybody online just copies eachother instead of teaching. Ty again for sharing your knowledge!😁
Man, something about the way you approach turf grass maintenance and lawn care really speaks to me. You strike me as someone very curious. I have also thought about growing grass in pots just to see what the hell is up with them. Thanks for the great content.
In WI I imagine KBG would do well, probably not pushing 100 very often there! 😀 I am curious though how many kbg/PR lawns go mostly kbg over the years because most people never actually over seed. Makes you wonder 🤔
@@TurfMechanic true.💥 over time kbg wins. There is a lot of dormancy seen with the rye and kbg alike in summer. Both bounce back rather well in spring and fall.
Comments cont. I can't afford to water KBG too often, as my village here in WI charges high prices for city water; plus many rural citizens may have low output wells and will not stress their well pumps to water the grass. I let my prenenial rye lawn go dormat during the hot summer weeks, maybe water when seeding bare spots. Keep up the great content, I enjoy your show. Ken
Thanks for your comments Ken, I am the son of a preacher so talking too much and repetition is in my blood lol 😆 - as for the water hog comment, I think we both agree, I may not have conveyed it well enough though. Kbg needs a lot more water than PR but PR needs water regularly too just not in as high quantities. Some locations get big rain storms regularly so kbg can work, in the Portland Seattle areas regular rain and drizzle make PR do well. For those that can't get enough water down to keep kbg going through summer the pr or tall fescue is probably better. I'm glad you like the content otherwise and hope to see you in the comments again Kem!
Good to know the rye grass doesn’t need as much water. I overseeded and watered frequently. I’m now seeing mushrooms. I going to cut back on the water now that the new grass is around an inch. You may have helped to stop the fungus overgrowth. Thanks so much.
Great description of both type. I prefer KBG but it takes a lot longer to germinate. I had to fix my lawn to due accidental burning. My front yard I did kbg as it gets full sun, the back yard I went with rye/fescue as it does not get much sun. The back yard has come in very nicely but front yard, we had 2 big rain storms, so I had to reseed washed out areas. It's almost all in now but shallowest areas still maybe 1" of grow and others are 5" and dense. The kbg looks so much nicer but I hope it comes in all the way before cold weather is here in South Ontario. My neighbor saw me out there with my dethatcher/scarifier, a yard of dirt and wondering why I would do all that work while he re-sodded. I spent $250 on seed, soil and compost and he probably spent over $2k on sod. I like to save money plus the pride of growing a nice kbg
I completely understand what you are saying about your neighbor. Anyone can just re-sod their lawn, but it takes a real lawn nut to put in the effort to repair, reseed and rejoice a job well done!😅
You’re the best! And not because you live in Oregon where I was born and raised, though that helps lol. You have so much knowledge and you’re easy to understand. Keep up the great videos!
Nice video. The one thing I would say is PRG growth habit and rate vs KBG. The former grows much quicker than the latter so if you haven’t mowed your lawn in awhile it can look pretty ragged whereas if you have a pure kbg lawn it will look much more uniform. KbG while a pain to get established hands down beats PRG aesthetically in my option. One more thing, another way to distinguish the two is looking at the leaf. PRG has multiple parallel lines across the leaf blade whereas KBG has just the central vein
Bought a new house last year and your videos have helped me confirm that my lawn is mostly KBG, with some small areas of fine fescue in the shaded areas.
I tell you what. You have packed a ton of details and knowledge into this video. I just watched the one you posted a few weeks ago and now this one and I am glad I found your channel. Soon I am going to take the plunge and do what I have wanted to do for a few years. Kill my entire front yard and start over. I'm planting all Rye this Fall just to see what that looks like then will start over seeding with a blue/rye mix next Spring. I can't wait and I'm enjoying looking through all the video's online. This one was very helpfull and informative.
Long winded isn't always a bad thing! As long as the content is enthralling!😅 That being said... breaking up a video over multiple videos helps. 10 minutes each. Just so it doesn't seem so overwhelming.
There are ways to offset the water consumption of KBG depending on where you live and how hot the summers are. I use Hydretain twice per year and it does a fantastic job of retaining moisture to support KBG and keep it out of dormancy. Lots of bio stimulants and water retention is key to keep a cost effective KBG blend going. I am in Colorado.
Yes! Fodder for a future video that I'd like to produce in the next month if possible. Hydretain can help a lot with moisture retention and can be the difference between a healthy summer lawn or a dormant lawn sometimes.
@@babymoon5282 it is. Some places it is not allowed but there is nothing toxic from what I know. Safe around pets and kids. Just helps the soil retain moisture.
@@melissamybubbles6139 i am in Colorado but I have Sandy Loam soil down south. Very acidic and probably one of the worst to grow any plant in. This helps the grass and can be used on other plants too
I just started giving a crap about my lawn, and this is the most interesting and detailed video to spark my interest I have found yet. Not trying to spark competition, I just learned a lot from this. A lot of other folks didnt explain things I need to know... blade Identification for one thing. Thanks for the info Sir. 🇨🇦👊🏻👨🏻🏭💥 I just overseeded Kentucky bluegrass over what appears to be a lawn mix, and I finally have babies popping up, its been hot, and I have been diligent at watering just enough to not grow mushrooms. Lol. So far so good.
Awesome comment, thanks so much for sharing that. I hope I don't disappoint in other vids, I usually try to give as much as I can in every vid. Good luck on that new kbg, with summer coming to an end in another month it will look awesome very soon!
Thanks for this. You can't find this info anywhere, at least as well presented. This will be a nice reference. I live in west-central Wisconsin. Perennial Ryegrass doesn't last more than 5 years here. It doesn't do well during our cold winters and we get die off during our hot/humid summers. Not sure about the water requirement difference. At least there are A-LIST and TWCA cultivars out there that do much better with less inputs (e.g, 365ss from MVS). As far as thatch with KBG, as long as I'm not over fertilizing it, I haven't had a problem. I do a little over 2 lbs of N per season and my common KBG does well.
Agreed! Being a visual learner, I especially appreciate the close-ups of the leaf blade and root systems and the descriptions of colours. No other site has provided this sort of detail. This video was so educational, please do more like this with different grasses and perhaps weeds as well!
Awesome video thank you! I know you go back and forth identifying each with its proper explanation, but was wondering if you could use a marker next time to label the pots for better viewer identification. Thank you for everything you do.
I do have the sides labeled but they are fading, ill have to refresh them and maybe put some of those garden markers in them, the ones that we put in the garden beds to identify crops. Good idea Isaias!
I didn't realize how much I like KBG until I learned about KBG and other cool season grasses. Fine fescue is nice too, but I like to spoil my turf and play with different treatments. Rye grass is an excellent repair or companion grass, however.
Where have you been my whole life? lol 😂 I love how you talk about the actual grasses and types, I now know how to really take care of my tttf. Keep up the excellent work
So glad you found this content valuable! Thanks for watching and letting me know you liked it Perry! I'm actually starting to grow some warm season grasses even though I probably can't keep them alive over winter up here, I hope they are well recieved too when they are ready in a few months.
Something important i more realize is the difference between lawn and turf, which is utilization. Seeing the playground and proximity to the house, it’s more like a park which gets a lot of use, vs a lawn which is more of a centrepiece. Bluegrass is used on ball fields, regardless how well a grass may grow, use and intention is equally important when choosing your grass.
That's always the goal; I don't always get it done but I always WANT to give more than everyone else and help as many people as possible. Thanks for watching and I hope to see you in the comments again, don't be shy.
That's awesome! Glad to hear that - kind of makes me want to put together and ambient sounds video of the chickens just ambling around the lawn for an hour. 😃
I live in vancouver bc and prefer perennial rye. I mow tall in the summer and it requires minimal water but you are right it is suceptable to disease and fungus due to overwatering. If you overseed in the spring its really easy to maintain as it grows so thick and leaves no room for weeds to grow.
Brian, these videos are great, I'm learning so much more from your channel than any other. I really appreciate the time you put into these videos and the knowledge you are sharing. You are a prolific poster of high quality content, and really have a passion for lawn care that shines. I like all the lawn channels, but yours is definitely one of the best. I hope you get to 100k+ subscribers quickly. :-)
WOW! Best information yet...I am in Maryland, I mow at 3", water and fertilize.... Sounds like KTB and Perennial Rye are the choice? We just move here, sandy soil etc., Suggestions please?
I like the long videos! I’m planning on overseeding my bermuda lawn with some heat tolerant KBG (Barenbrug HGT) and these videos are super interesting!
At the beginning of the video, you have two different types of Kentucky bluegrass’s , one blend and one mona stand of midnight. were you able to do a side-by-side comparison of the blend versus the Mona stand, if so, what was the difference. I’m curious because the blend of grass seed I use is a four-way blend. it has zinger, arrowhead, blue note and legend. and I’d like to see how that compares to your monaa stand of midnight. Thanks you
I live in canada. I put a patch of Kentucky on my lawn that already had fescue. Now, the Kentucky patch is brown and the fescue is green. Do you think it's dead?
Thanks for taking the time to comment Vitaly, I'm always hoping to help a few people out with every vid; glad this one has reached so many in a helpful way :)
I live in Portland and I have a grass that I'm trying to ID -- previous owners killed the lawn with a tarp, and we've since un-tarped the yard and started landscaping. I think it's from the former lawn because it forms very lawnish clumps, but instead of rhizomes it seems to have stolons. Do any varieties of KB have stolons? I thought it might be kentucky bluegrass because it's very cold tolerant, it can't handle drought at all, and I thought the flower stalk looked like pictures of KB's. It also has a lot of that mangenta color especially when dried out and seems to tolerate very poor drainage. Do you know of any cold season grasses typical in lawns of the PNW like that? Thanks! Good video also very informative!
Thanks a lot John! I didn't use a grow light. Germinated and then used window sills and put pots outside in the sun on the warmer days of winter. Worked like a charm 😃
Hi Brian. Unrelated question but I'm so curious about this. I have mix of tall and fine fescue. Bad poa problem I want to deal with this fall. The rate of Prodimine for fine is so much lower then tall but I'm guessing I have to use this lower rate? I was surprised the rate was that different. Thank you.
Would you recommend mixing perennial rye with my KBG in southeast Michigan? I'm going to have to level and overseed soon and seed because some leveling is going to be super deep. N
if the temps get high enough then yeah, it will slowly thin out over time and in a couple seasons it will mostly be dead...probably. There are some PR varieties that have higher temp tolerances and of course if you water frequently then the rye will probably last longer too. If summer temps rarely go past 95 though I'd bet on PR sticking around in the lawn for a long time, years.
Great info, Brian. Not sure what my lawn is although I think it's KBG and TTTF, but in the back yard where the house shades it, if I mow it over 3" it wants to lay down and go sideways. I have to rake it up to get it cut. I'm wondering which type this is. I'm thinking KBG, but not sure. You certainly know a lot about grasses.
Right now I'm fighting an old lawn in Ohio that is made up of 3 different types of grasses. One type is absolutely horrible and I don't know what it is. It's long, thin, stringy and dull looking. It gets matted down. I've mowed it and then ran a dethatch rake over it and it is longer still. It doesn't seem like it can support itself like this beautiful blue grass / fescue that is next to it and the difference is black and white. ANY IDEA WHAT IT IS ? It seems to be whatever seed was cheap and bought off the shelf and thrown down for a large repair area years ago.
can you mow fine fescue as short as prg and kbg? I have kbg and prg mix. but have a heavy shaded area that is always thin. was thinking of planting fine fescue after hearing you say that. but I mow my lawn very short. Will that work?
You can mow it quite short but the shadier the area the more I'd ensure there's a bit of height to it. Anything under an inch might start stressing it if it's a very dense shade all day. It does still need some leaf tissue for photosynthesis afterall.
@@TurfMechanic what about 1 inch 1 and a half? The area gets about few hours of sun . When the sun first comes up and when it's about to go down. I thought of doing something else there like pavers or a shed. Since I can't even get it to dry when I water it
It will blend well with color but the texture will be different, not a huge difference since you still have a bit of pr and kbg in the area but it will be noticeable to you...probably only few others though. It's better than having a thin or bare spot though so I wouldn't hesitate to add the fine to the area.
If u have Kentucky bluegrass…and it forms a rhizome into ur mulch bed. Then you glyphosate the grass in the mulch bed, does that affect the Kentucky grass in the lawn that shades the same roots?!
I think you'll like it; most people seem to be happy with it however I think the cultivars change on it periodically which is why they don't advertise them. I could be wrong about that though. The Original is supposed to be only TTTF so if you want a pure fescue lawn then this is a good option. Have you considered RTF Fescue, the kind that spreads with rhizomes? If you're going to seed fescue it's gotta be something to consider at least.
The seed head differences is awesome to know. Is it safe to assume that using a primarily ryegrass mix for patching dead spots during the year in a mixed lawn will eventually even out as the KBG spreads in?
I have recently did a reno on my lawn using KBG/rye mix in April and am noticing a thatch buildup (august)How often do you recommend mechanical dethatching the KBG.
If you just did the reno, you should not have the dethatch just yet. I would be worried the grass is still to fresh to take a beating of dethatching. Maybe use one those rakes to lightly pull up the debris and next year, get one of those sun joe dethatchers and it will pull up the junk.
thanks a lot for the compliment, as for your question I don't know I'd have to research that as I've never heard of that term. My gut is telling me no because PR doesn't strike me as viable anywhere n MX but what would life be without things to research and learn about? :)
@@TurfMechanic thanks a lot for your prompt reply! I am actually from India and most of the nurseries here sell Mexican grass or Korean grass and I can’t figure out what type of grass are these, coz online I can only find grass by their common names! But thank you!
Ok I think I have found out something, it’s called carpet grass, scientific name Axonopus genus!! I think and it’s commonly know here as Mexican carpet grass!!
Great video Brian. I am trying to decide between 100% KBG or 80% KBG 20% PRG. I know you have experience seeding both. I have heard PRG is allopathic and will make it harder for other species to grow. For that reason people have recommended seeding the KBG first and then the PRG after. Is there any truth to this?
I haven't noticed anything suggesting that seeding PR before other stuff will be a challenge. Last year I seeded a patch of PR and then four months later overseeding the whole thing with KBG and it turned out awesome. I also added to that section in the fall seeding both PR and KBG simultaneously and that worked great too. This year I'm planning on seeding annual rye on my hill yard followed by a late Spring overseed of Buffalograss...followed by a fall overseeding of clover. I expect the process to work beautifully and be left with a buffalo/clover stand next spring that should be very low maintenance. The PR will give you quick cover while the KBG comes in and matures...eventually you'll probably have more kbg in the lawn than PR so I think an 80/20 mix sounds great. If I were to make an argument for planting KBG first it would be because of speed of establishment. I could see spreading KBG and then waiting 7 days before spreading PR, then by day 14 everything should be coming in at the same time making your irrigation simpler for the seedbed.
I don't mind your "long windedness". It is relaxing to watch in a way. I will book mark this as I always forget the differences between the KBG and the Rye. Also experimented with TTTF and some Fine Fescue in my shady areas after watching your vids. Keep up the great work. I am a little bit of a grass nut so here is my attempt to grow some late in the season: ruclips.net/video/a-T_spSlDAI/видео.html Yes, we are all grass nuts!
This is spectacular! I love the extreme nature of your setup! I've never gone so far as to setup outdoor growlights over the seedbed. I've covered the grass with greenhouse plastic but not in a tunnel either. LOL You are awesome Rick! For what it's worth though, my wife tells me I'm not allowed to do this on the lawn, LOL.
Many of them are, it depends on what variety you get from what producer. To be sure you'd have to lookup and producer the seed you are using and contact them directly with the question. Some grass types are universally sterile hybrid bermuda comes to mind (pretty sure it's 100%) but if you planted common bermuda then those seed heads would not be sterile. As for commercially sourced PR or KBG I'd have to research that specifically to learn generally how many are or aren't sterile when grown from seed.
I live in Vancouver too and same! I started my front and back lawn lawn from seed and did straight PRG back in 2020. My front lawn, which is on the south side of my house and in full sun from 8am-6pm in the summer, went to hell a couple years back during that hot spell. I was watering every day and it still went dormant and was overtaken by weeds. Hopefully this fall I'll have the funds and time to tear it out and put down some fresh KBG sod. My back yard has been infested with POA in several areas too which is frustrating, as the entire motivation for digging out and replacing my back lawn was to get rid of that, and it came back anyway, albeit not as bad. I think I'll have to eventually cut the lawn out again and next time lay sod instead of seed. At least this time I'll know about the existence of sod cutters though. I dug out about 800sf of grass with a square nose shovel last time before someone informed me there's a machine for that job. That's some back-breaking work! 😅🤦♂️
Kentucky Bluegrass = Poa Pratensis. So it is from the Poa-Family and everybody knows what we don’t want in our lawn!?! Poa Annua, another member of the Poa-Family. So, for myself, i never use a seed with any „Poa“ in there🤗🤗
►►► Want to fix your lawn for the long haul but don't know where to start? I can help! Click here right now and get started today: turfmech.link/dont-know-where-to-start ◄◄◄
I'm thinking you're more a 'Turf Professor' than a 'Turf Mechanic.' Love this content!
Thanks so much for that comment; you know how to make a grown man blush! :D LOL
I've been professionally fertilizing lawns in Michigan for 31 years. This video is outstanding! It can be very difficult identifying grass types at times. Subbed.
The detail you put into this video helped me tremendously! You just confirmed that I have a mix of TTTF and KBG in my lawn. Clear closeups of the root systems and the actual grass were spot on. Thank you!
So glad to hear that Chris! I hope to keep you and all my other viewers invested through the year- as always I have too many ideas for future content, its all about finding the time to get it produced. BTW, make sure to watch my tall fescue guide, it's long but there's some good summer tips in there that may be useful for you.
I tried searching the internet for "the best cold tolerant golf grass" and found nothing anywhere close to what I was looking for. You nailed 2 birds with this video, best hot golf grass and best cold golf grass. Tysm! I'm a gardiner in the state of Maine so I need to learn about the actual biology of plants to farm year round and everybody online just copies eachother instead of teaching. Ty again for sharing your knowledge!😁
Man, something about the way you approach turf grass maintenance and lawn care really speaks to me. You strike me as someone very curious. I have also thought about growing grass in pots just to see what the hell is up with them.
Thanks for the great content.
Living in WI I will say that I appreciate both types for their strengths. I do agree and see more of a benefit of KBG here.
In WI I imagine KBG would do well, probably not pushing 100 very often there! 😀 I am curious though how many kbg/PR lawns go mostly kbg over the years because most people never actually over seed. Makes you wonder 🤔
@@TurfMechanic true.💥 over time kbg wins. There is a lot of dormancy seen with the rye and kbg alike in summer. Both bounce back rather well in spring and fall.
In Wisconsin. Got a salad bowl of a lawn and the hardware store man that sold me the KBG said it will start taking over. May the best grass win.
@@kless001 yes KBG spreads opposed to a rye grass that doesn't. It'll eventually fill in.
Comments cont.
I can't afford to water KBG too often, as my village here in WI charges high prices for city water; plus many rural citizens may have low output wells and will not stress their well pumps to water the grass. I let my prenenial rye lawn go dormat during the hot summer weeks, maybe water when seeding bare spots.
Keep up the great content, I enjoy your show.
Ken
Thanks for your comments Ken, I am the son of a preacher so talking too much and repetition is in my blood lol 😆 - as for the water hog comment, I think we both agree, I may not have conveyed it well enough though. Kbg needs a lot more water than PR but PR needs water regularly too just not in as high quantities. Some locations get big rain storms regularly so kbg can work, in the Portland Seattle areas regular rain and drizzle make PR do well. For those that can't get enough water down to keep kbg going through summer the pr or tall fescue is probably better. I'm glad you like the content otherwise and hope to see you in the comments again Kem!
Same here in the Chicagoland area. Hell you wash your car in the driveway and that’s a extra 20-30 bucks on your bill it seems like.
This is the best breakdown I’ve seen yet. Thanks buddy
I live in the northeast and use both these grass types. You showing the KBG sending new shoots out was very helpful!
Good to know the rye grass doesn’t need as much water. I overseeded and watered frequently. I’m now seeing mushrooms. I going to cut back on the water now that the new grass is around an inch. You may have helped to stop the fungus overgrowth. Thanks so much.
I've learned a lot from this video. Specifically about what grass thrives in which climate, shade vs no shade, etc.
Thanks.
Great description of both type. I prefer KBG but it takes a lot longer to germinate. I had to fix my lawn to due accidental burning. My front yard I did kbg as it gets full sun, the back yard I went with rye/fescue as it does not get much sun. The back yard has come in very nicely but front yard, we had 2 big rain storms, so I had to reseed washed out areas. It's almost all in now but shallowest areas still maybe 1" of grow and others are 5" and dense. The kbg looks so much nicer but I hope it comes in all the way before cold weather is here in South Ontario. My neighbor saw me out there with my dethatcher/scarifier, a yard of dirt and wondering why I would do all that work while he re-sodded. I spent $250 on seed, soil and compost and he probably spent over $2k on sod. I like to save money plus the pride of growing a nice kbg
I completely understand what you are saying about your neighbor. Anyone can just re-sod their lawn, but it takes a real lawn nut to put in the effort to repair, reseed and rejoice a job well done!😅
You’re the best! And not because you live in Oregon where I was born and raised, though that helps lol. You have so much knowledge and you’re easy to understand. Keep up the great videos!
Nice video. The one thing I would say is PRG growth habit and rate vs KBG. The former grows much quicker than the latter so if you haven’t mowed your lawn in awhile it can look pretty ragged whereas if you have a pure kbg lawn it will look much more uniform. KbG while a pain to get established hands down beats PRG aesthetically in my option. One more thing, another way to distinguish the two is looking at the leaf. PRG has multiple parallel lines across the leaf blade whereas KBG has just the central vein
Bought a new house last year and your videos have helped me confirm that my lawn is mostly KBG, with some small areas of fine fescue in the shaded areas.
I tell you what. You have packed a ton of details and knowledge into this video. I just watched the one you posted a few weeks ago and now this one and I am glad I found your channel. Soon I am going to take the plunge and do what I have wanted to do for a few years. Kill my entire front yard and start over. I'm planting all Rye this Fall just to see what that looks like then will start over seeding with a blue/rye mix next Spring. I can't wait and I'm enjoying looking through all the video's online. This one was very helpfull and informative.
Long winded isn't always a bad thing! As long as the content is enthralling!😅
That being said... breaking up a video over multiple videos helps. 10 minutes each. Just so it doesn't seem so overwhelming.
There are ways to offset the water consumption of KBG depending on where you live and how hot the summers are. I use Hydretain twice per year and it does a fantastic job of retaining moisture to support KBG and keep it out of dormancy. Lots of bio stimulants and water retention is key to keep a cost effective KBG blend going. I am in Colorado.
Yes! Fodder for a future video that I'd like to produce in the next month if possible. Hydretain can help a lot with moisture retention and can be the difference between a healthy summer lawn or a dormant lawn sometimes.
@@TurfMechanic If I used Hydrerain with my Colorado clay soil, would it drown my lawn bulbs?
Is it environmentally friendly?
@@babymoon5282 it is. Some places it is not allowed but there is nothing toxic from what I know. Safe around pets and kids. Just helps the soil retain moisture.
@@melissamybubbles6139 i am in Colorado but I have Sandy Loam soil down south. Very acidic and probably one of the worst to grow any plant in. This helps the grass and can be used on other plants too
I just started giving a crap about my lawn, and this is the most interesting and detailed video to spark my interest I have found yet. Not trying to spark competition, I just learned a lot from this. A lot of other folks didnt explain things I need to know... blade Identification for one thing.
Thanks for the info Sir.
🇨🇦👊🏻👨🏻🏭💥 I just overseeded Kentucky bluegrass over what appears to be a lawn mix, and I finally have babies popping up, its been hot, and I have been diligent at watering just enough to not grow mushrooms. Lol. So far so good.
Awesome comment, thanks so much for sharing that. I hope I don't disappoint in other vids, I usually try to give as much as I can in every vid. Good luck on that new kbg, with summer coming to an end in another month it will look awesome very soon!
Thanks for this. You can't find this info anywhere, at least as well presented. This will be a nice reference. I live in west-central Wisconsin. Perennial Ryegrass doesn't last more than 5 years here. It doesn't do well during our cold winters and we get die off during our hot/humid summers. Not sure about the water requirement difference. At least there are A-LIST and TWCA cultivars out there that do much better with less inputs (e.g, 365ss from MVS). As far as thatch with KBG, as long as I'm not over fertilizing it, I haven't had a problem. I do a little over 2 lbs of N per season and my common KBG does well.
i just moved to redmond, oregom from hawaii and was trying to determine what grass i have. perefect video.
Very informative. Appreciate the effort.
Watched the clip few times as I have rye+KBG mix.
I have been searching this type of video for several years. yours is best and thank you so much!
So glad I could help out! Thanks for letting me know George!
Agreed! Being a visual learner, I especially appreciate the close-ups of the leaf blade and root systems and the descriptions of colours. No other site has provided this sort of detail. This video was so educational, please do more like this with different grasses and perhaps weeds as well!
Very informative. I have some seeds from a mix sprouting with purple stems. Now I know that must be Perennial Rye.
Awesome video thank you! I know you go back and forth identifying each with its proper explanation, but was wondering if you could use a marker next time to label the pots for better viewer identification. Thank you for everything you do.
I do have the sides labeled but they are fading, ill have to refresh them and maybe put some of those garden markers in them, the ones that we put in the garden beds to identify crops. Good idea Isaias!
I didn't realize how much I like KBG until I learned about KBG and other cool season grasses. Fine fescue is nice too, but I like to spoil my turf and play with different treatments. Rye grass is an excellent repair or companion grass, however.
Where have you been my whole life? lol 😂 I love how you talk about the actual grasses and types, I now know how to really take care of my tttf. Keep up the excellent work
So glad you found this content valuable! Thanks for watching and letting me know you liked it Perry! I'm actually starting to grow some warm season grasses even though I probably can't keep them alive over winter up here, I hope they are well recieved too when they are ready in a few months.
Something important i more realize is the difference between lawn and turf, which is utilization. Seeing the playground and proximity to the house, it’s more like a park which gets a lot of use, vs a lawn which is more of a centrepiece. Bluegrass is used on ball fields, regardless how well a grass may grow, use and intention is equally important when choosing your grass.
Very much appreciate your getting down into the roots for us, that is so helpful, as well as the seed heads. Thank you soooooo much!
That's always the goal; I don't always get it done but I always WANT to give more than everyone else and help as many people as possible. Thanks for watching and I hope to see you in the comments again, don't be shy.
Great video. It's nice and calming. Make me want to listen while laying in the shade under the tree and take a nap.
That's a compliment :) Great info.
That's awesome! Glad to hear that - kind of makes me want to put together and ambient sounds video of the chickens just ambling around the lawn for an hour. 😃
I live in vancouver bc and prefer perennial rye. I mow tall in the summer and it requires minimal water but you are right it is suceptable to disease and fungus due to overwatering. If you overseed in the spring its really easy to maintain as it grows so thick and leaves no room for weeds to grow.
Brian, these videos are great, I'm learning so much more from your channel than any other. I really appreciate the time you put into these videos and the knowledge you are sharing. You are a prolific poster of high quality content, and really have a passion for lawn care that shines. I like all the lawn channels, but yours is definitely one of the best. I hope you get to 100k+ subscribers quickly. :-)
Muy bueno ... Thanks!! How you keep Poa away?
What a great and informative video!! Thanks for the explanations and the visual clues!
Maybe you could speak to what it takes for growing grass in pots. Ideas, best practices, requirements, etc.
WOW! Best information yet...I am in Maryland, I mow at 3", water and fertilize.... Sounds like KTB and Perennial Rye are the choice? We just move here, sandy soil etc., Suggestions please?
I like the long videos! I’m planning on overseeding my bermuda lawn with some heat tolerant KBG (Barenbrug HGT) and these videos are super interesting!
Thanks. After watching this video, I am very sure that my lawn has Kentucky Bluegrass.
So glad I could help!
talked about the leaf collar with your fingers, but I wish you'd shown us with the actual grass as well
At the beginning of the video, you have two different types of Kentucky bluegrass’s , one blend and one mona stand of midnight. were you able to do a side-by-side comparison of the blend versus the Mona stand, if so, what was the difference. I’m curious because the blend of grass seed I use is a four-way blend. it has zinger, arrowhead, blue note and legend. and I’d like to see how that compares to your monaa stand of midnight. Thanks you
WOW! The rye looks darker. Am I right? Is rye grass lawn hard to maintain?
I live in canada. I put a patch of Kentucky on my lawn that already had fescue. Now, the Kentucky patch is brown and the fescue is green. Do you think it's dead?
Thank you for the info I have been looking for. I will be telling all my grass buddy’s to subscribe to your channel.
This video is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Thanks for doing it!!
My question is if you seed rye woth kgb will there be two different colors of green in yard
Great video!! Lots of good info from your videos keep it up !
Thanks for taking the time to comment Vitaly, I'm always hoping to help a few people out with every vid; glad this one has reached so many in a helpful way :)
Have you ever tried to grow KGB indoors in a pot over the wintertime getting sun only through a window?
So if I have perennial rye grass seed heads appearing and I mow it, will the seeds that drop grow? A small overseed by itself?
Good stuff...thank you. You are indeed a Turf Mechanic.
I live in Portland and I have a grass that I'm trying to ID -- previous owners killed the lawn with a tarp, and we've since un-tarped the yard and started landscaping. I think it's from the former lawn because it forms very lawnish clumps, but instead of rhizomes it seems to have stolons. Do any varieties of KB have stolons? I thought it might be kentucky bluegrass because it's very cold tolerant, it can't handle drought at all, and I thought the flower stalk looked like pictures of KB's. It also has a lot of that mangenta color especially when dried out and seems to tolerate very poor drainage. Do you know of any cold season grasses typical in lawns of the PNW like that? Thanks! Good video also very informative!
a lot of golden tidbits here thanks!!
Great video, very informative! What kind of grow light did you use to grow that in your garage?
Thanks a lot John! I didn't use a grow light. Germinated and then used window sills and put pots outside in the sun on the warmer days of winter. Worked like a charm 😃
Excellent video. Thanks for sharing
I like your video's but I live on the Calif/Oregon boarder along the coast, what type of grass seed should I use.
How interesting and informative. Thankyou!
I live in northwest indiana and i have the Kentucky blue grass its awsome 👌
Seems like a perfect climate for it too...not that I'm an expert on Indiana climate but still. 😁
Very informative! I’m in Oregon too - how do you think a RTF TTTF like Barenburg’s Water Saver would do near Portland? What are the key differences?
Excellent explanation!
Do you think it would be ok to overseed a tall fescue lawn with kentucky bluegrass? Just to help fill in spots on its own.
I think so for sure, I'd definitely consider that especially in sunnier locations.
Awesome video man! I will have to get out and really look close to figure out what I have.
😊Keep up the great work that you do and never give up, even when things are going slow. Subscriber by subscriber. It takes commitment and hard work.
Hi Brian. Unrelated question but I'm so curious about this. I have mix of tall and fine fescue. Bad poa problem I want to deal with this fall. The rate of Prodimine for fine is so much lower then tall but I'm guessing I have to use this lower rate? I was surprised the rate was that different. Thank you.
Would you recommend mixing perennial rye with my KBG in southeast Michigan? I'm going to have to level and overseed soon and seed because some leveling is going to be super deep. N
Does perrenial in a blend with Bermuda just die when summer comes? And new overfeeding required every winter?
if the temps get high enough then yeah, it will slowly thin out over time and in a couple seasons it will mostly be dead...probably. There are some PR varieties that have higher temp tolerances and of course if you water frequently then the rye will probably last longer too. If summer temps rarely go past 95 though I'd bet on PR sticking around in the lawn for a long time, years.
Great info, Brian. Not sure what my lawn is although I think it's KBG and TTTF, but in the back yard where the house shades it, if I mow it over 3" it wants to lay down and go sideways. I have to rake it up to get it cut. I'm wondering which type this is. I'm thinking KBG, but not sure. You certainly know a lot about grasses.
Very well could be poa trivialis, which lays down when long. Is it super easy to pull up? Its shallow roots make it easy to pull out.
What does a fescue seed head look like?
Right now I'm fighting an old lawn in Ohio that is made up of 3 different types of grasses. One type is absolutely horrible and I don't know what it is. It's long, thin, stringy and dull looking. It gets matted down. I've mowed it and then ran a dethatch rake over it and it is longer still. It doesn't seem like it can support itself like this beautiful blue grass / fescue that is next to it and the difference is black and white.
ANY IDEA WHAT IT IS ?
It seems to be whatever seed was cheap and bought off the shelf and thrown down for a large repair area years ago.
can you mow fine fescue as short as prg and kbg? I have kbg and prg mix. but have a heavy shaded area that is always thin. was thinking of planting fine fescue after hearing you say that. but I mow my lawn very short. Will that work?
You can mow it quite short but the shadier the area the more I'd ensure there's a bit of height to it. Anything under an inch might start stressing it if it's a very dense shade all day. It does still need some leaf tissue for photosynthesis afterall.
@@TurfMechanic what about 1 inch 1 and a half? The area gets about few hours of sun . When the sun first comes up and when it's about to go down. I thought of doing something else there like pavers or a shed. Since I can't even get it to dry when I water it
@@mustafaalbouali fine fescue will likely do great there at that height
@@TurfMechanic thanks for all the responds. Last question is, will it blend in perfectly with kbg and prg?
It will blend well with color but the texture will be different, not a huge difference since you still have a bit of pr and kbg in the area but it will be noticeable to you...probably only few others though. It's better than having a thin or bare spot though so I wouldn't hesitate to add the fine to the area.
If u have Kentucky bluegrass…and it forms a rhizome into ur mulch bed. Then you glyphosate the grass in the mulch bed, does that affect the Kentucky grass in the lawn that shades the same roots?!
Just don't use glyphosate, ever. That garbage causes cancer, harms wildlife, and ends up in our groundwater. Shouldn't even be legal!
Awesome channel. Do you know of another channel like yours but located in Florida? Thanks 🙏
Thank you. very simply explained.
@turf mechanic, love the channel. What do you think about the black beauty brand original? Thanks.
I think you'll like it; most people seem to be happy with it however I think the cultivars change on it periodically which is why they don't advertise them. I could be wrong about that though. The Original is supposed to be only TTTF so if you want a pure fescue lawn then this is a good option. Have you considered RTF Fescue, the kind that spreads with rhizomes? If you're going to seed fescue it's gotta be something to consider at least.
The seed head differences is awesome to know. Is it safe to assume that using a primarily ryegrass mix for patching dead spots during the year in a mixed lawn will eventually even out as the KBG spreads in?
Yes, the KBG will fill in the bare spots.
extremely informative. subbed.
I have recently did a reno on my lawn using KBG/rye mix in April and am noticing a thatch buildup (august)How often do you recommend mechanical dethatching the KBG.
If you just did the reno, you should not have the dethatch just yet. I would be worried the grass is still to fresh to take a beating of dethatching. Maybe use one those rakes to lightly pull up the debris and next year, get one of those sun joe dethatchers and it will pull up the junk.
Great video!! Is the perennial rye also called Mexican lawn grass?
thanks a lot for the compliment, as for your question I don't know I'd have to research that as I've never heard of that term. My gut is telling me no because PR doesn't strike me as viable anywhere n MX but what would life be without things to research and learn about? :)
@@TurfMechanic thanks a lot for your prompt reply! I am actually from India and most of the nurseries here sell Mexican grass or Korean grass and I can’t figure out what type of grass are these, coz online I can only find grass by their common names! But thank you!
Ok I think I have found out something, it’s called carpet grass, scientific name Axonopus genus!! I think and it’s commonly know here as Mexican carpet grass!!
Great video. Nice job.
Great info. Thanks for the content
That shinyness on the ryegrass is probably a thicker waxy cuticle
Would you happen to have a fb?
Great video Brian. I am trying to decide between 100% KBG or 80% KBG 20% PRG. I know you have experience seeding both. I have heard PRG is allopathic and will make it harder for other species to grow. For that reason people have recommended seeding the KBG first and then the PRG after. Is there any truth to this?
I haven't noticed anything suggesting that seeding PR before other stuff will be a challenge. Last year I seeded a patch of PR and then four months later overseeding the whole thing with KBG and it turned out awesome. I also added to that section in the fall seeding both PR and KBG simultaneously and that worked great too. This year I'm planning on seeding annual rye on my hill yard followed by a late Spring overseed of Buffalograss...followed by a fall overseeding of clover. I expect the process to work beautifully and be left with a buffalo/clover stand next spring that should be very low maintenance. The PR will give you quick cover while the KBG comes in and matures...eventually you'll probably have more kbg in the lawn than PR so I think an 80/20 mix sounds great. If I were to make an argument for planting KBG first it would be because of speed of establishment. I could see spreading KBG and then waiting 7 days before spreading PR, then by day 14 everything should be coming in at the same time making your irrigation simpler for the seedbed.
Thank you so much for your help !!!!
You're welcome Gary!
Thanks for this videos, very interesting!
Great video, thanks!
I learned sooooo much!!!! Thank you!
I don't mind your "long windedness". It is relaxing to watch in a way. I will book mark this as I always forget the differences between the KBG and the Rye. Also experimented with TTTF and some Fine Fescue in my shady areas after watching your vids. Keep up the great work. I am a little bit of a grass nut so here is my attempt to grow some late in the season: ruclips.net/video/a-T_spSlDAI/видео.html Yes, we are all grass nuts!
This is spectacular! I love the extreme nature of your setup! I've never gone so far as to setup outdoor growlights over the seedbed. I've covered the grass with greenhouse plastic but not in a tunnel either. LOL You are awesome Rick! For what it's worth though, my wife tells me I'm not allowed to do this on the lawn, LOL.
when grass reseeds,are the seeds sterile?
Many of them are, it depends on what variety you get from what producer. To be sure you'd have to lookup and producer the seed you are using and contact them directly with the question. Some grass types are universally sterile hybrid bermuda comes to mind (pretty sure it's 100%) but if you planted common bermuda then those seed heads would not be sterile. As for commercially sourced PR or KBG I'd have to research that specifically to learn generally how many are or aren't sterile when grown from seed.
I live in Vancouver Washington and my PRG did not like 116 degrees very much 🤣
I live in Vancouver too and same! I started my front and back lawn lawn from seed and did straight PRG back in 2020. My front lawn, which is on the south side of my house and in full sun from 8am-6pm in the summer, went to hell a couple years back during that hot spell. I was watering every day and it still went dormant and was overtaken by weeds. Hopefully this fall I'll have the funds and time to tear it out and put down some fresh KBG sod. My back yard has been infested with POA in several areas too which is frustrating, as the entire motivation for digging out and replacing my back lawn was to get rid of that, and it came back anyway, albeit not as bad. I think I'll have to eventually cut the lawn out again and next time lay sod instead of seed. At least this time I'll know about the existence of sod cutters though. I dug out about 800sf of grass with a square nose shovel last time before someone informed me there's a machine for that job. That's some back-breaking work! 😅🤦♂️
My KTB grass is suuuuuper dark compared to my PRG.. my ocd hurts
Nice job!
Kentucky Bluegrass = Poa Pratensis. So it is from the Poa-Family and everybody knows what we don’t want in our lawn!?! Poa Annua, another member of the Poa-Family. So, for myself, i never use a seed with any „Poa“ in there🤗🤗
Why does my grass grow in in clumps and make the lawn bumpy
Awesome and well needed content brian! good job!
Im sharing to my community feed!
#FRESHCONTENT
Thanks for your comments and support George! Glad to provide something a lot of people were looking for 😃
Hey guys, for summer lawn fertilization tips see this video of mine (worth it): ruclips.net/video/voVIGMHgNxA/видео.html
Use a tripod, the camera movement is so intrusive you can’t tell the difference between the grasses.
Lawn PH.D master
Lol, thanks Alan 👊
too much camera movement
probably right
Nice information, but there is way too much camera movement. I cannot handle the Blair Witch type production.
No such thing as long winded...just people with too short of attention span. Not your fault.