Lawn Care/New Grass/Turfgrass Selection /Turfgrass Species and Cultivars

The most commonly used turfgrasses in the Midwest are Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, fine-leaf fescue, creeping bentgrass, and zoysiagrass. These species vary in growth habit, appearance, and maintenance requirements. The next sections will describe these turfgrasses (also buffalograss) and will detail their characteristics. Growth habits include rhizomatous (spread by underground stems), stoloniferous (spread by aboveground stems), and bunch (gradual increase in clump size). Appearance characteristics include overall turfgrass quality based on a combination of turfgrass color, leaf width, and density. Maintenance requirements include mowing, irrigating, fertilizing, cultivating, and controlling pests.

In addition, these grasses differ in environmental adaptation, wear tolerance, recuperative ability, and use. Environmental adaptation refers to the environment in which each turfgrass will normally perform best. For example, each turfgrass performs best in a particular type of soil and in a certain amount of light. Wear tolerance refers to a turfgrass's ability to withstand traffic, while recuperative ability indicates the turfgrass's ability to recover after damage that can result from insects, diseases, traffic, or environmental stresses. Finally, for each of these turfgrasses, information concerning normal uses is presented. Cultivar recommendations for these turfgrasses are included. In addition, information on specialized cultivar traits, such as disease resistance or shade tolerance, is listed when this specific information exists.

Establishment Method: Seeding, sodding

Appearance: Moderate to high quality depending on cultivar, management, and environment; medium texture; green to dark green with good density

Growth Habit: Rhizomatous

Wear Tolerance: Medium

Environmental Adaptation: Well-drained, moist, neutral to slightly acid, fertile soils; full sun to light shade; good low-temperature tolerance; poor to fair drought tolerance, depending on management and cultivar

Maintenance Requirements: Low to high depending on cultivar, use, and management level; mow frequently (depending on use), normal lawn heights are 2 to 3 inches; supply 2 to 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per growing season; supply 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water per week during the growing season to maintain green and active growth; vigorous cultivars grown under high maintenance are prone to producing thatch; diseases and insects can be a problem depending on cultivar, use, management, and growth environment

Recuperative Ability: Good

Uses: Use low maintenance types in areas receiving minimal culture; improved types are generally used for home lawns, commercial sites, and other areas requiring attractive turf; Kentucky bluegrass is also used on golf course fairways, tees, and rough are as, and in other athletic settings because of its recuperative potential and appearance

Other Notes: Most popular cool season turfgrass with many cultivars available; match cultivar to use and management level; slow to establish by seed; seedlings usually weak

Table 1. Recommended improved Kentucky bluegrass cultivars for general turf use

Adelphi	Bono	Enmundi	Midnight	Rugby
Admiral	Bristol	Estate	Mona	Sydsport
America	Brunswick	Freedom	Monopoly	Touchdown
Argyle	Challenger	Georgetown	Mystic	Trenton
Aspen	Cheri	Glade	Nassau	Victa
Banff	Columbia	Holiday	Nugget	Welcome
Barblue	Coventry	Majestic	Parade
Baron	Dormie	Merion	Plush
Bensun (A-34)	Eclipse	Merit	Ram I

Table 2. Kentucky bluegrass cultivars for low-maintenance settings*

Argyle	Monopoly	Ram I	Victa
Barblue	Parade	S-21	Wabash
Kenblue	Plush	S. D. Common

*These Kentucky bluegrasses have been reported to perform acceptably under low management (1 pound nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year, no irrigation, and high mowing).

Table 3. Kentucky bluegrass cultivars exhibiting moderate shade tolerance

A-34 (Bensun)	Eclipse	Nugget	Victa
Bristol	Glade	Touchdown

Table 4. Kentucky bluegrass cultivars for sports applications

A-34 (Bensun)	Baron	Cheri	Nassau	Sydsport
Adelphi	Bonnieblue	Eclipse	Parade	Touchdown
America	Bristol	Glade	Ram I	Victa
Aspen	Brunswick	Majestic	Rugby

Table 5. Kentucky bluegrass cultivars for rapid establishment

A-34 (Bensun)	Baron	Majestic	Nassau	Sydsport
Adelphi	Cheri	Merit	Parade	Trenton
America	Columbia	Midnight	Plus	Victa
Aspen	Glade	Mystic	Rugby

Table 6. Aggressive Kentucky bluegrass cultivars

A-34 (Bensun)	Glade	Mystic	Sydsport
Eclipse	Merion	Plush	Touchdown
Enmundi	Midnight	Princeton 104

Table 7. Heat-tolerant Kentucky bluegrass cultivars for general turf use

Adelphi	Aspen	Coventry	Enmundi	Trenton
America	Columbia	Eclipse	Midnight

Table 8. Other heat-tolerant Kentucky bluegrass cultivars

4 Aces	Bronco	Georgetown	SR2000	Voyager
Amazon	Chateau	Huntsville	Suffolk	Wabash
Blacksburg	Classic	Kelly

Table 9. Kentucky bluegrass cultivars exhibiting disease resistance

Dollar spot	Leaf spot/melting out	Red thread	Summer patch/ necrotic ring spot
A-34 (Bensun)	A-34 (Bensun)	Adelphi	Adelphi
Adelphi	Adelphi	Admiral	Admiral
America	Admiral	Aspen	America
Banff	America	Banff	Banff
Bristol	Aspen	Barblue	Baron
Brunswick	Banff	Baron	Bristol
Challenger	Barblue	Bono	Brunswick
Columbia	Bono	Bristol	Challenger
Eclipse	Bristol	Dormie	Cheri
Majestic	Brunswick	Eclipse	Columbia
Merit	Challenger	Enmundi	Eclipse
Midnight	Cheri	Holiday	Enmundi
Nassau	Columbia	Majestic	Glade
Parade	Eclipse	Merit	Majestic
Park	Enmundi	Midnight	Midnight
Plush	Fylking	Mona	Monopoly
Rugby	Holiday	Monopoly	Mystic
Trenton	Majestic	Nassau	Nassau
	Merit	Nugget	Parade
	Midnight	Plush	Rugby
	Mona	Ram I	Sydsport
	Monopoly	Touchdown	Trenton
	Nassau	Trenton	Victa
	Nugget	Victa
	Parade	Welcome
	Plush
	Rugby
	Sydsport
	Touchdown
	Trenton

Establishment Method: Seeding

Appearance: Moderate to high quality depending on cultivar, management, and environment; medium texture with good density and uniformity; similar to Kentucky bluegrass

Growth Habit: Bunch

Wear Tolerance: Good

Environmental Adaptation: Well-drained, moist, neutral to slightly acidic, fertile soils; full sun; avoid temperature extremes; lacks tolerance to excessive heat, cold, and drought

Maintenance Requirements: Moderate to high depending on cultivar, use, and environment; mow frequently (depending on use), normal lawn heights are 2 to 3 inches; supply 2 to 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per growing season; supply 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water per week during the growing season to maintain green and active growth; thatch is not a major problem due to bunch-type growth habit; some cultivars are susceptible to diseases, especially red thread and Pythium blight

Recuperative Ability: Poor

Uses: Use low maintenance types in areas receiving minimal culture; improved types are generally used with Kentucky bluegrass for home lawns, commercial sites, and other areas requiring attractive turf; perennial ryegrass is also used on golf course fairways, tees, and rough areas, and in other athletic settings because of its wear tolerance, appearance, and rapid germination

Other Notes: Rarely used alone; usually combined with Kentucky bluegrass in full sun or with Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescue in shady areas; good tolerance to soil compaction; very good for overseeding and renovation; germinates rapidly and strongly; insect pests and diseases can be a problem

Table 10. Recommended perennial ryegrass cultivars for general turf use

Acclaim	Cowboy	Jazz	Premier
Allaire	Dasher	Manhattan II	Ranger
All Star	Delray	Omega II	Regal
Barry	Derby	Ovation	Repell
Birdie II	Diplomat	Palmer	Rival
Blazer II	Elka	Patriot	Runway
Brenda	Fiesta II	Pennant	Tara
Caliente	Gator	Pennfine	Ultima
Citation II	Goalie	Prelude	Yorktown II

Table 11. Perennial ryegrass cultivars exhibiting moderate shade tolerance

Birdie II	Fiesta II	Palmer
Citation II	Manhattan II	Regal

Table 12. Perennial ryegrass cultivars for sports applications

All Star	Derby	Ovation	Ranger
Birdie II	Diplomat	Palmer	Repell
Blazer II,	Elka	Pennant	Yorktown II
Citation II	Fiesta II	Pennfine
Dasher	Manhattan II	Prelude
Delray	Omega II	Premier

Table 13. Recommended heat-tolerant perennial ryegrass cultivars for general turf use

All Star	Cowboy	Derby	Manhattan II	Pennant
Birdie II	Dasher	Fiesta II	Omega II	Prelude
Citation II	Delray	Gator	Palmer	Premier

Table 14. Other perennial ryegrass claiming to be heat tolerant

Advent	Belle	Envy	Seville
APM	Caddie	Saturn	SR4000

Table 15. Perennial ryegrass cultivars exhibiting disease resistance

Brown patch	Dollar spot	Leaf spot/ melting out	Red thread
All Star	All Star	Birdie II	Citation II
Barry	Birdie II	Blazer II	Delray
Birdie II	Blazer	Brenda	Prelude
Blazer II	Delray	Citation II	Premier
Citation II	Elka	Dasher	Ranger
Derby	Fiesta	Delray	Regal
Diplomat	Gator	Derby	Tara
Gator	Omega	Diplomat
Manhattan II	Palmer	Gator
Omega II	Pennant	Manhattan II
Palmer	Prelude	Omega II
Pennant	Premier	Palmer
Pennfine	Regal	Prelude
Prelude	Yorktown II	Premier
Premier		Ranger
Regal		Repell
Repell		Rival
Tara		Tara
Yorktown II		Yorktown II

Establishment Method: Seeding and occasionally sodding

Appearance: Medium-coarse to coarse texture with low density

Growth Habit: Bunch

Wear Tolerance: Good, after establishment

Environmental Adaptation: Adapts to wide range of soils and environments; full sun; tolerates some shade; does well in heat and drought; useful in the transition zone; tolerates short periods of submersion

Maintenance Requirements: Low to moderate; mow frequently (depending on use), normal lawn heights are 2 to 3 1/2 inches; supply 2 to 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per growing season; supply water as necessary; established tall fescues have good drought tolerance and will require modest irrigation during most Midwestern summers; thatch is not a major problem due to bunch-type growth habit; brown patch can be a disease problem during some years

Recuperative Ability: poor

Uses: Lawns, parks, golf course roughs, and low maintenance areas in the central and southern portions of the Midwest; use turf-type tall fescues where moderate to moderately high-quality turf is desired and pasture types (such as 'Kentucky 31,' 'Alta 'Fawn') for utility purposes

Other Notes: Can become an undesirable weed in other turfgrasses

Table 16. Recommended turf-type tall fescue cultivars for general turf use

Adventure	Carefree	Jaguar II	Mustang	Thoroughbred
Apache	Chieftain	Jaguar	Olympic	Trailblazer
Arid	Falcon	Legend	Pacer	Trident
Aztec	Finelawn	Marathon	Rebel	Wrangler
Bonanza	Galway	Mesa	Rebel II
Brookston	Houndog	Monarch	Sundance

Table 17. Tall fescue cultivars exhibiting shade tolerance

Falcon	Houndog	Olympic	Rebel II
Finelawn	Jaguar	Rebel

Table 18. Tall fescue cultivars exhibiting disease resistance

Brown patch	Leaf spot/melting out
Apache	Adventure
Arid	Apache
Finelawn	Bonanza
Galway	Galway
Houndog	Houndog
Jaguar	Jaguar
Olympic	Olympic
Pacer

(fine-leaf fescues)

Establishment Method: Seeding

Appearance: Very fine to fine texture with good density and uniformity; red and chewings fescues are medium to dark green, sheep fescues tend to be distinctively blue-green, and hard fescues tend to be more gray-green; red fescues are rhizomatous, while other fine fescues have bunch-type growth habits

Growth Habit: Rhizomatous or bunch

Wear Tolerance: Poor to moderate

Environmental Adaptation: The best cool season grasses for dry, shaded areas; often mixed with Kentucky bluegrasses and perennial ryegrasses in dry, shaded areas

Red and chewings fescues (F. rubra)-well-drained, droughty, infertile, acid soil; light to moderate shade

Sheep fescue (F. ovina)-well-drained, droughty, sandy, infertile, acid soil

Hard fescue (F. longifolia)-less drought tolerant than sheep fescue, but more tolerant moist, fertile soils

Maintenance Requirements: Low; mow frequently (depending on use), normal lawn heights are 2 to 3 inches; supply 1 to 3 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per growing season; supply water as necessary; watch creeping types for thatch development; disease prone, especially when grown in moist, high-fertility settings

Recuperative Ability: Medium to poor

Uses: Lawns, parks, utility settings especially in light to moderate shade; avoid use in heavily trafficked areas or athletic settings

Other Notes:

Table 19. Recommended fine-leaf fescue cultivars for general turf use

Chewings fescues	Creeping red fescues	Hard fescues	Sheep fescues
Banner	Dawson	Aurora	Bighorn
Barfalla	Ensylva	Biljart (C-26)	MX-86
Checker	Fortress	Reliant
Highlight	Pennlawn	Scaldis
Jamestown	Ruby	Waldina
Koket
Shadow

Table 20. Fine-leaf fescue cultivars exhibiting shade tolerance

Chewings fescues	Creeping red fescues	Hard fescues
Banner	Dawson	Aurora
Barfalla	Ensylva	Biljart (C-26)
Checker	Fortress	Reliant
Highlight	Pennlawn	Scaldis
Jamestown	Ruby	Waldina
Koket
Shadow

Table 21. Recommended heat-tolerant fine-leaf Fescue cultivars for general turf use

Hard fescues	Sheep fescues
Aurora	Bighorn
	MX-86

Table 22. Other fine-leaf fescue claiming to be heat tolerant

Hard fescues

Gladiator

SR3000

SR3100

Table 23. Fine-leaf fescue cultivars exhibiting disease resistance

Brown patch	Dollar spot	Leaf spot/melting out	Red thread
Scaldis	Aurora	Aurora	Aurora
	Banner	Biljart (C-26)	Banner
	Biljart (C-26)	Reliant	Biljart (C-26)
	Checker	Scaldis	Dawson
	Fortress	Waldina	Highlight
	Highlight		Jamestown
	Jamestown		Koket
	Pennlawn		Pennlawn
	Reliant		Reliant
	Scaldis		Scaldis
	Shadow		Shadow
	Waldina		Waldina

Establishment Method: Seeding, sodding

Appearance: Fine texture with high density, quality, and uniformity; tolerates extremely low cutting heights

Growth Habit: Stoloniferous

Wear Tolerance: Poor

Environmental Adaptation: Well-drained, moist, slightly acid, fertile soils; often grown on pure sand or sand modified with organic matter; full sun to light shade; avoid drought; tolerates cold well

Maintenance Requirements: High; 2 to 6 pounds of nitrogen per thousand square feet per growing season; requires frequent mowing, tolerates low mowing heights; usually maintained 3/16 to 3/4 inch depending on use and site; irrigate as necessary, may require mid day syringing during summer's heat; may be prone to thatch development; there are a variety of disease and insect pests that attack this grass, especially when mowed at putting green height

Recuperative Ability: Good

Uses: Typically used on areas requiring low height of cut; golf course putting greens, tees, and fairways, as well as bowling and croquet greens; rarely used in other areas because of high maintenance requirements

Other Notes: Can become an undesirable weed in other turfgrasses

Creeping Bentgrass Cultivars

Many seeded creeping bentgrasses are presently being used. Recommendations based on currently ongoing evaluations will be forthcoming.

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Establishment Method: Vegetatively and occasionally seeding

Appearance: Low growing and of medium texture with high density, quality, and uniformity; tan-brown during dormant season (mid autumn to mid spring)

Growth Habit: stoloniferous, rhizomatous

Environmental Adaptation: Well-drained, moist, slightly acid, fertile soils; full sun to light shade; tolerates heat and drought well

Maintenance Requirements: Moderate; good drought tolerance, irrigate as needed; mow at 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches; grass blades are tough and best appearance occurs when mowed with a reel-type mower; requires 1 to 3 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year and tolerates saline conditions relatively well; irrigate as needed, although grass is drought tolerant and will require minimal irrigation; produces much thatch, so periodic dethatching is usually required; limited insect and disease problems in the Midwest

Recuperative Ability: Moderate to good

Uses: Zoysiagrass is used in a variety of lawn and athletic turf settings, including home lawns, commercial lawns, golf course tees and fairways, football and soccer fields, and baseball fields

Other Notes: Warm season grass; relatively short green period in much of the Midwest; expensive and slow (1 to 3 years) to establish

Zoysiagrass Cultivars

Currently, evaluation of several new zoysiagrass cultivars is underway, but results are inconclusive at this time. 'Meyer' continues to be the most commonly used zoysiagrass in the Midwest.

Establishment Method: Seeding, vegetatively

Appearance: Fine texture with low to moderate density and gray-green color during growing season; dull tan during dormant season (mid autumn to mid spring)

Growth Habit: Stoloniferous

Wear Tolerance: Medium

Environmental Adaptation: Fine-textured, dry soils , but tolerates a wide range of soil types; full sun; will tolerate short periods of submersion; avoid shade

Maintenance Requirements: Low; it requires 0 to 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year; can be mowed infrequently at 2 to 3 inches; irrigation is rarely required after establishment; it appears to have few pest problems and has a low thatching tendency

Recuperative Ability: Good

Uses: Low-maintenance lawns, parks, industrial areas; its gray-green color and long dormancy period keep it from being used in settings requiring a highly attractive turf; slow establishment from seed reduces its usefulness in areas where soil erosion is a problem

Other Notes: Warm season grass; relatively short green period; expensive and slow to establish

Buffalograss Cultivars

Cultivars currently established by seed are Common, Texoka, and Sharp's Improved. None of these appear to be highly superior to the others in University of Illinois research settings. New, vegetatively propagated clones are being evaluated, appear to be superior to most seeded types, and will be available in the future.

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