Bluegrass in the Landscape

Beautiful Bluegrass, Season by Season

Vigoro^® Ultra TurfT Step-by-Step Annual Lawn Care Program

Vigoro Ultra Turf Tips for Better Bluegrass

Fine Tuning With Seed

Features

• Performs best on heavy, well drained soils with good fertility
• Very fine, uniform texture
• Forms dark green, tightly knit turf
• Susceptible to leafspot disease
• Often used in seed mixes with other species
• Varieties differ in ability to tolerate shade
• Ideal pH 6.5 to 7.0

Area Suitable for Bluegrass ?

Type

Cool season

When to Fertilize

Spring and Fall

Light

Full sun to partial shade

Mowing Height

2 to 3 inches

Planting Method

Seed, sod

BLUEGRASS IN THE LANDSCAPE Back to Top

Bluegrass is the lawngrass of choice in any landscape where it is likely to grow well. Its texture and color is unsurpassed by other lawngrasses, and is not difficult to grow if the site is a good one.

Bluegrass responds dramatically to being properly fed.  Fertilize it right, and your bluegrass will "knit" itself into a tight turf that naturally resists weeds.

Sun, ample moisture, and good soil fertility are crucial to success with bluegrass.
Some bluegrass varieties tolerate shade, but most need at least a half day of full sun. The cooler the climate, the more bluegrass needs sun.

A strong bluegrass lawn will survive periodic droughts, but if you want it to look picture perfect, you will probably need to provide extra water when dry spells last longer than a week.

BEAUTIFUL BLUEGRASS, SEASON BY SEASON Back to Top

You can have a beautiful bluegrass lawn by following an easy Vigoro Ultra Turf Step-by-Step Annual Lawn Care Program. Together with proper mowing and watering, these measures will help bluegrass grow strong and healthy.

In many sites, a bluegrass lawn can be improved by adding small amounts of other grasses, such as fine fescue (which grows great in shade) and perennial ryegrass (which wears well). The same Vigoro Ultra Turf Step-by-Step Annual Lawn Care Program used to maintain bluegrass works well with these grasses, too.

VIGORO ULTRA TURF STEP-BY-STEP ANNUAL LAWN CARE PROGRAM Back to Top

If your lawn is already in good condition, follow the Vigoro Ultra Turf Step-by-Step Annual Lawn Care Program shaded in purple.  To get weed problems under control, follow the Vigoro Ultra Turf Step-by-Step Annual Lawn Care Program shaded in blue.  When applying any lawn care product, always read the entire label first.

Restoring Bluegrass

Maintaining Bluegrass

Step 1: Apply in late winter or early spring

• Vigoro Ultra Turf Crabgrass Preventer with Fertilizer

Step 1: Apply in late winter or early spring

• Vigoro Ultra Turf Turf Fertilizer (in mild winter areas)

Step 2: Apply in late spring or early summer

• Vigoro Ultra Turf Weed and Feed

Step 2: Apply in late spring or early summer

• Vigoro uLtra Turf Turf Fertilizer (in cold winter areas)

Step 3: Apply in late summer

• Vigoro Ultra Turf Turf  Fertilizer

Step 3: Apply in late summer

• VIgoro Ultra Turf Turf Fertilizer (in all areas) or
• Vigoro Ultra Turf Starter Fertilizer (if overseeding)

Step 4: Apply in fall

• Vigoro Ultra Turf Winterizer

Step 4: Apply in fall

• Vigoro Ultra Turf Winterizer

PRODUCT

DESCRIPTION

Vigoro Ultra Turf Crabgrass Preventer plus Fertilizer

Fertilizer keeps crabgrass seeds from germinating and feeds the lawn at the same time.

Vigoro Ultra Turf Weed and Feed

Kills broadleaf weeds that are actively growing and feeds the lawn at the same time.

Vigoro Ultra Turf Turf  Fertilizer

Contains fast-release nitrogen to green up the lawn quickly, and timed-release nutrients to feed grass for 2 to 3 months.

Vigoro Ultra Turf Starter Fertilizer

Contains nitrogen and plenty of phosphorus to promote fast growth and strong root development of new seedlings.

Vigoro Ultra Turf Winterizer

Contains timed-release nitrogen and extra potassium to held lawns endure winter stress and green up quickly in spring.

VIGORO ULTRA TURF TIPS FOR BETTER BLUEGRASS Back to Top

• Always use a fertilizer spreader to spread lawn care products evenly. If you apply Vigoro Ultra Turf Crabgrass Preventer with Fertilizer or Vigoro Ultra Turf  Weed & Feed use a drop-type spreader to keep the material out of flower and shrub beds.
• Never mow too close. Close cutting weakens the grass and invites weeds. At the peak of summer, raise the mowing height to 3 inches. Avoid mowing altogether when the lawn is stressed by drought.
• In heavy clay soil, aerate established bluegrass lawns to improve drainage and rooting every 2 to 3 years. The best times to aerate are early spring or early fall.
• If more than a 1/2-inch layer of thatch is present (thatch is dead stems and debris that accumulate at the soil's surface), thin and clean your bluegrass with a power rake in either early spring or fall.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION Back to Top

FINE TUNING WITH SEED

Depending on your soil and climate, it may be wise to diversify your bluegrass lawn by including other cool-season grasses. Fine fescue improves the overall cold hardiness and shade tolerance of any cool season lawn, and perennial ryegrass helps the lawn recover quickly from wear and tear. In some sites, it's a good idea to emphasize these species and use bluegrass to knit together these tuft-forming grasses. Reliable mixtures are available as both seed and sod. Plant bluegrass seed or sod in early spring or early fall so it can grow vigorously during cool weather.

Look at the contents label on bags of grass seed to identify the varieties of bluegrass and companion species. Also look for germination rates and possible weed seed content. Avoid bluegrass seed that shows some annual bluegrass seed on its contents label. Annual bluegrass is a weed.

Variety names in bluegrass are constantly changing. New varieties undergo extensive evaluation at numerous sites in different climates, and grass seed retailers are quick to make use of new varieties that show superior overall quality or outstanding resistance to common diseases. And, since the performance of bluegrass varieties varies with climate, some variety names are more familiar in some regions than in others. Typically, bluegrass seed mixtures or bluegrass sod include three different named bluegrass varieties along with small amounts of fine fescue and perennial ryegrass.