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Grass Mixes and Blends: The Best of All Traits
© 1997, 1998 Streamline Publications
"There
really is a difference between grass seed mixes and blends," said Paul
Albright, owner of Albright Seed Company. "Creating turf blends and mixes is
a science, but it's also an art. Finding a balance between the various cultivars
and species to produce a turf that is disease resistant, stays green, and looks
good can be a real challenge."
Blend Versus Mix
The difference is often misunderstood
but is essential when considering environment and use. A blend is produced when
grasses of the same genus (cultivars of the same species of grass) are
comingled. The main advantage in a blend is the smooth, even appearance of the
resulting turf. Ryegrass is popular because it grows quickly and is uniform
and quite beautiful. Disease resistance is another trait of this popular grass.
Ryegrass cultivars have a generally
good resistance to brown patching, and leaf spotting. Ryegrass mowing qualities,
heat and cold resistance are also very good. Blending various cultivars together
takes advantage of individual traits in combination to produce a better overall
lawn than any single cultivar could. Since the differences between grasses of
the same species are relatively minor, the effects of possible trait
combinations can be noted as small variations.
Mixing Species The obvious question is if blending
cultivars of a species makes for a somewhat better lawn, why not mix species and
take advantage of the larger differences. That is the entire concept behind grass
mixes. An example that makes the point is the
popular mix of ryegrass and bluegrass. The two species are significantly
different. Perennial ryegrass is a bunch grass. This means that if a
spot of ryegrass turf is damaged it can be repaired only by reseeding or
tillering. Conversely, bluegrass can self-repair a
damaged spot of turf because it is a rhizomatous grass. A rhizome
is a creeping stem or runner that extends outward from the main plant
underground. The rhizome will send a shoot up to the soil surface while
extending new roots downward. Some creeping grasses have above-ground runners
called stolons. Bluegrass "clones" itself as
part of its normal growth pattern. As part of a turf mix, it contributes a self-repairing
quality. But bluegrass has some weaknesses.
Among them are poor disease and fungus resistance and a coarser texture than
ryegrass. A mixture of the right ryegrass and
bluegrass cultivars can result in a beautiful turf. One that greens-up quickly,
has an even and fine appearance when mowed, and is tough enough to stand up to
traffic and children's play. Another interesting property of this
mixture is that the disease and fungus resistance inherent in the ryegrass seems
to protect the less resistant bluegrass. This super-additive quality
makes the rye and bluegrass mixture even better than one might expect.
Mixed Blends......a Logical Step
If blends are good and mixes are even
better, the combination of both should create a turfgrass that maximizes the
good traits of each and minimizes the bad. That is exactly what Albright
Seed Company offers in VALLEY FINE TURF—a mixed blend
of two fine-leaf perennial ryegrasses and two bluegrasses. The result is a
beautifully uniform, lush green, fine-textured lawn that mows clean. Two ryegrasses, two bluegrasses and a
creeping red fescue in Albright's FINE LEAF PARK MIX has all the
attributes of VALLEY FINE TURF plus shade tolerance. Albright's 80/20 MIX contains
80% turf-type tall fescue and 20% Kentucky bluegrass. This is an extremely
tough, self-repairing, drought resistant mix that does well in sun or shade. Use
80/20 for heavy traffic areas; it's ideal for athletic fields. Contact
Albright Seed Company for
the right blend, mix or blended mix to meet all your turf needs.
| VALLEY FINE TURF Specially formulated with 2 Perennial Ryegrasses and 2 Kentucky Bluegrasses to take advantage of third generation fine-leaf ryegrasses. Uniform, fine textured, lush. Cuts clean. |
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