I'm about to order the Elite Perenial Rye(X3). My question is how does it hold up to larger Zero turn mowers? Killed off my grass 5 days ago. Just watered and in process of doing another killing. I'm in S.E.Michigan. just ordered 15 yards of screened top soil for leveling purposed. Also am installing a Orbit 12 head irrigation system. Grass will be fine on its own, I worry about the mower. I need a larger mower cause I cut for a few of the elderly and sick in my neighborhood
@@bradtaylor1 these cultivars are used on thousands of acres of golf course turf with large mowers on them all the time. As long as you vary traffic and do the proper turns with your larger mower it will be fine
@@ryanknorrlawncare thank you I just saw! I enjoy watching your videos. Always exciting to work on my yard. I am thinking of over seeding with rye. I do love the feeling of Kentucky soft touch but I think I would benefit from the more.
Completely new to this channel and grass in general: We are finishing up developing our property and I am trying to figure out what would be the best option for grass. A couple notes: - There is already existing grass covering most of the property (no idea what it is - it was a hay field. Is there seed that we can lay down that will take over what is there? - We have a big dog who loves to run around and play fetch. Especially when the ground is wet, he can tare up a yard pretty significantly. Is there a recommendation for a hearty, strong rooted grass that might be a bit more resistant to this, or recover quickly? - For the most part we have no shade. - We are located up in Northern VT. - We have a high water table (about 3') and in the spring it can be pretty spongey. - I am not looking for anything fancy (stripe mowing, etc.) I just want something that will look nice, feel nice, and is lower maintenance. - My wife has some chemical sensitivities (and of course we have the dog) so I don't want to have to use weed killing products. Hopefully my ignorance isn't making this post too dumb (it might sound like I want a miracle solution), but I just want to know what would work best for us. Thanks!
I’ve had tall fescue for about 10 years it does very well in heat I also do water it. I like the look of tall looking grass I cut it around 3 inches and it’s the only lawn on the block that’s still green In this heatwave.
@@moesawad I Aerated the hell out of my lawn then I over seeded. Unless you do want to do a full renovation. The fescue sprouts very quickly And holds up very well
In my opinion, this is the best video you've ever made. Thanks for making the information so easy to understand instead of just pushing fix-it products.
I can't say I am much of a lawn care person, but this video was well done and kept my interest. I learn a lot, and has peak my curiosity about doing something with my lawn. Thanks!
I really appreciate this Ryan. I’m a lawn rookie who just planted rye grass (perennial) and for the first time it seems to be doing quite well. Thanks for these great tips😊
Ryan, you freaking consistently ROCK! Exactly what's been going through my mind lately. Trying to resurrect my patchwork of lawn and weeds thanks to previous owner. Slow improvements through various methods that you have covered. (weed kill and soil testing, etc) Now my issue is the patchwork. Various patches of various seed from rye, fescue, fine fescue and even KBG. KBG is very tough thick carpets although just little 6' dia spots with one 100 sq ft spot on 2 acres of generally full sun. (Sorry for long winded.) Can I just over-seed the crap out of my lawn in the fall and spring with tall fescue and fine fescue in the shadier areas? My colors variance is abhorrent! (Upstate NY) I keep it at 2.75 up to 3.5 in the hot summer. Just want nice even color.
2 questions Ryan: 1) Will you ever ship your seed to Canada? 2) if your lawn is a mix of grasses (and you really don't know what is what), what height would you mow at? 2"? I'm adding in Rye grass every year to bump up rye content, but I wonder what height would work best?
I’m currently using fine fescue, cut to inch to fit inch and a half, extremely shade over winter and a lot of sun over summer, a lot of water required over summer!
Penn State Blend is Perennial Rye, Red Fescue and Kentucky Blue grass mixture. Why these 3 ? They are very similar in blade size and also in color. What happens is, this mixture is "Self Adjusting" for full sun to full shade. One will grow better than another depending on Sun Level, but you really won't notice any difference. Likely the best blend for zone 6 and lower zones. Great Video Sir !
I have 007 Creeping Bentgrass here in El Paso, Tx. It’s not hard to grow down here with syringe watering. I cut at 1/4” during the summer and lower height of cut as soil temps get below 80 degrees. It would be nice to see some Bentgrass testing since I imagine it is way easier to grow than it is here. Even at 1/2” it looks great. It’s super dark at that height
Love my 80% bluegrass 20% PRG. Thanks Ryan. Did a complete lawn renovation in spring, fall, spring. Everything you said about KBG is spot on. Great stripes with a modified rotary mower.
My exp with kbg is they say 14 to 21 days before germ is correct but the seedlings are super slow to mature at least another 3 to 4 weeks before you see any major progress I grew mine in the fall and was disappointed a little until March my lawn greened up faster then my neighbors I can see where it has filled in bare spots and it looks amazing already can’t wait to fertilize in a few weeks I might overseed with fescue but I’m undecided!
This is SO helpful. I have a blend on my lawn and your imagery here has helped me understand that some types of grass in the blend have taken over certain areas. I see that I have mostly rye in one area, lots of those stems and "looking thirsty" but it's not. It has mushrooms. Thank you!
This is literally exactly the video I need right now. I’m in the middle of trying to fix my extremely mossy, extremely weedy lawn. I’ve been researching what type of seed to buy & struggling to make a decision. Very excited to watch, hopefully this helps me make a decision
HOLY CRAP!!! What a GREAT video. Holy smokes Ryan! Thank you for taking the the time to explain all the different grasses. I have to place an order. Thank you!
I'd recommend black beauty ultra if you're in the Cool season zone. Has a great mix. Or with what grass you currently have set mower to 4 and water twice a week if no rain. A taller lawn that's watered well will put up with quite a bit of abuse. Oh also what's causing damage mainly is compaction. So if just keeping it taller and watered isn't enough or if you want to do more use a chemical lawn airation to combat the compaction. My kids and I enjoy the yard and I've had no problems using this method. I feel what's the point of having a nice yard but not being able to actually be on it. Hope this helped.
Where I live buffalo grass has a lot of advantages but almost nobody plants it because it goes dormant in hot dry weather - but it survives without needing watering and it greens up again quickly when more moisture is present. And it's more than hardy enough for our harsh winters.
Great Video Ryan. One of the interesting things you said that is so true is that Perennial Rye is the darkest type of grass out there. That is a major paradigm shift for people that think only a midnight type monostand is going to be as dark as you can get. I have tried it side by side next to compact type midnight KBGs like Bluebank, Award, Mazama, Midnight etc, and the Rye was not only darker but also more “blueish”. With that being said not just any old ryegrass is going to be that dark. But the newer high rated ones in the NTEP like Pangea, Slugger, Grand Slam, Amazing A+, Steller, and Prominent have phenomenal color. I still believe overall KBG is the superior grass type due to its disease resistance, texture, and year after year resiliency. But if you can keep you rye disease free and mow it low, it can give you a breath taking lawn.
Nice review of the cool season grasses. I'm transitioning my fescue bluegrass blend to zoysia grass. I'm in the transition zone and my cool season grass always seems to get beat up in summer when you want to use it most. I can see it now, a bit brown and sad even with watering but my zoysia plugs are dark green and growing vigorously.
Ryan, you’ve been always super helpful. This is very informative! Thank you for all you do, much appreciated. I’ll be in touch shortly, need to do a full renovation this fall. The lawn took a hit this summer.
Thanks for the comparison👏 If I want to be greedy: 1) I don't want the wider blades of TTTF; 2) I'd like the lawn to stay green in summer. I am willing to irrigate it as much as it needs and I am OK with overseeding very fall. What grass type should I choose? Is it perennial rye, or can I do bluegrass since I keep watering. I am in North NJ, half of my lawn is Full Sun and half is Partial Sun.
KBG all the way! I did a front yard renovation and had torn up my backyard working on some projects and the bluegrass has spread halfway across the back already without watering back there and without doing any other prep. Not to mention all my plowing screwups and tractor tire marks now and then… all self fix very quickly! KBG is amazing!
What did you do to protect the seed from birds and to keep it moist? My KGB I put down took too long to germinate and most of my seed got eaten by birds and once it did germinate, it didn’t get enough water and died off.
@@Piccolo_Re Well I put in an irrigation system while the yard was torn up so that helped with water, but I did the same yard previously and just moved a sprinkler (from big sprinklers) around the yard for a couple of weeks which also worked alright. As for birds, my first renovation I woke up the next day with every bird in the state on my lawn… so we put down straw next time! 🤣
@@Piccolo_Re Oh I’ll also say I used a seed blend (Cornell Classic Mix) that has a bit of fescue and rye in it so that you get some grass within 7 days if you’re watering properly.
@@RionPhotography perennial rye seems to go good with KBG since it germinates so quickly and is allelopathic plant that prevents other plants like weeds from growing easily.
Recently bought a new construction house in SW Michigan. No sod or seeds were planted so I get a fresh landscape (after I take care of these weeds). Just ordered some of your Kentucky Blue Grass. Looking forward to making this the best lawn in the neighborhood.
I like penncross creeping bent grass, bent grass has come a long way and now there are variants for homeowners it also has one of the nicest colors of all the grasses
funny story, i didn't know there were so many different types of grass. We bought grass seed 2 different times and now our yard has 3 different types of grass growing and it's noticeable. lol a little patchy but fully covered in grass 😅
We did hydroseed about 4 weeks ago here in eastern Long Island New York. I know, not the best timing but weeds kept taking over a freshly tilled soil so we had to give it a shot. We’re going through a drought where it’s rained maybe once or twice since the hydroseed is down with very hot, humid weather. Grass was coming up nice until we hit the first hot humid week of weather and things changed quickly. We kept the irrigation on 4x a day for 10-15 mins a zone and it wasn’t long before we had brown patch everywhere that’s growing. Put down a headway-g treatment about two weeks ago. Will the patches recover or is reseeding the only way to fill them in ? Wondering how I’d know if the fungus is now under control. The seed is a tall fescue blend with Kentucky blue overseed. We also have huge weeds sprouting all over the place and know we can’t do a weed killer on a new lawn. Appreciate any information you can provide on how we can last through august until the heat starts to settle down.
So I have a small area in front of my house (800sqft)n that I can manage really high maintenance on (I live in zone 6B). I decided to put in irrigation and top dress with good screened top soil and planted Fireball and Hattrick. I did this in spring and as expected the patch was just looking amazing!! HOWEVER, when summer came in I started getting Pithium blight and potentially other "fun guys". I got some Eagle 20EW to treat the Pithium and did several applications. I appear to be losing the battle....! I wanted to ask you and the community, If I wanted to stay with this little patch of PRG what can I do to get my little patch back (other products to apply, other agricultural practices, other seed?) recall this is a small area so thing that may not be practical in a larger area may be doable in mine as it is small). I got plenty of pixs if needed! Please help?!!
Great vid. I live in Pittsburgh and just had quick growing grass put down after intense landscaping. Eventually I’d like to add one of these to my lawn. For now it’s straw and whatever fast growing seed they put down
Minnesota has the wild tall fescue and wild fine fescue. It grows in clumps like a carpet. I also find random clumps of old perennial ryegrass in my lawn. I have a Kentucky bluegrass lawn. The other 3 grasses I mentioned are considered a weed in my mind. I know new varieties can be more "grassy", but you cant go wrong with kentucky bluegrass when living in a cold climate
Great video, thank you. For a future video, thoughts on mulching, the science behind it, and the pros/cons on how it fits into the general lawn care plan?
I had tall fescue for a few years and it’s nice grass but switched to a zoysia front yard and Bermuda backyard about 5 years ago and never looked back…. Best decision ever! During our 100+ degree summers my lawn is gorgeous and all the neighbors with KBG or tall fescue are struggling
I have full sun in my front yard, northern CA dry heat. Your Elite PRG is standing strong, but took lots of watering. I tried it as an experiment last fall.
I smoked off a beautiful fescue lawn last year. I have Tetradark PRG now and it is absolutely gorgeous. After the first full year in extreme weather I have an idea of how to handle the seedhead issue that caught me off guard.
We have a lot of dry conditions the grass I always cut it about two and a half to thee inches after the really hot weather and the drop conditions it's getting alot of dry but also bare spots we can't afford to water two and a half acre lawn I know you can fertilize it to help I need to do some kind of start over
I live in the DC area and have a Tall Fescue lawn. I do like Fescue, but if I lived in a cooler climate I would go with Kentucky Bluegrass. I like the thinner blades and the propensity to have that dark green color
Problem I have is i moved into a new house in December. Turns out 1/3 is a super soft fescue? part of center seems to be KBG with blotches of PRG and fescue and the other 3rd seems to be PRG . I'd like to just over seed every fall just not sure with what. Southern Wisconsin
I like how fast my ryegrass germinated but id say bluegrass is my fave. I have to learn to be patient. Im newer to being obsessed with landscaping and my personality flaws are coming to light. I dethatched the second i found out how to do it and disregarded how hot it was that day. I killed my whole lawn
I'm in Illinois and just overseed with a local mix of PRG. Germinated in 3 days in my bare spots and I'll probably have bragging rights again in a week.
I live in southern Maryland in the transition zone. I have zoysia and tall fescue. Zoysia is much less prone to disease but with 80s and night, very high humidity and late day thunderstorms it is a necessity to have a fungicide program or fungus will destroy your lawn overnight
Ryan, I’ve been a Utah/Idaho shade mix (perennial rye, fescue, and Kentucky blue grass), because my main lawn faces north but in the summer it gets a lot of sun. I HATE the seed stalk on it! I also have the dirtiest secondary water. I also am in northern utah. It gets fungus but one to two doses of Fertilome F-Stop works well because of snow mold. But, because the water comes from nasty sources, I get fungus so I use Strobe G or Pillar G one or two doses during the season. Because I’m in a drought area we are commonly restricted in water days and water time. Ok, I seeded last fall, some took but not as well as I thought. It’s June now and I don’t think I can seed, right? What do you recommend? How much is your seed? Can I apply in the hot season in areas that need reseeding like a golf course does when a person creates a divot? What would be the Peat-Sand-Seed mix ratios be? My soil is clay. I water 4 day cycle, cycle-soak using programs, 20 min each cycle, 90 min dwell between cycles, three times (60 min total). Please give me your recommendations. There’s a lot here so I would really like to talk with you about all my questions. Thank you very much Brad
I’ve found that by using a fertilizer blend that is higher in sulphur content will give you a darker green lawn. I have used 20 0 0 24 and have gotten excellent results. You may have to go to a farm fertilizer outlet to source this product
I live in NW Ohio and I use Black Beauty Ultra. I've had really good success with it and I'm pretty sure I seen it in one of your videos a couple years ago. Also with use of tenacity (which I seen you talk about) I took a old beat up yard to something I get lots of compliments on. I work allot so I don't get to water very much but it has stayed looking great even putting up with our recent hot and dry weather. I think it's great for the average home owner. Thanks for all your amazing content.
Worked on a private golf course and we had to sod a whole 5 pallets of Black Beauty for a longer cut turf it was absolutely beautiful once it was laid and rooted.
KY Bluegrass. It's so hearty and thick. When the grass at my new house died, I put down new dirt and KY Bluegrass. It's soooo thick and it squeezes out pesky weeds. I'm in the Midwest (Michigan) btw.
Amazingly informative video. I have a yard that has multiple types of grass. Bluegrass, Bermuda, every weed known to man. I want my Bermuda to take over the lawn. What is stopping it from spreading?
I've about had it with KBG. Looks amazing for about 3 months out of the year, but it wusses out at the first sign of heat if you're not 100% on top of it. I'm not doing a full reno, but am overseeding 100% tall fescue from here on out. Eventually the TTTF will become the dominate grass type in my yard. Trying a Barenbrug product this year...supposedly very rhizomatic compared to other tall fescue cultivars. We'll see how it does.
I have the same issues with KBG as you but I don't think the TTTF will become dominant in any lawn with it. You probably already have full coverage and TTTF wont just take over what's already in there. I feel your pain as I think the only way to get what youre looking for is a complete kill then seed with TTTF.
I’m in the same boat, I have a KBG lawn without irrigation, I’m going to a TTTF since I keep my lawn at 3.25 and 3.5 in summer. If I could water it and keep it from going dormant I would but as soon as it hits 85 it’s like the KBG has narcolepsy, just goes to dormancy.
My mom lives in the cool season zone but I'm considering using her lawn as an experiment on if Chicago can handle zoysia and bermuda grasses. Me myself I'm a bluegrass guy now but when in Florida love Bahiagrass
I really love the look of tall fescue. I've got roughly 4 acres that I would love to start turning to tall fescue. I have incredibly hard clay soil. So hard that I couldnt get and aerator to punch through more than a half of an inch. Most of my yard is also on a steep hill and currently full of weeds. I have very little actually grass left so it is my plan to put down some herbicide when the weather isn't baking everything and then put seed down in the spring. How do you recommend seeding on a long steep hill?
You are gonna have to wait until a very heavy rainfall and then do it the next day. Do you use a tow behind or a push one? I’ve noticed the tow behind, no matter how much weight you put on it, does not do a great job in hard dirt.
@@moesawad I did use a pull behind. I'll have to see where I can rent something. I would prefer a ride on since I have a few acres and a very long steep hill side.
As I’ve lamented in the comment section of your other vids, my Jonathan Green Black Beauty TTTF I used to renovate half of my front yard last Oct is struggling in the OK heat dome we’re in, plus a mole that won’t die. Trying to stay positive until that cool weather comes around. Like GCI Pete says “it’s just grass.”
Gonna be starting our lawn renovation here in Iowa. This is one thing that has stumped me. I've decided to go with a top brand of seed, but which type exactly. Our front yard has spots that are heavily shaded for the majority of the day, and spots that sit and bake in the sun all day. Is our yard shady or sunny? Isn't an easy to answer question. No irrigation but I am capable of moving a hose around. This video has helped narrow things down a bit :)
I’ve had amazing luck with ryegrass in full sun and my tall fescue is finally covering the back side of my front yard that has a big tree that gives a lot of shade. I live in southern MO in the transition zone so this really helped me know I was doing it right all along lol. The Bermuda my grandfather planted decades ago is the main take over of my lawn besides the clovers. I’ve had no luck getting rid of them yet but I’ve finally made progress and have more grass than I do bald spots 😂
@@rickjames1246 I planted a contractor mix that had rye grass in it and it grew like crazy until the Bermuda in summer took it over. It’s slowly coming back tho
@@rickjames1246 it would honestly work better for you than where I’m at then I’m sure. I’m in southern MO down in the bootheel. Transitional zones are a bit weird when it comes to grass types, but I’ve had good luck with Kentucky fescue 31, perennial rye grass, and Bermuda grass all 3 in rotation per season(s) to keep my grass full and healthy. Hope this helps!
What about blending one or more of these grass types in the northern regions? I guess as an extension to that question, what about grass seed blends from the big box stores?
What product do you recommend for my back yard? 1/2 of it is full sun and gets some dog activity. The other half is nearly full shade and is fenced for 2 ducks and a turtle. Duck area is about 1000 sf, the other is about 1800 sf. I'd like to buy just one seed if possible. Duck run will be complete new start, while the other is mostly grass but needs overseeding.
I’m looking to plant some thing in between my garden isles. They’re only 6 inch tall raised beds where creeping things could easily get in. So probably not interested in like the Bluegrass…. I’ve even considered clover, but that also can spread and I don’t want that in my gardens. We had done the wood chips. However, those ended up being a lot more maintenance than I had anticipated. Weeds blowing easily and grow readily in the rich subsoil in the composted wood chips. Recommendations? I do hope to go barefoot, at least sometimes. I live in the Pacific Northwest, so it’s a moist, Maritime climate, although we’re quite dry during the summer. I also don’t intend to be super meticulous about mowing. I just want it manageable and easy.
I went with Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue..! North East region..!! Got a bumpy property.. stay’s nice with irrigation.. Dollar spot..yeah fungus is Present during high humidity.. But I like it for me and my property.. Have much less success with others
I’m in Delaware and I really like my grass tall what would you recommend because I think we have Kentucky bluegrass and like you said he dry out fast with this summer heart
i really like your video but i need your best advise for a hot weather conditions, it is around over 100F entire year i need a type of grass that resist extreme heat, and thank you very much
Get Your ELITE GRASS SEED Here - ryanknorrlawncare.com/product-category/grass-seed/ryan-knorr-lawn-care-grass-seed/
I'm about to order the Elite Perenial Rye(X3). My question is how does it hold up to larger Zero turn mowers?
Killed off my grass 5 days ago. Just watered and in process of doing another killing. I'm in S.E.Michigan. just ordered 15 yards of screened top soil for leveling purposed. Also am installing a Orbit 12 head irrigation system. Grass will be fine on its own, I worry about the mower. I need a larger mower cause I cut for a few of the elderly and sick in my neighborhood
Any future plans of smaller bags? 25pds is too much for what my yard. I have about 1556*square ft.
@@bradtaylor1 these cultivars are used on thousands of acres of golf course turf with large mowers on them all the time. As long as you vary traffic and do the proper turns with your larger mower it will be fine
@rogelioheredia4863 10 pound options are now available
@@ryanknorrlawncare thank you I just saw! I enjoy watching your videos. Always exciting to work on my yard. I am thinking of over seeding with rye. I do love the feeling of Kentucky soft touch but I think I would benefit from the more.
Best lawn mix in my area is crabgrass, nutgrass,creeping Charlie with some clover mixed in.
🤪
Yeah, and it's free.
Creeping Charlie grows great in my yard. It's low maintenance, tough to beat.
😂
Yep, and it’s all free in green all year round
I really like Venusaur as my favorite grass type.
I prefer triceratops.
What about Scyther, bro!?...
😂😂
I can't tell you enough how pleased we are with the Elite shade mix we seeded this spring. The lawns look absolutely stunning!
I go for crabgrass for easy care result!
ya but a big leafy weed has better coverage
decisions decisions 🤔
I have some in my lawn you can have for free
Great choice 😂
Lol
Couldn't imagine being your neighbor and coming home everyday and seeing your lawn vs mine lol!
Completely new to this channel and grass in general:
We are finishing up developing our property and I am trying to figure out what would be the best option for grass. A couple notes:
- There is already existing grass covering most of the property (no idea what it is - it was a hay field. Is there seed that we can lay down that will take over what is there?
- We have a big dog who loves to run around and play fetch. Especially when the ground is wet, he can tare up a yard pretty significantly. Is there a recommendation for a hearty, strong rooted grass that might be a bit more resistant to this, or recover quickly?
- For the most part we have no shade.
- We are located up in Northern VT.
- We have a high water table (about 3') and in the spring it can be pretty spongey.
- I am not looking for anything fancy (stripe mowing, etc.) I just want something that will look nice, feel nice, and is lower maintenance.
- My wife has some chemical sensitivities (and of course we have the dog) so I don't want to have to use weed killing products.
Hopefully my ignorance isn't making this post too dumb (it might sound like I want a miracle solution), but I just want to know what would work best for us.
Thanks!
I've had all (3) individually and also have had all (3) blended. In my honestly opinion, my lawn looked and felt the best with Kentucky Blue Grass.
Wa sit high maintenance tho?
@@VandalsVideosno, you can abuse the hell out of bluegrass and it comes back.. it also self repairs smallish bare spots
I’ve had tall fescue for about 10 years it does very well in heat I also do water it. I like the look of tall looking grass I cut it around 3 inches and it’s the only lawn on the block that’s still green In this heatwave.
And it stripes way better!
@@huntsw I totally agree
I learned my lesson with kbg and PR and I’m switching to TTTF. The only question is do I overseed with it or do a full Reno.
@@moesawad I Aerated the hell out of my lawn then I over seeded. Unless you do want to do a full renovation. The fescue sprouts very quickly And holds up very well
@@jagergerg9771 that’s what I think I’ll do. Cut it short, detach, double aerate, and overseed it.
In my opinion, this is the best video you've ever made. Thanks for making the information so easy to understand instead of just pushing fix-it products.
I can't say I am much of a lawn care person, but this video was well done and kept my interest. I learn a lot, and has peak my curiosity about doing something with my lawn. Thanks!
I really appreciate this Ryan. I’m a lawn rookie who just planted rye grass (perennial) and for the first time it seems to be doing quite well. Thanks for these great tips😊
Ryan, you freaking consistently ROCK! Exactly what's been going through my mind lately. Trying to resurrect my patchwork of lawn and weeds thanks to previous owner. Slow improvements through various methods that you have covered. (weed kill and soil testing, etc) Now my issue is the patchwork. Various patches of various seed from rye, fescue, fine fescue and even KBG. KBG is very tough thick carpets although just little 6' dia spots with one 100 sq ft spot on 2 acres of generally full sun. (Sorry for long winded.) Can I just over-seed the crap out of my lawn in the fall and spring with tall fescue and fine fescue in the shadier areas? My colors variance is abhorrent! (Upstate NY) I keep it at 2.75 up to 3.5 in the hot summer. Just want nice even color.
2 questions Ryan: 1) Will you ever ship your seed to Canada? 2) if your lawn is a mix of grasses (and you really don't know what is what), what height would you mow at? 2"? I'm adding in Rye grass every year to bump up rye content, but I wonder what height would work best?
Unforuntely there's some licensing involved in shipping to Canada, but I would just go with 2 inches and keep adding in the rye
I’m currently using fine fescue, cut to inch to fit inch and a half, extremely shade over winter and a lot of sun over summer, a lot of water required over summer!
Penn State Blend is Perennial Rye, Red Fescue and Kentucky Blue grass mixture.
Why these 3 ? They are very similar in blade size and also in color.
What happens is, this mixture is "Self Adjusting" for full sun to full shade. One will grow better than another depending on Sun Level, but you really won't notice any difference.
Likely the best blend for zone 6 and lower zones.
Great Video Sir !
I have 007 Creeping Bentgrass here in El Paso, Tx. It’s not hard to grow down here with syringe watering. I cut at 1/4” during the summer and lower height of cut as soil temps get below 80 degrees. It would be nice to see some Bentgrass testing since I imagine it is way easier to grow than it is here. Even at 1/2” it looks great. It’s super dark at that height
Love my 80% bluegrass 20% PRG. Thanks Ryan. Did a complete lawn renovation in spring, fall, spring. Everything you said about KBG is spot on. Great stripes with a modified rotary mower.
MODIFIED Rotary? Do elaborate please
@@mesta9997probably referring to a lawn striper
My exp with kbg is they say 14 to 21 days before germ is correct but the seedlings are super slow to mature at least another 3 to 4 weeks before you see any major progress I grew mine in the fall and was disappointed a little until March my lawn greened up faster then my neighbors I can see where it has filled in bare spots and it looks amazing already can’t wait to fertilize in a few weeks I might overseed with fescue but I’m undecided!
This is SO helpful. I have a blend on my lawn and your imagery here has helped me understand that some types of grass in the blend have taken over certain areas. I see that I have mostly rye in one area, lots of those stems and "looking thirsty" but it's not. It has mushrooms. Thank you!
This is literally exactly the video I need right now. I’m in the middle of trying to fix my extremely mossy, extremely weedy lawn. I’ve been researching what type of seed to buy & struggling to make a decision. Very excited to watch, hopefully this helps me make a decision
check your ph
HOLY CRAP!!! What a GREAT video. Holy smokes Ryan! Thank you for taking the the time to explain all the different grasses. I have to place an order. Thank you!
Any info on traffic tolerance for these? Or do I just wait for my kids to move out?
I'd recommend black beauty ultra if you're in the Cool season zone. Has a great mix. Or with what grass you currently have set mower to 4 and water twice a week if no rain. A taller lawn that's watered well will put up with quite a bit of abuse. Oh also what's causing damage mainly is compaction. So if just keeping it taller and watered isn't enough or if you want to do more use a chemical lawn airation to combat the compaction. My kids and I enjoy the yard and I've had no problems using this method. I feel what's the point of having a nice yard but not being able to actually be on it. Hope this helped.
@@experienceprecision5406 that all sounds like great stuff to try. Thanks for the ideas!
I love the color and the soft feel of my fescue. It does well in the heat and not as picky with the water. Cool season lawn
Where I live buffalo grass has a lot of advantages but almost nobody plants it because it goes dormant in hot dry weather - but it survives without needing watering and it greens up again quickly when more moisture is present. And it's more than hardy enough for our harsh winters.
Great Video Ryan.
One of the interesting things you said that is so true is that Perennial Rye is the darkest type of grass out there. That is a major paradigm shift for people that think only a midnight type monostand is going to be as dark as you can get.
I have tried it side by side next to compact type midnight KBGs like Bluebank, Award, Mazama, Midnight etc, and the Rye was not only darker but also more “blueish”.
With that being said not just any old ryegrass is going to be that dark. But the newer high rated ones in the NTEP like Pangea, Slugger, Grand Slam, Amazing A+, Steller, and Prominent have phenomenal color.
I still believe overall KBG is the superior grass type due to its disease resistance, texture, and year after year resiliency. But if you can keep you rye disease free and mow it low, it can give you a breath taking lawn.
Am I the only person who likes bright green lawns instead of dark lawns??
@@adriennem3168probably not 😄
@@adriennem3168... Yes because bright green grass looks like an inexpensive Rye seed probably purchased from Walmart.
Ordered perennial ryegrass from Ryan this year. Good experience and fast shipping. Thanks Ryan. Keep up the good content
How did it do in the heat?
I planted perennial ryegrass not good at all, they have very short life they die to fast.
Nice review of the cool season grasses. I'm transitioning my fescue bluegrass blend to zoysia grass. I'm in the transition zone and my cool season grass always seems to get beat up in summer when you want to use it most. I can see it now, a bit brown and sad even with watering but my zoysia plugs are dark green and growing vigorously.
Ryan, you’ve been always super helpful. This is very informative! Thank you for all you do, much appreciated. I’ll be in touch shortly, need to do a full renovation this fall. The lawn took a hit this summer.
Yeah, I have a new built and my property is really sandy soil try to figure out what Grass should use and I get a lot of sun
Don’t waste your money on box store seed. Get the ELITE seed! You will thank yourself later. Great video Ryan and that KBG is 🔥🔥🔥
Thanks for the comparison👏 If I want to be greedy: 1) I don't want the wider blades of TTTF; 2) I'd like the lawn to stay green in summer. I am willing to irrigate it as much as it needs and I am OK with overseeding very fall. What grass type should I choose? Is it perennial rye, or can I do bluegrass since I keep watering. I am in North NJ, half of my lawn is Full Sun and half is Partial Sun.
mix
This video is insanely good! What quality, digestible info! Thanks Ryan!
Fun . Been working in the industry for 6 plus years really hopped into sales this last year and it’s interesting to hear others talk about grass
KBG all the way! I did a front yard renovation and had torn up my backyard working on some projects and the bluegrass has spread halfway across the back already without watering back there and without doing any other prep. Not to mention all my plowing screwups and tractor tire marks now and then… all self fix very quickly! KBG is amazing!
What did you do to protect the seed from birds and to keep it moist? My KGB I put down took too long to germinate and most of my seed got eaten by birds and once it did germinate, it didn’t get enough water and died off.
@@Piccolo_Re Well I put in an irrigation system while the yard was torn up so that helped with water, but I did the same yard previously and just moved a sprinkler (from big sprinklers) around the yard for a couple of weeks which also worked alright. As for birds, my first renovation I woke up the next day with every bird in the state on my lawn… so we put down straw next time! 🤣
@@Piccolo_Re Oh I’ll also say I used a seed blend (Cornell Classic Mix) that has a bit of fescue and rye in it so that you get some grass within 7 days if you’re watering properly.
@@RionPhotography perennial rye seems to go good with KBG since it germinates so quickly and is allelopathic plant that prevents other plants like weeds from growing easily.
Recently bought a new construction house in SW Michigan. No sod or seeds were planted so I get a fresh landscape (after I take care of these weeds). Just ordered some of your Kentucky Blue Grass. Looking forward to making this the best lawn in the neighborhood.
I like St Augustine. It does require a lot of water during the summer months but it goes dormant in the winter.
I like penncross creeping bent grass, bent grass has come a long way and now there are variants for homeowners it also has one of the nicest colors of all the grasses
funny story, i didn't know there were so many different types of grass. We bought grass seed 2 different times and now our yard has 3 different types of grass growing and it's noticeable. lol a little patchy but fully covered in grass 😅
We did hydroseed about 4 weeks ago here in eastern Long Island New York. I know, not the best timing but weeds kept taking over a freshly tilled soil so we had to give it a shot. We’re going through a drought where it’s rained maybe once or twice since the hydroseed is down with very hot, humid weather. Grass was coming up nice until we hit the first hot humid week of weather and things changed quickly. We kept the irrigation on 4x a day for 10-15 mins a zone and it wasn’t long before we had brown patch everywhere that’s growing. Put down a headway-g treatment about two weeks ago. Will the patches recover or is reseeding the only way to fill them in ? Wondering how I’d know if the fungus is now under control. The seed is a tall fescue blend with Kentucky blue overseed. We also have huge weeds sprouting all over the place and know we can’t do a weed killer on a new lawn. Appreciate any information you can provide on how we can last through august until the heat starts to settle down.
So I have a small area in front of my house (800sqft)n that I can manage really high maintenance on (I live in zone 6B). I decided to put in irrigation and top dress with good screened top soil and planted Fireball and Hattrick. I did this in spring and as expected the patch was just looking amazing!! HOWEVER, when summer came in I started getting Pithium blight and potentially other "fun guys". I got some Eagle 20EW to treat the Pithium and did several applications. I appear to be losing the battle....!
I wanted to ask you and the community, If I wanted to stay with this little patch of PRG what can I do to get my little patch back (other products to apply, other agricultural practices, other seed?) recall this is a small area so thing that may not be practical in a larger area may be doable in mine as it is small). I got plenty of pixs if needed!
Please help?!!
Great vid. I live in Pittsburgh and just had quick growing grass put down after intense landscaping. Eventually I’d like to add one of these to my lawn. For now it’s straw and whatever fast growing seed they put down
Well done. It takes a certain type of man to care of and appreciate a nice lawn. I like the challenge of keeping a lush lawn here in az
Minnesota has the wild tall fescue and wild fine fescue. It grows in clumps like a carpet. I also find random clumps of old perennial ryegrass in my lawn. I have a Kentucky bluegrass lawn. The other 3 grasses I mentioned are considered a weed in my mind. I know new varieties can be more "grassy", but you cant go wrong with kentucky bluegrass when living in a cold climate
Great video, thank you. For a future video, thoughts on mulching, the science behind it, and the pros/cons on how it fits into the general lawn care plan?
I don't mulch at all. Haha
Check 3:39 in the video showing drone view of his house. No mulch just rock.
I had tall fescue for a few years and it’s nice grass but switched to a zoysia front yard and Bermuda backyard about 5 years ago and never looked back…. Best decision ever! During our 100+ degree summers my lawn is gorgeous and all the neighbors with KBG or tall fescue are struggling
What Zoysia did you get?
@@marioorozco1 empire
I have full sun in my front yard, northern CA dry heat. Your Elite PRG is standing strong, but took lots of watering. I tried it as an experiment last fall.
I smoked off a beautiful fescue lawn last year. I have Tetradark PRG now and it is absolutely gorgeous. After the first full year in extreme weather I have an idea of how to handle the seedhead issue that caught me off guard.
We have a lot of dry conditions the grass I always cut it about two and a half to thee inches after the really hot weather and the drop conditions it's getting alot of dry but also bare spots we can't afford to water two and a half acre lawn I know you can fertilize it to help I need to do some kind of start over
Sounds like a lot of yards need a mix of seed. Do you ever do that? I don't mean different seed in different areas, but mixed seed all over.
I live in the DC area and have a Tall Fescue lawn.
I do like Fescue, but if I lived in a cooler climate I would go with Kentucky Bluegrass. I like the thinner blades and the propensity to have that dark green color
The quick flash to Connor's lawn was nice and subtle!
Best content in lawn care period 👍
Problem I have is i moved into a new house in December. Turns out 1/3 is a super soft fescue? part of center seems to be KBG with blotches of PRG and fescue and the other 3rd seems to be PRG . I'd like to just over seed every fall just not sure with what. Southern Wisconsin
Perfect timing. Last year I thought I settled on KBG but now I've regrets with the sun/droughts.
Way more prone to disease in summer
Mowed low I've actually never had any disease on mine and I'm not using any fungicide on it.
I like how fast my ryegrass germinated but id say bluegrass is my fave. I have to learn to be patient. Im newer to being obsessed with landscaping and my personality flaws are coming to light. I dethatched the second i found out how to do it and disregarded how hot it was that day. I killed my whole lawn
I'm in Illinois and just overseed with a local mix of PRG. Germinated in 3 days in my bare spots and I'll probably have bragging rights again in a week.
I live in southern Maryland in the transition zone. I have zoysia and tall fescue. Zoysia is much less prone to disease but with 80s and night, very high humidity and late day thunderstorms it is a necessity to have a fungicide program or fungus will destroy your lawn overnight
My favorite grass type is torterra, but leafeon is also a solid choice.
Ryan, I’ve been a Utah/Idaho shade mix (perennial rye, fescue, and Kentucky blue grass), because my main lawn faces north but in the summer it gets a lot of sun. I HATE the seed stalk on it! I also have the dirtiest secondary water. I also am in northern utah. It gets fungus but one to two doses of Fertilome F-Stop works well because of snow mold. But, because the water comes from nasty sources, I get fungus so I use Strobe G or Pillar G one or two doses during the season. Because I’m in a drought area we are commonly restricted in water days and water time. Ok, I seeded last fall, some took but not as well as I thought. It’s June now and I don’t think I can seed, right?
What do you recommend?
How much is your seed?
Can I apply in the hot season in areas that need reseeding like a golf course does when a person creates a divot? What would be the Peat-Sand-Seed mix ratios be?
My soil is clay. I water 4 day cycle, cycle-soak using programs, 20 min each cycle, 90 min dwell between cycles, three times (60 min total).
Please give me your recommendations. There’s a lot here so I would really like to talk with you about all my questions.
Thank you very much
Brad
I have a combination of all 3 but I live in central Kentucky and I can ot thrive differently from spring to summer
I’ve found that by using a fertilizer blend that is higher in sulphur content will give you a darker green lawn. I have used 20 0 0 24 and have gotten excellent results. You may have to go to a farm fertilizer outlet to source this product
Very likely you are deficient in that in the soil so it sees a better color response
Perfect video for selecting grass type!!
I live in NW Ohio and I use Black Beauty Ultra. I've had really good success with it and I'm pretty sure I seen it in one of your videos a couple years ago. Also with use of tenacity (which I seen you talk about) I took a old beat up yard to something I get lots of compliments on. I work allot so I don't get to water very much but it has stayed looking great even putting up with our recent hot and dry weather. I think it's great for the average home owner. Thanks for all your amazing content.
I've never used it actually. This would be just a grade above for our Elite stuff but whatever works for you is great!
Worked on a private golf course and we had to sod a whole 5 pallets of Black Beauty for a longer cut turf it was absolutely beautiful once it was laid and rooted.
KY Bluegrass. It's so hearty and thick. When the grass at my new house died, I put down new dirt and KY Bluegrass. It's soooo thick and it squeezes out pesky weeds. I'm in the Midwest (Michigan) btw.
Amazingly informative video. I have a yard that has multiple types of grass. Bluegrass, Bermuda, every weed known to man. I want my Bermuda to take over the lawn. What is stopping it from spreading?
Tif tuff Bermuda. Best stuff going. Takes a lot of shade. Looks great
Doesn't survive -20 F which we have in winter
I've about had it with KBG. Looks amazing for about 3 months out of the year, but it wusses out at the first sign of heat if you're not 100% on top of it. I'm not doing a full reno, but am overseeding 100% tall fescue from here on out. Eventually the TTTF will become the dominate grass type in my yard. Trying a Barenbrug product this year...supposedly very rhizomatic compared to other tall fescue cultivars. We'll see how it does.
I have the same issues with KBG as you but I don't think the TTTF will become dominant in any lawn with it. You probably already have full coverage and TTTF wont just take over what's already in there. I feel your pain as I think the only way to get what youre looking for is a complete kill then seed with TTTF.
Exactly what I was going to say. 👍
I’m in the same boat, I have a KBG lawn without irrigation, I’m going to a TTTF since I keep my lawn at 3.25 and 3.5 in summer. If I could water it and keep it from going dormant I would but as soon as it hits 85 it’s like the KBG has narcolepsy, just goes to dormancy.
Ryan, great job on the grass tutorial, very helpful.
Hi Ryan, what grass you recommend for Northern California. In summer, we sit around 85-90F.
Cool video Ryan. I live in northern West Virginia and have a 3-1 tall fescue / kbg mix. Looks great mowed at 2 1/2 - 3 inches.
My mom lives in the cool season zone but I'm considering using her lawn as an experiment on if Chicago can handle zoysia and bermuda grasses. Me myself I'm a bluegrass guy now but when in Florida love Bahiagrass
I live in NW Washingtin and need high traffic grass, I own a childcare, and the grass really struggles. We are going to re sod un the spring.
Ryan thanks for sharing your knowledge with us, you know your grass man! I’m looking forward to learning from you!
I really love the look of tall fescue. I've got roughly 4 acres that I would love to start turning to tall fescue. I have incredibly hard clay soil. So hard that I couldnt get and aerator to punch through more than a half of an inch. Most of my yard is also on a steep hill and currently full of weeds. I have very little actually grass left so it is my plan to put down some herbicide when the weather isn't baking everything and then put seed down in the spring. How do you recommend seeding on a long steep hill?
You are gonna have to wait until a very heavy rainfall and then do it the next day. Do you use a tow behind or a push one? I’ve noticed the tow behind, no matter how much weight you put on it, does not do a great job in hard dirt.
@@moesawad I did use a pull behind. I'll have to see where I can rent something. I would prefer a ride on since I have a few acres and a very long steep hill side.
As I’ve lamented in the comment section of your other vids, my Jonathan Green Black Beauty TTTF I used to renovate half of my front yard last Oct is struggling in the OK heat dome we’re in, plus a mole that won’t die. Trying to stay positive until that cool weather comes around. Like GCI Pete says “it’s just grass.”
I'm going with the Bermuda grass always it's my favorite
PR and bluegrass look great, but TTTF just holds up so much better in the heat and looks better year round, unless you live well into the north
Gonna be starting our lawn renovation here in Iowa. This is one thing that has stumped me. I've decided to go with a top brand of seed, but which type exactly. Our front yard has spots that are heavily shaded for the majority of the day, and spots that sit and bake in the sun all day. Is our yard shady or sunny? Isn't an easy to answer question. No irrigation but I am capable of moving a hose around. This video has helped narrow things down a bit :)
TTTF if you have no irritation. It handles shade and sun really well and needs the least amount of water to thrive.
Ryan, northern Wisconsin, mostly sunny area that can handle foot traffic best. Variety you’d pick? Go!
I’ve had amazing luck with ryegrass in full sun and my tall fescue is finally covering the back side of my front yard that has a big tree that gives a lot of shade. I live in southern MO in the transition zone so this really helped me know I was doing it right all along lol. The Bermuda my grandfather planted decades ago is the main take over of my lawn besides the clovers. I’ve had no luck getting rid of them yet but I’ve finally made progress and have more grass than I do bald spots 😂
So you have ryegrass in MO?
@@rickjames1246 I planted a contractor mix that had rye grass in it and it grew like crazy until the Bermuda in summer took it over. It’s slowly coming back tho
@@TrippyWoodStock gotcha. I’m in central MO and I’m debating added some rye to my tall fescue
@@rickjames1246 it would honestly work better for you than where I’m at then I’m sure. I’m in southern MO down in the bootheel. Transitional zones are a bit weird when it comes to grass types, but I’ve had good luck with Kentucky fescue 31, perennial rye grass, and Bermuda grass all 3 in rotation per season(s) to keep my grass full and healthy. Hope this helps!
What about blending one or more of these grass types in the northern regions? I guess as an extension to that question, what about grass seed blends from the big box stores?
In the middle of a heatwave here in NJ, and my KBG checked out very quickly. Likely overseeding with fescue for fall.
Just remember that it will still be predominantly Kbg and will likely stay that way since it's a very dominant grass
I used a cool-season seed mix last year, so there are only patches of KBG currently. But you’re right-they have definitely expanded!
What product do you recommend for my back yard? 1/2 of it is full sun and gets some dog activity. The other half is nearly full shade and is fenced for 2 ducks and a turtle. Duck area is about 1000 sf, the other is about 1800 sf. I'd like to buy just one seed if possible. Duck run will be complete new start, while the other is mostly grass but needs overseeding.
What do you think about Texas Bluegrass?
Watched whole video for validation on my full sun fine fescue only lawn.
Is your grass a dark green color?
I’m looking to plant some thing in between my garden isles. They’re only 6 inch tall raised beds where creeping things could easily get in. So probably not interested in like the Bluegrass…. I’ve even considered clover, but that also can spread and I don’t want that in my gardens.
We had done the wood chips. However, those ended up being a lot more maintenance than I had anticipated. Weeds blowing easily and grow readily in the rich subsoil in the composted wood chips.
Recommendations?
I do hope to go barefoot, at least sometimes. I live in the Pacific Northwest, so it’s a moist, Maritime climate, although we’re quite dry during the summer. I also don’t intend to be super meticulous about mowing. I just want it manageable and easy.
I would probably go ryegrass or if you wanted it a little more tolerant of dry weather the fescue would be fine. It's not quite as soft as the rye.
Man adore himself on making country beautiful 👍👏
Just purchased your Tall Fescue, super excited to see on my new reno I'm doing. Plan on seeding in 2 weeks!
updates??
The video that I've been looking for. I'll be shopping from your website from now on. Please make videos about fertilizers. Thanks
Very comprehensive. Looking forward to more content like this as you continue to trial more things in your test plots.
Great video! A lot of good information for a lawn junkie homeowner like me. Thanks
I went with Kentucky 31
Tall Fescue..! North East region..!!
Got a bumpy property..
stay’s nice with irrigation..
Dollar spot..yeah fungus is
Present during high humidity..
But I like it for me and my property..
Have much less success with others
I’m in Delaware and I really like my grass tall what would you recommend because I think we have Kentucky bluegrass and like you said he dry out fast with this summer heart
I want one that grows slowly and doesn’t need watering, so I choose the stuff in the small rectangles between the big rectangles..
I could use your service to help me turn my lawn green 😮💨
I always went with a nice perennial rye blend.
I got the Ryan Knorr TTTF. Let's get growing this fall!
i really like your video but i need your best advise for a hot weather conditions, it is around over 100F entire year i need a type of grass that resist extreme heat, and thank you very much
I would like to have known which types do better in what soil (e.g. clay, etc.)