Why Grass Seed Mixtures Are The Way to Go

If you ever wanted to know how to have theKentucky Bluegrass, go down by late June when
greenest, most healthy lawn -- this is exactly how!attacked by helminthosporium leaf spot, while another
Very few know of this secret. You should find out.part of the same lawnplanted with Chewing's Fescue
The gardener without years of experience will do welland Highland Bent in addition to the bluegrassshowed
to consider planting a mixture of grasses rather than aonly an occasional area affected by the leaf spot.
solid turf of a single species. If he knows exactly whatBoth areas were maintained exactly the same.
he is doing, and understands how to control theAnother advantage of mixtures is that they tend to
diseases which might attack his particular singleadjust themselves to the varying soil conditions often
species of grass, the chances are it will survive andfound within a lawn, and also to differences in sun and
thrive without serious injury.shade. It is not uncommon for the same lawn to have
But the beginner rarely has the necessary skill andone area that receives three hours of sunshine while a
knowledge for this, and, even when he does, he oftenshort distance away it has sun all day long.
runs into unforeseen trouble. If conditions changesuchOne of the very real problems a seedsman has, for
as an extremely wet or dry yeara solid turf of oneexample, is in recommending a grass to the man who
species may suffer severely, whereas one containingdoesn't know what a sunny lawn is. I have actually
several grasses will pull through in good shape.studied lawns which the owner claimed received sun
Disease is a good example of the type of problem a"all day long" and found they had our hours or less.
mixture may help avoid. The fungi which attackThis is often true in cities, where the line of parkway
grasses are quite specific in their action. That is, sometrees and the house form barriers that cut off the sun
will attack fescues but not bluegrasses, while othersuntil late in the morning and then block it again early in
attack bents but not fescues. Except for rust, which isthe afternoon.
largely airborne, most of these turf diseases areBy doing just a little research, which often amounts to
spread by contact from one blade to another.asking a representative at your local nursury or home
If the turf is made up of more than one species, thissupply store, you will find the perfect mixture of grass
plant- to-plant contact is broken. I have seen oneseed for your needs and avoid many troublesome and
section of a lawn, seeded wholly to Commontime-consuming problems.