Results
Experiment 1 Experiment 1 investigated how different Kentucky bluegrass (KBG) cultivars with varying growth aggressiveness labels and classifications, when mixed at a 95:5 (weight/weight) ratio with tall fescue (TF), influenced sod establishment speed, strength, and handling (Table 2). Some key findings include:
• Establishment Speed: All mixtures, including the 100 percent TF control, showed similar establishment speed, with no significant differences in the time it took to reach 50 percent, 70 percent, or 90 percent vegetation cover. Tis suggests that including 5 percent KBG by weight in TF seed mixtures does not negatively impact the speed of establishment for TF sod.
• Sod Strength and Handling: Tere were no significant differences in sod strength (measured by required work to tear sod and maximum tensile load to tear sod) or sod handling among the various 95:5 TF:KBG mixtures and the 100 percent TF control across three harvest timings (9, 10, and 12 months after planting). Tis indicates that adding 5 percent KBG by weight did not improve the sod strength of TF under the Kansas field growing conditions in our study.
• KBG Classifications and Aggressiveness Ratings: Te study found that Kentucky bluegrass classification systems and growth aggressiveness labels were not reliable indicators for predicting improvements in sod strength or establishment speed in these 95:5 TF:KBG mixtures.
Table 2. Effects of Kentucky bluegrass (KB) cultivar mixed with tall fescue (TF) at 95:5 (w/w) mixture ratio on sod strength and handling at three sod harvest timings [9, 10, and 12 months after planting (MAP)] across both experiment runs in Experiement 1.
9 Tall
fescue (%
weight)
95% TF
95% TF
95% TF
95% TF
95% TF
95% TF
95% TF
95% TF
95% TF
100% TF
P-value
KB cultivars were included in the sod mixture seeding ratio of 95:5 (w/w, TF:KB). Tall fescue was ‘Avenger 3’ + Blackwatch 2’ + ‘Maestro’ at even proportion (TF blend of 33.3% each, by weight) to account for % weight
a
Growth aggressiveness classifications of “high,” “medium,” and “low” were assigned based on communication with seed companies (G. Munshaw, personal communication, 2022; L. Brilman, personal communication, 2022). Note. All plots were seeded at a seed mixture rate of 2 pure live seed cm-2
of the TF in the TF:KB mixtures and 100% TF treatment. b
. TF = tall fescue, KB = Kentucky
bluegrass. Means within each column with a common letter or no letters are not significantly different according to Fisher’s LSD test ( = .05).
TPI Turf News September/October 2025 33 KB
Cultivara (5%
weight) Armada
Bolt
Fullback Hampton
Growth
Aggressiveness Classificationb Low
Medium Medium High
Legend High
Martha Medium Shannon Sombrero Volt ---
Low High Low ---
Required work to tear sod (N-m) 14.2
15.0 14.2 14.3 13.9 14.0 14.6 14.3 14.5 13.6
0.9901
12.1 14.4 12.1 14.8 12.0 15.6 13.6 15.9 13.0 14.1 12.6 15.1 12.7 14.6 15.2 12.4 12.4 15.4 11.5 12.0
MAP 10 MAP 12 MAP 9 MAP 10 MAP
294 267 272 267 275 284 252 299 254
196 209 187 215 207 201 224 243 226 190
12 MAP
Maximum tensile load to tear sod (N) 248
278 305 325 283 253 271 269 226 295 221
9 MAP 10 MAP
Sod handling (1-5) 2.5
3.1 2.9 3.1 3.4 3.0 3.4 3.1 3.1 2.9
3.1 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.5 3.3 3.1 3.0
12 MAP
3.3 3.1 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.6 2.9
0.1274 0.0513 0.6184 0.2783 0.0609 0.2549 0.8944 0.5284
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