Sun Requirements of Kentucky Bluegrass Vs. Tall Fescue

Shade-Tolerant Kentucky Bluegrass

• A-34, Total Eclipse, Nugget, Glade, Touchdown, Victa and Bristol are seven cultivars of shade-tolerant Kentucky bluegrass. They thrive in moderate shade and suffer in full sun. These varieties grow more slowly and have a lower nitrogen requirement than grasses requiring full sun. They are also more tender and prefer less frequent, but deep, irrigation. Total Eclipse, for example, has good shade tolerance and performs well in areas with shade trees. Unlike most shade-tolerant varieties, Total Eclipse rates high in traffic resistance.

Sun-Loving Kentucky Bluegrass

• Nonshade tolerant Kentucky bluegrass needs full sun and suffers in the shade. Traditionally, bluegrasses perform best in the top portions of the transition zone and further north. It performs best in areas with cool winters and mild summers such Kentucky, Missouri and Illinois. The species goes dormant in excessive heat and is vulnerable to weed invasion under stress. Some sun-loving bluegrasses are also moderately shade tolerant. Midnight Blue, for example, prefers full sun but tolerates the dappled shade of a tree.

Tall Fescue Varieties

• Most tall fescue varieties prefer full sun to partial shade, and remain green throughout winter. Kentucky 31, the oldest cultivar in the United States, needs between four and eight hours of sun per day. Most turf type varieties grow into full and dense lawns, preferring morning sun and afternoon shade. Tall fescues are moderately drought tolerant, but might need overseeding in the fall after especially dry summers. It grows more quickly than Kentucky bluegrass varieties and maintains a green shade year-round.

Things to Consider

• Both grass species are well adapted to cooler climates and suffer in the South. Test your soil for pH and alkalinity prior to sodding or seeding your lawn to determine the best fertilizer mix. Because both species have long histories, hundreds of cultivars exist, with improvements each year. Most lawns in cooler climates have mixed lawns, with some containing both tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass varieties.