# KBG....?



## DC3 (May 20, 2018)

Newb when it comes to cool season grass. Been with Bermuda for the past 10 years. New home, no grass, currently working to amend the clay soil. I'm currently stationed in Wichita KS (6b) and seriously debating throwing down some Everest (monostrand) vs a Bermuda (monostrand).

I have a North/south facing home so there will be some shaded areas that rarely see direct sunlight. Anyone familiar with 6b and successful monostrand? Would Everest be the right choice? If I chose KBG, would planting in the next 2 months be unrealistic? I've heard of more failure stories than success stories with seeding kbg in soring... I know Bermuda fairly well, so the kbg will be a learning curve. All opinions welcome.


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## critterdude311 (Apr 21, 2018)

DC3 said:


> Newb when it comes to cool season grass. Been with Bermuda for the past 10 years. New home, no grass, currently working to amend the clay soil. I'm currently stationed in Wichita KS (6b) and seriously debating throwing down some Everest (monostrand) vs a Bermuda (monostrand).
> 
> I have a North/south facing home so there will be some shaded areas that rarely see direct sunlight. Anyone familiar with 6b and successful monostrand? Would Everest be the right choice? If I chose KBG, would planting in the next 2 months be unrealistic? I've heard of more failure stories than success stories with seeding kbg in soring... I know Bermuda fairly well, so the kbg will be a learning curve. All opinions welcome.


Bermuda in 6b with limited lighting? Nah, I don't think so. Go with a KBG or TTTF.


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## DC3 (May 20, 2018)

critterdude311 said:


> Bermuda in 6b with limited lighting? Nah, I don't think so. Go with a KBG or TTTF.


Are you familiar with Everest? You think I could plant it in the next 2 months successfully? I still have a lot to do in the yard before I can get the seed in..


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Planting KBG in oklahoma in the next month and hoping it survives the summer heat will be a very big challenge. I would not do it. Do you have inground irrigation?


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## DC3 (May 20, 2018)

g-man said:


> Planting KBG in oklahoma in the next month and hoping it survives the summer heat will be a very big challenge. I would not do it. Do you have inground irrigation?


I'm just north of OK... Wichita, KS is about an hour north of the OK/KS border. I'm going to put the irrigation in hopefully in the next month or so...

Bermuda would thrive, but the shade is of issue.

I was debating doing PRG then killing it off end of August, tilling it in and planting KBG beginning of sept... Just as another option. I feel like this area isn't the best for either option. And my hatred for TTTF has me pushing against it.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I think kbg is possible in your area, but start it in Sept. Irrigation is a most have for it. I don't love TTTF either.


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## critterdude311 (Apr 21, 2018)

DC3 said:


> g-man said:
> 
> 
> > Planting KBG in oklahoma in the next month and hoping it survives the summer heat will be a very big challenge. I would not do it. Do you have inground irrigation?
> ...


You're in a bit of a pickle. Getting the KBG (or any of the cool season grasses) established in the Spring and surviving through Summer would be a challenge. Lots of irrigation, lots of preventative fungicide, and some help from mother nature this summer. Typically, it's best to do that in the fall.

PRG will establish insanely fast, but I feel like it will be the most difficult cool season grass (of the big 3 KBG/PRG/TTTF) to survive the summer heat with where you are located.

My case against bermuda would be the threat of winterkill in zone 6b. You know the area and the winters there better than me, but for some perspective, I live at the northern tip of zone 7, and our winters get cool enough here where bermuda would suffer significant winterkill over any given 5-10 year period. Enough to rule it out as a possibility. Couple that with the shade scenario, and I wouldn't want to mess with it.

Zoysia (Meyer Z52 / Zennith / Innovation) is cold hardy enough where winterkill is not a problem for us here. If you want to go the warm season route, that might be your best bet, as it has better shade tolerance than Bermuda. The downside being, establishment is painfully slow if you plug / sprig it. Sod if you have the money, seed (Zennith) if you are impatient.

The newer varieties of TTTF are very similar in blade width, density, and overall attractiveness to KBG, so if you haven't looked at some of the newer elite NTEP winners, you might want to check them out again. I can vouch for the 'Regenerate' and '4th millenium' varieties.

If you have your heart set on KBG, I would probably wait until the fall unless you have in ground irrigation.


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## weed_wizard (Apr 18, 2019)

Turf type tall fescue (TTTF) performs well in Wichita. You won't see many KBG lawns here. Bermuda works, but it's brown in the winter. Personally, I would go with TTTF.

You can obtain blue tag TTTF fescue affordably at most local garden centers in Wichita at a fair price.

Check out this PDF from K-State University discussing grass options for Kansas.

https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/Item.aspx?catId=545&pubId=645


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## DC3 (May 20, 2018)

@critterdude311

Yeah. That's my dilemma... I want the low mow, and tttf doesn't give me that. I have very few hobbies, and the low mow keeps me occupied. If I wasn't so interested in the monostrand I'd do the bluemuda w/prg. That obviously is probably the best option... But would require constant overseed and would adapt automatically to shade...

@weed_wizard 
Affordability is relative in this situation... Tttf sod is $6000+ and Bermuda is about $8000. So, coming in under that this year would be a win.

I just want my low mow... Lol


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## alt-brian (Sep 14, 2018)

I have to admit, I am jealous.
You have a great opportunity to get things set up for success, right from the start.

Amending your soil now is fantastic.
If it were me, I would till a bunch of compost and biochar into the soil.
I mean a LOT!
Not tilling in a bunch of compost and biochar before seeding is the only regret I have about my lawn.

*** can be incredible in 6b. The problem will be the summer stress.
If you plan to put in irrigation, that stress will be minimized.
If not, come the summer heat, you will need to pay attention to rainfall. (there's an app for that)
When mother nature comes up short with the H2O, you need to cover her shortfall.
Going mono..... Everest seems to be a fine choice even though I have not personally used it.
(I currently have a mix of Midnight, Bluebank and Prosperity, but started off mono Midnight)

Yes, seeding in fall is preferred to spring, but I did not have a choice when my home was finished in spring of 2018. (also 6b)
I made sure to stay on top of my watering, (light and frequent during germination and deep and infrequent during the summer), and the Midnight came in great.
By the fall, I had a dark lawn that I was happy with.


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## weed_wizard (Apr 18, 2019)

I understand where you are coming from DC3.

Sodshop on North Hillside street sells a new type of zoysia called "Innovation." The claim is that it looks great all year even though it is a warm season grass. Maybe this is a good compromise between KBG and Bermuda. I was considering an "innovation" sod test area last year but it's more work than TTTF for me. I don't know how well it will perform in shade.

The two main places to get sod in the Wichita area are:
Sod Shop
Cranmer Grass Farming

I think you will be happy with your choice in the end. Mowing is a fun outdoors activity in Wichita. :thumbup:


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