Why Grass Seed Mixtures Are The Way to Go

The gardener without years of experience will do well to

consider planting a mixture of grasses rather than a solid

turf of a single species. If he knows exactly what he is

doing, and understands how to control the diseases which

might attack his particular single species of grass, the

chances are it will survive and thrive without serious

injury.



But the beginner rarely has the necessary skill and

knowledge for this, and, even when he does, he often runs

into unforeseen trouble. If conditions change—such as an

extremely wet or dry year—a solid turf of one species may

suffer severely, whereas one containing several grasses will

pull through in good shape.



Disease is a good example of the type of problem a mixture

may help avoid. The fungi which attack grasses are quite

specific in their action. That is, some will attack fescues

but not bluegrasses, while others attack bents but not

fescues. Except for rust, which is largely airborne, most of

these turf diseases are spread by contact from one blade to

another.



If the turf is made up of more than one species, this plant-

to-plant contact is broken. I have seen one section of a

lawn, seeded wholly to Common Kentucky Bluegrass, go down by

late June when attacked by helminthosporium leaf spot, while

another part of the same lawn—planted with Chewing's Fescue

and Highland Bent in addition to the bluegrass—showed only

an occasional area affected by the leaf spot. Both areas

were maintained exactly the same.



Another advantage of mixtures is that they tend to adjust

themselves to the varying soil conditions often found within

a lawn, and also to differences in sun and shade. It is not

uncommon for the same lawn to have one area that receives

three hours of sun­shine while a short distance away it has

sun all day long.



One of the very real problems a seedsman has, for example,

is in recommending a grass to the man who doesn't know what

a sunny lawn is. I have actually studied lawns which the

owner claimed received sun "all day long" and found they had

four hours or less.



This is often true in cities, where the line of parkway

trees and the house form barriers that cut off the sun until

late in the morning and then block it again early in the

afternoon.



By doing just a little research, which often amounts to

asking a representative at your local nursury or home supply

store, you will find the perfect mixture of grass seed for

your needs and avoid many troublesome and time-consuming

problems.



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