Looking at some KBG lawn seeds and came across Midnight on seedland.com. A very dark blue-green color Dwarf growth habit Very high tiller density Drought tolerance Strong overall disease resistance Good tolerance to close mowing More than 15 years of proven performance This outstanding cultivar shows good resistance to leaf spot and stem rust, stripe smut and dollar spot. University trials have documented Midnight's heat and drought tolerance. Because of its very noticeable dark green color you may need to use caution with using Midnight to overseed high visual-impact sports field stands. Proper / even overseeding must be used. Midnight is at its best when used as a pure mono-stand lawn grass... but it also can be mixed into existing KBG stands to improve home lawns Sod producers and homeowners alike will enjoy Midnight's dwarf growth characteristics which result in fewer mowings and lower maintenance costs. Costs about $200 for a 50lb bag. What do you think of using this to reseed a new lawn? Is it foolish to just seed with pure KBG or should I use a blend. If you recommend a blend is it only because of shade considerations?
The midnight ranks very high in NTEP results in my 2003 Seed Guide. Although I am sure there are other KBG culitvars which are much less expensive that rate as high or just under. (Least Significant Difference) As for a mix, not a bad idea as if you work too much of one cultivar into your turf stand, and that cultivar gets hit with a disease, it will wipe it out and leave your lawn thinner than if you had a variety.
You don't give a location, so Midnight may or may not be good for you. Check test results in locations similar to yours at www.ntep.org . And like Scraper said, you never plant a single cultivar. I always seed pure KGB, but seed is a mix of 3 or 4 KBG cultivars.
Thanks for your insight so far. We live in Denver Colorado. I just want to clarify what you said. Don't plant one cultivar of KBG like a pure Midnight lawn. But do plant a multiple of only KBG seed. Such as there "Best of the Blues" mix which has Midnight, Challanger, Denim and Opti-green, all KBG cultivars. Or do you recommend a blend of multiple cultivars of different species. I see so often a blend such as one they call Bluemix that is 50% Baron or KenBlue Bluegrass, 40% Morning Star or Shining Star Perennial Ryegrass, and 10% Flyer I - Creeping Red Fescue. The lawn I am re doing is south facing on a slight hill about 1200 sq feet. I have killed the old lawn with roundup and roto-tilled Canadian Sphagnum peat moss into the soil. So what is better a pure KBG mix or a blend of KBG, rye and fescue? Why would you do one over the other?
See comments on rye in seed mixes at <a href="http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?postid=466144#post466144">this post</a>.
