Roaring Fork Conservancy and Basalt Regional Library partnered together in summer of 2022 to test different eco-friendly solutions to lawn maintenance.
Why think about replacing your turf lawn?
On average, watering a lawn for 1 hour uses 1,020 gallons of water - watering 3x a week uses 12,240 gallons a month.* This equals almost 291 bathtubs of water per week!**
If you visited the test site at the Basalt Regional Library, you might have seen and felt that there is little difference between Kentucky Bluegrass and Turf-type tall fescue. However, turf-type tall fescue requires less maintenance (in regards to water, fertilizer, sunlight, aeration) and has greater tolerance to weather, foot traffic, weeds and pests. Therefore, in Western Colorado, turf-type tall fescue is a better option in regards to lawn maintenance.
More details about the differences between Kentucky Bluegrass and Turf-type tall fescue can be found in the chart below:
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KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS
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TURF-TYPE TALL FESCUE
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Hardiness zone
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Speed of growth rate
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Maintenance
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Foot traffic tolerance
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Sunlight requirements
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Shade tolerance
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Water requirements
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Vulnerability to weeds
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Dormancy rate
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Propagation
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Source: Gardener Pick
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https://www.crabgrasslawn.com/tall-fescue-vs-kentucky-bluegrass/
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https://www.pennington.com/all-products/grass-seed/resources/all-you-need-to-know-about-tall-fescue
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https://twincityseed.com/products/seed/grass-lawn/turf-tall-fescure/
* https://www.wsscwater.com/understandusage#:~:text=Watering%20with%20a%20typical%20sprinkler,about%2012%2C240%20gallons%20per%20month
** https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/water-and-drought/article2591077.html