Exploring Alternatives to Grass Lawns: Scotts® Pursue™ Blue Grama

Who doesn’t love the look of a lush, green lawn? You’ve mastered watering, fertilizing, mowing…and then a dry spell comes. Or maybe pests and diseases creep into your yard, destroying your grass. Your beautiful lawn may wilt and wither in the midst of these difficult conditions. Sometimes even after your hard work, you’re looking at a brown lawn.

If you’re longing for a natural lawn solution that also stands up to drought and disease, try Scotts® Pursue™ Blue Grama. This eco-friendly, native prairie grass requires some extra work at planting, but offers a low-maintenance lawn in the long term.

Here’s a quick look at Blue Grama:

• Tall-growing prairie grass native to North America
• Grows deep roots for a drought-tolerant lawn covering
• Has no known serious disease or pest problems
• Grows best in full sun

Native to North America, blue grama is a tall-growing prairie grass. Mow this turf like traditional grass or leave it long - it grows up to 20 inches - for a natural prairie look. In fact, you’ll want to avoid frequent mowing, and don’t mow more than 1/3 of the current grass height at a time. This lawn cover grows deep roots to help it survive drought conditions once established. In addition to using less water once the grass is established, you’ll also be spending less time on fertilizing the lawn. Most diseases and pests aren’t a problem with this grass species. This prairie grass goes dormant in winter, so it survives well in the transition zone.

While blue grama offers a low-maintenance experience in the long term, there are a few things to consider when choosing this prairie grass. Blue grama does not grow well in the shade, but prefers a sunny spot. This grass species also needs low levels of traffic to thrive compared to traditional grasses, and overseeding may be necessary to help thicken this turf over time.

Creating a new lawn or overseeding your existing blue grama lawn may be hard work as this grass cannot be applied with a spreader. We do not recommend overseeding with other grass types, so please review the label directions before application.

Once the work is done and your blue grama lawn is established, you’ll be enjoying a low-maintenance, native grass that creates a beautiful landscape.

1. Prep

• New Lawns: Rake the area to loosen the top layer of soil (approximately 2 inches deep) and remove any existing grass or debris, ensuring seed-to-soil contact. If you’re replacing an existing lawn, remove all existing grass before planting blue grama.
• Overseeding an existing blue grama lawn: Mow lawn at the lowest setting and bag the clippings. Rake to remove any debris and dead grass and to loosen the soil, ensuring seed-to-contact. Do not overseed with other grasses.

2. Apply

• Plant when air temperatures are between 70°F and 90°F. For simplest application, evenly apply by hand, spreading the seed low to the ground on a calm day with minimal wind.
• For best results, mix one part seed with two parts Scotts® Premium Topsoil in a bucket before applying.
• Do not use a spreader to apply.

3. Care

• Lightly water the seedbed daily, continuing for 2 weeks after seed germination.
• About six weeks after seeding, apply a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer. For best results, apply a fertilizer once per year in the summer.
• Once your newly seeded blue grama lawn reaches a height of 3.5-4 inches, mow grass to a 2-3 inch height to promote a thicker lawn. Grass can be left unmowed or mowed to a height of 3-4 inches.
• Avoid frequent mowings and do not mow more than 1/3 of the grass height at once. Blue grama grows to about 20 inches in height.

If you’re willing to put in a little extra effort at the start, blue grama can offer a lower maintenance lawn experience in the long-term. Once your new blue grama lawn grows its deep roots, you’ll spend less time working on your lawn and more time enjoying it.