Kentucky Bluegrass and St Augustine are both green blades of grass and are widely used for lawns. But each has its unique features and can complement different landscapes.

So, which one will be the best fit for your yard? Which one would you prefer to buy? Read on to know the one that will suit your options.

Kentucky Bluegrass Vs St Augustine (Comparison)

–	Kentucky Bluegrass	St Augustine
Origin	North America and Europe	California, Southeastern United States, and the Caribbean
USDA Hardiness Zone	3 to 10	8 to 11
Uses	For Ground Cover	For Beautification
Genus	Poa	Stenotaphrum
Habitat	Lawns, Cultivated Beds, and meadows	Tropical Climate, marshes, and Swamps.
Life span	Perennial	Perennial
Leaf color in Spring and Summer	Green, Blue Green, Gray Green in spring and fall, light green in summer and Green, Blue Green in winter.	Green in spring, fall and winter and light green in summer.
Lead shape	Narrowly linear leaf shape	Fin-shaped Tufts leaf shape
Plant Season	Spring, Summer, and Fall	Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
How to plant	Seedlings, and Sod	Plugs, Sod, and Sprigs
Watering Requirements	Water frequently while growing with lots of water in summer, moderate water in spring and average water in winter	Average Water Needed while growing with lots of water in summer, moderate water in spring and average water in winter.
Sunlight	Full Sun, Partial Sun, and Partial shade	Full Sun, and Partial Sun
The PH of Soil	Acidic or Neutral soil required	Acidic or Neutral or Alkaline
Type of Soil	Clay or Loam soil	Loam or Sand soil
Soil Drainage	Need well-drained soil	Well-drained soil
Bloom time	The Kentucky Bluegrass bloom time is in Summer	–
Pruning	Prune it by removing damaged leaves, dead branches and dead leaves.	Prune it by removing damaged leaves, dead branches and dead leaves
Allergy Recorded	Cough, running nose and Itchy eyes.	Congestion, sneezing and Itchiness
Disease and Pest	Rust, Summer Patch and Dollar spot	Red blotch

Note: Kentucky Bluegrass and St Augustine have the same kingdom, class, Phylum, family, order and clade.

Kentucky Bluegrass Vs St Augustine (Differences)

The key differences between Kentucky Bluegrass and St Augustine are seen in their appearance, water requirements, fertilization and climate tolerance. 

1. Climate

The climate of both Kentucky bluegrass and St Augustine are different. Kentucky Bluegrass prefers a cool season and grows best when soil temperatures are between 60 to 70 degrees F. If planted in the south, it can’t survive the heat. 

While St. Augustine grows well in the heat. If the cultivar isn’t carefully developed, it cannot survive the winters north of South Carolina, United States.

2. Appearance

By appearance, you can differentiate between St. Augustine and Kentucky Bluegrass. St Augustine has dark green color and a coarse, wide blade width, dense turf maturity. 

Kentucky bluegrass also has dark green color, dense development and a medium to fine blade width dependent on the cultivar.

3. Traffic Tolerance

Kentucky bluegrass is mostly used for sports fields in the upper Midwest and Northeast because it recovers from traffic well when compared with St Augustine.

St. Augustine is good in appearance but does not handle traffic well. It is favored by southern homeowners for its appearance. 

4. Mowing

Both Kentucky Bluegrass and St Augustine require that you don’t cut one-third of the blade length in any one mowing.

You can keep St. Augustine from 2 ½ – 3 ½  inches, while Kentucky bluegrass should be kept from ¾ – 2 ½ inches. 

5. Water Requirements

St. Augustine needs careful irrigation to survive especially where rain is infrequent. Kentucky bluegrass can survive drought by going dormant in the summer season. It turns green quickly in response to either irrigation or rainfall.

6. Fertilization

Newly planted Kentucky Bluegrass needs higher fertilization and subsequently, it should not pass 2 to 6 lbs. of nitrogen per year over three applications. Apply it during late spring when the growth spurt has slowed in September and October. 

But St Augustine fertilization is different. Apply it monthly with about 1 lb. per 1,000 square feet during the growing season between March to September.

7. Cost

Both Kentucky Bluegrass vs St Augustine has an equal cost of installation. But if you need a beautiful lawn with a good appearance right away with no concern for long-term costs, go for St. Augustine grass.

But Kentucky Bluegrass can be expensive to install if you have wider space to cover but will save you a lot in the long run because it withstands traffic.

What are the Pros and Cons of Kentucky Bluegrass?

Pros of Kentucky Bluegrass

• Gives a cleaner cut than other tuff grasses
• Can withstand traffic
• Kentucky Bluegrass can survive long periods of drought without dying off.
• Greens up almost quickly with irrigation or rainfall.

Cons of Kentucky Bluegrass 

• Kentucky Bluegrass demands high water to grow well
• Requires constant mowing since it has shallow roots, so mowing tall is necessary.
• Also, demand constant fertilization in its early stage.
• Needs dethatching and aeration and with this, it can consume your time and energy.
• Can easily be attacked by diseases, insects, and weeds.

What are the Pros and Cons of St Augustine?

Pros of St Augustine

• It is beautiful and has an attractive appearance
• Cannot easily be attacked by diseases
• With proper maintenance, you will get the best of St Augustine grass.

Cons of St Augustine

• Has a thatch problem as it produces excessive thatch with moderate to high fertilization and frequent irrigation.
• Thatches formed can make it look unattractive and patchy.
• Some varieties of grass are susceptible to cold weather. The weather tolerance of St Augustine isn’t strong enough.

Frequently Asked Questions 

What Grass is Similar to Kentucky Bluegrass?

The grass that is similar to Kentucky Bluegrass is the Turf type of tall fescue as they are low to maintain and almost share the same features.

What is Kentucky Bluegrass Best For?

Kentucky Bluegrass is best for sports field usage and also ideal for sod. This is because it can withstand traffic with the growth pattern showing that it is a tuff grass. 

It thrives well in the northern United States and has the best winter hardiness zone out of all the cool-season grasses available.

Conclusion

With proper care and maintenance, both Kentucky Bluegrass and St Augustine are going to fit your taste. For a while, they are both going to be fine in your yard.

For the one to choose from? Still, none is better than the other. It all depends on your choice and what you need it for. Sometimes, it would depend on what is available at your local nursery store.

It all depends on your taste and long-term need. But with proper maintenance, both are good to go.