News on Blade Runner....

Blade Runner Tall Fescue

Description:

Blade Runner is a tough, persistent, endophyte enhanced variety that is well adapted to hot summers, lower fertility soils, shades and tough use situations. It has a pleasing medium dark color, medium leaf texture, and will spread by producing rhizomes and  large numbers of basal tillers under favorable conditions. Blade Runner is very persistent and has excellent heat tolerance and drought resistance. It is a "semi-dwarf" type variety with a medium growth rate.

Disease & Insect Resistance:

NTEP trials have demonstrated the broad overall disease resistance of Blade Runner. It has excellent resistance to Brown Patch, and also has good resistance to LeafSpot adn NetBlotch. Like all tall fescues, Blade Runner can develop Pythium when the conditions are favorable for the disease, but it generally develops Pythium later than other varieties, and recovers quickly.

Usage:

Blade Runner is recommended wherever a persistent, high quality tall fescue with spreading ability is recommended. It is well adapted to low fertility situations and tolerates acid soils and shady conditions very well. It is recommended for lawns, parks, golf course roughs and for sod production. Blade Runner can be blended with other improved varieties of turf type tall fescue and also mixes well with broader leafed varieties of Kentucky bluegrass such as Bronco.

Seeding:

Recommended seeding times are early to mid spring (good) or late summer to early fall (best). A seeding rate of 6-10 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft is recommended for new plantings. For overseeding existing turf, a rate of 3-5 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. is best. Normally, seedlings will emerge in 8-12 days after planting, and the first mowing can be expected in 5-7 weeks.

Maintenance:

Blade Runner is a lower fertility grass, and performs well with Nitrogen applications ranging from 2-5 lbs. actual N per 1000 sq. ft. per year. Yearly P and K applications at half the amount are also desirable. Fall fertilization is recommended. A mowing height between 1 -1/4 and 3 1/2" is ideal, but lower and higher cutting heights can be tolerated as well.