Zzzzzzzzz. Fallowing is kinda boring work, but absolutely necessary to hopefully avoid more problems down the road. I think one of the problems is that as humans, we look for instant gratification, or at least a light at the end of the tunnel. There is nothing like the anticipation of seeing the first green fuzz of your carefully selected KBG cultivar(s). In the case of fallowing, the best you can hope for is some weed seeds to sprout, only to be killed again. Come to think of it, there is some satisfaction in that. Rooting out the enemy…I like that!

Fallowing is especially important in this case, because after I killed and scalped the test plot area, I noticed to uneven sections. I poked around, and found some softball-sized rocks near the surface, as well as some roots from a removed tree, and finally, some construction refuse (nails, glass) that had probably been buried for over 15 years. I disturbed a fair amount of soil getting the rocks, roots and garbage out, and leveling the surface with bagged topsoil. That’s why I am fallowing for at least two weeks before seeding.

In the meantime, I have taken some soil samples and will send them off to Logan today. I have also decided where to seed each cultivar, and will share both the test results and seed locations in future posts.

The BTEP will pit 15 Elite KBG cultivars, and 2 “big box” KBG blends against each other to vie for the title of “Barley’s 2013 Renovation Cultivar Choices”.   The contestants are (in alphabetical order by type):

Compact: Bewitched, Blueberry, Diva, Moonbeam, Moonlight SLT
Compact America: America, Bedazzled, Boutique, Prosperity
Compact Midnight: Blue Velvet, Midnight, Midnight II, Midnight Star
Aggressive: Emblem, Julius
Other: Scott’s KBG Blend (60% Abbey, 25% Courtyard, 10% Thermal Blue), Schultz KBG Blend (84% Barrister, 10% Baron).

Each cultivar will have its own 4′ x 4′ plot, except for the big box blends which will share a plot.  To test spreading ability, I will only seed a 2′ x 2′ section in the middle of each plot.  I will be recording the following information on a regular basis:

1. Germination Time

2. Drought Resistance

3. Color

4. Spreading ability

5. General Appearance, including growth habit, blade width, and overall quality as judged by my as-of-yet undetermined subjective criteria

Here is a picture of the test plot as it stands today.

I applied Round Up on 7/24 and scalped on the 31st.  The “dirt” spots are some bagged top soil I used to level some low spots, and also fill in a spot where I discovered a large surface root from a tree I had removed 2 years ago.  I applied some 10-10-10 and am fallowing by watering shallowly twice a day.  I plan to use Round Up again on the 18th to kill anything that may have germinated and seed that weekend.

I think I will take some soil samples and send them off to Logan to address any deficiencies.  I had the soil tested last fall and had a high pH (due to an excess of Mg), but also high P and K values.  I addressed some micronutrient deficiencies (B, Mn, and Cu) in the Spring.  I will use starter fertilizer at seeding time, and then use Milorganite almost exclusively after that.

I started a thread here announcing my intention to start a Kentucky Bluegrass test plot in my yard to help me determine the best KBG cultivars to use for a future renovation.  By “best”, I mean the cultivars that will work the best for my conditions and requirements.  I will document the “BTEP Trials” on this blog.  I hope you enjoy the ride!

- Barley