Whats the best grass mixture for a western Oregon lawn?
CORVALLIS – When faced with the task of establishing a new lawn, people want to know the best kind of grass to plant. Tom Cook, turf specialist at Oregon State University, is asked about this a lot. “I rarely give the same answer twice, because the best grass depends on the site, the owner and a dozen other variables,” Cook said. But hedging aside, Cook says there are several basic grass mixtures that will cover most situations. He has outlined them in his publication, “Practical Lawn Establishment and Renovation” (EC 1550), published by the OSU Extension Service. Below are just a few grass seed mixtures that Cook recommends for western Oregon lawns. “The percentages of mixture components are not sacred,” said Cook. “You have to be flexible in shopping because every supplier has a different idea of what they want to sell you. The key is to study the label and go for the contents, not the price or the hype.” For general turf on sunny sites: A mix of 70-80 percent perennial ryegrass and
