Creeping Bentgrass, Agrostis palustris
Creeping Bentgrass is a long-lived perennial grass.  It is mainly used for golf greens and tees, croquet, lawn bowling, lawn tennis and for divot repair on fairways. You will find this high quality, attractive grass on almost every championship golf course where it is adapted. It’s the finest bladed, lowest growing, highest maintenance of the cool season turf grasses. Establishment for this soft, dense grass is slow to normal and it requires a well prepared seed bed with good drainage. Creeping Bentgrass spreads laterally, requiring more controlled management and making its use in home lawns and parks limited. This dense turf grass performs great when closely mowed at 1/8 to 1/2 inches, fertilized and watered consistently. Creeping Bentgrass grows best in full sun but will survive in light shade.  Because of the growth habit, Creeping Bentgrass doesn’t blend well with other grasses.

Colonial Bentgrass, Agrostis capillaris
Colonial Bentgrass is a cool-season perennial bunch grass. Much like Creeping and Velvet Bentgrass, Colonial Bentgrass is mainly found on golf course greens, tees, fairways, croquet courts, tennis courts and lawn bowling greens. It is a low maintenance grass whose color ranges from greenish yellow to medium dark green. This perennial turf grass is a native to Europe and is utilized all over the Pacific Northwest and Northeast. Its spreading tolerance is minimal compared to Creeping Bentgrass yet it produces less thatch and does not require a close mowing. Colonial Bentgrass does require a well prepared seed bed when planting, frequent irrigation and a high level of fertilizer. This fine bladed grass blends well with fine fescues and is slow to establish.

Velvet Bentgrass, Agrostis canina
Velvet Bentgrass is one of the finest textured turfs available. Its beauty is used on golf greens, lawn bowling and anywhere that requires close mowing. When planting this grass it likes a well prepared seed bed and is slow to establish. This long-lived perennial grass grows best on well drained acidic soils. Velvet Bentgrass develops an extremely dense turf that spreads more than Colonial Bentgrass. Like Creeping and Colonial Bentgrass, Velvet Bentgrass doesn’t blend well with other grasses because of its growth habit.

Cool / Warm  Growth Habit  Seeding Rate Per 1,000ft2  Germination Recommended Mowing Height  Water Use  Drought Tolerance  Nitrogen Requirements  Salinity Tolerance  Cool Spreads by Stolons  Bunch Type Spreads by Stolons 1.00 - 1.50# 1.5 - 2.5# 0.75 - 1.25#  7 - 10 days 7 - 10 days 10 - 14 days 0.125" - 2.0" 0.5" - 2.0" 0.10" - 2.0" Medium Low Low Poor to Good Good Very Good Low to Medium Low Low High High Low