The meadow meadow (Poa pratensis) is a common ingredient in lawn seed mixes. Here you can find out everything about the properties and uses of the grass.
The paniculate inflorescences of the meadow meadow grass are probably well known to you, even if you are not at all interested in botany. When the high stalks with the seeds sway in the wind in midsummer, it is hard to imagine that meadow reed seeds enrich almost every lawn. With their remarkable durability, particularly good varieties of meadow grass have also made it into ours Plantura lawn seed mixtures done in premium quality, but more on that later.
Poa pratensis: origin and description
Poa pratensis belongs, like most lawn grasses, to the sweet grasses (Poaceae). It grows throughout the northern hemisphere of the world, but rough bluegrass can also be found in Africa, Australia and even in Antarctica. The Latin species name
pratensis means nothing more than "growing in meadows".In its natural habitat, the meadow meadow grass grows in a turf-forming manner through the formation of strong subterranean runners, so it tends to grow in large, unbroken clusters. It can grow 20 to 60 centimeters high and flowers in panicles between May and July, the new seeds of Poa pratensis keep. The leaf is dark green to blue-green and can vary in width and hairiness. In addition to meadow meadow grass, there are other types of meadow grass that can also be found in house lawns. Our Plantura shade lawn includes this, for example Ordinary meadow gas (Poa trivialis), Grove bluegrass (Poa nemoralis) and the extremely shade-tolerant glacial panicle (Poa supina).
Tip: The fact that meadow meadow grass forms a dense carpet by nature explains its very good suitability for lawn grass. Since the underground runners give the grass resistance to mechanical impact, it is used in sports field lawns, utility lawn and also our durable one Plantura sports and play turf used in premium quality.
Characteristics and use of meadow meadow grass
We have created an overview table for you so that you have all the important properties of meadow grass at a glance. Then you will learn everything about the use of Poa pratensis.
What properties has Poa pratensis?
The meadow meadow in brief
| characteristics | Dense and firm turf due to strong runners, strong dark green leaves, drought tolerant |
| Expectations | Medium to high nutrient supply, normal soil without waterlogging |
| durability | High to very high due to very hard-wearing, extremely hard-wearing and dense turf |
| use | Sports and play turf, dry turf, shady turf, sports field turf |
| germination and development | Slow germination and initial development, late completion of cicatrization; post-establishment competitive growth |
| Minimum cutting height | Depending on the variety 30 to 40 mm |
| particularities | Hardy, some varieties susceptible to leaf spot disease, unsuitable for wet locations |
Meadow meadow grass has a long germination phase and slow initial development. Has Poa pratensis but once established, it is a valuable mixing partner - its drought tolerance, low susceptibility to most Lawn diseases, the dense, firm scar and the associated durability are, for example, on heavily used sports fields used. In addition, there is the beautiful, dark green color that persists for a long time in many varieties, even in winter. However, the meadow meadow grass is not at all suitable for heavy deep cutting and wet locations: it then grows weakly and lightly and is easily displaced by other grasses.
Expert tip: Are you unsure whether Poa pratensis will feel comfortable in your garden because you often see standing water on the surface? Then a thorough loosening of the subsoil is highly recommended. However, if you have a very clayey soil, the compaction will develop again in a short time. You can counteract this by working in four to five cubic meters of sand, expanded clay or lava grit per 100 square meters. The promotion of hummus by mulch mowing and the fertilization with a chiefly organic lawn fertilizer like our Plantura Organic Lawn Fertilizer maintain and improve the loosening and vitality of the soil in the long term, so that the lawn can grow healthy and strong.
As is Poa pratensis used?
Poa pratensis is highly valued as a perennial forage grass in pastoral farming. Because of its high resilience and drought tolerance, it is present in almost all mixtures in the home garden. It is therefore also found in large proportions in ours Plantura sports and play turf, to the Plantura dry grassland and – in somewhat smaller amounts – in ours Plantura shade lawn. Its frequent Use on sports fields proves its high resilience even under extreme use.
Different varieties of Poa pratensis
Breeding has already greatly reduced some undesirable characteristics, such as susceptibility to leaf spot disease. On the other hand, positive characteristics such as slip resistance and wintergreen were further improved. Here we present some particularly recommendable varieties, which also our Plantura Premium Lawn Seed Mixtures enrich.
Poa pratensis 'Joker':
Slow-growing, relatively green even in winter, rather coarse and broad leaves, extremely dense turf, very competitive with weeds. Very hard wearing and high resistance to rot. Very good suitability for Sports and play turf as well as hard-wearing lawns, less suitable for ornamental lawns
Poa pratensis 'Sombrero':
Slow-growing, relatively green even in winter, rather coarse and broad leaves, high turf density and good competitiveness against weeds. Medium to high durability. Slight susceptibility to some lawn diseases. Good suitability for Sports and play turf, medium suitability for hard-wearing lawns, not very suitable for ornamental lawns
Poa pratensis ′Barhelene′:
Fast-growing, still relatively green even in winter, rather coarse and broad leaves, extremely dense turf, strong competition from weeds. Medium durability. Low susceptibility to lawn diseases. Good suitability for Sports and play turf, less suitable for hard-wearing lawns or ornamental lawns
Poa pratensis ′Green play′:
Very slow-growing, relatively green even in winter, rather coarse and broad leaves, extremely dense turf, competitive with weeds. Good durability. Low susceptibility to lawn diseases. Best suitability for Sports and play turf, Suitability for hard-wearing lawns, hardly suitable for ornamental lawns.