FEATURES:
• Attractive, shiny, rich dark green
appearance.
• Adapted to high or low maintenance.
• Excellent resistance to leaf spot
and melting out.
• Fairway performance even down to 1/2"
mowing.
PERFORMANCE
CHARACTERISTICS:
• Superior turf quality:
Rugby II scored among the top 14 entries in
the most recent National Turfgrass Evaluation
Program (NTEP) Kentucky bluegrass trial, under
medium-high maintenance. It ranked in the
top 10 in Indiana, Illinois, Washington state,
Missouri, Rhode Island, and Alberta, Canada.
It placed 4th out of over 100 entries in the
cool-arid region of the U.S. and Canada.
• Unmatched close-cut tolerance:
Rugby II showed strong quality performance
at a cutting height of 1/2". It was the
Number 1 entry out of 3,000 experimentals
in a recent close cutting trial in Post Falls,
Idaho. Moreover, it was immune to several
Poa annua control chemicals commonly used
for fairway maintenance.
• Transition zone performance:
Rugby II scored in the top 20 of varieties
in the transition zone sites of the NTEP.
• Shade tolerance:
Rugby II has good tolerance to shade or full
sun.
• Aggressiveness:
Rugby II is moderately aggressive, but it
is not as thatch-prone as earlier aggressive
bluegrasses.
DISEASE,
INSECT, AND ENVIRONMENTAL TOLERANCE:
• Spring melting out Unmatched resistance
• Drought resistance Excellent resistance
to dormancy
• Close cutting tolerance Superior tolerance
• Summer patch, leaf spot Good resistance
DEVELOPMENT:
Rugby II originated from a plant selection
from a 1930’s cemetery in Washington
state. The original plant had spread to a
diameter of 20 to 30 feet across, growing
in a low maintenance cemetery in an arid environment.
When found, the spot was dark green, shiny,
and dense, in spite of growing between a huge
shade tree and a well traveled driveway.
