Pheasants and ducks will sometimes nest in reed canarygrass. Kentucky bluegrass grows best on fertile soils in central and northern Illinois, where it has been used extensively in waterways. It is not as deep rooted as the other grasses already mentioned and therefore is not as desirable. Present practices omit bluegrass from the seeding mixture. On fertile soils it will naturally invade stands of other grasses, especially if they are closely mowed or thinned.
Kentucky bluegrass is attractive to wildlife.
Seed mixtures of the grasses mentioned above are listed in Table 6. If the seeding is done in the fall, add 20 pounds per acre of wheat or rye. Late summer is usually preferable in southern and central Illinois, whereas spring seeding is more desirable in the northern part of the state. Late summer seedings are not as likely to be washed out as the earlier ones. Because soils are usually dry, they will absorb more rainfall, thus reducing runoff and erosion.