Varieties that are available include 'Derby,' 'Citation,' 'Manhattan II' and 'Pennfine'. Annual rye is sometimes used for overseeding in the warm parts of the country, but it is of little use in northern Nevada. Bentgrass forms a very fine, dense turf that tolerates close mowings. Its main use is for golf course putting greens. Penncross' is the best variety for the area.
Tall fescue is a clump grass with a very coarse-textured leaf that has some drought tolerance.
It is best used for play fields. It should be mowed to a height of 3 inches. When mixed in a bluegrass lawn, tall fescue looks weedy. There are now improved turf type tall fescues which have a finer texture but are still coarser than bluegrass. They are tough and make a nice looking lawn.