Written and checked by the USA Sod team · Published November 9, 2026
Sunny yard: pick Kentucky bluegrass. Shady spots, soil that drains poorly, or a yard you water little in summer: pick tall fescue. In eastern Washington, Kentucky bluegrass suits the soil and climate and can grow on its own, with no mix needed. Tall fescue may cope better with shade and light summer watering. USA Sod commonly offers both in Spokane: check your ZIP code for today's list.
Two cool-season grasses for Spokane
Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue are both cool-season grasses. Choosing between Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue in Spokane depends on sun, soil and how much you plan to water in summer.
Kentucky bluegrass: the sunny yard pick
Kentucky bluegrass is the lawn grass Americans plant most. In eastern Washington it fits the soil and climate, so you can lay it alone or in a mix. Where it is well adapted, a bluegrass lawn takes heavy wear, keeps a dark green color and fills in bare spots fast once the lawn has established.
Plant it in full sun. Its shade tolerance is low.
Typhula snow mold hits eastern Washington lawns that sit under snow for a long time, and Kentucky bluegrass resists it. One pest to watch: lawn billbugs do severe damage to bluegrass lawns, and so far they are a problem only in eastern Washington.
Tall fescue: for shade, poor drainage and light watering
Turf-type tall fescue was bred from the coarse fescues grown for forage into a denser lawn grass with finer blades. Its quality does not match bluegrass, but it may do better in shade, on soil that drains poorly, on soil with more soluble salts, and in yards that get little water in summer. Its shade tolerance is medium, against low for bluegrass.
Its deep roots pull water from lower in the soil, which is where its drought tolerance comes from. Under regular irrigation, though, it uses a lot of water. Tall fescue grows in bunches, and it may need overseeding to stay thick and keep weeds out.
Mowing, watering and feeding east of the Cascades
- Keep bluegrass 2 to 2.5 inches tall on a home lawn. East of the Cascades, keep tall fescue (improved varieties) at 2 to 3 inches.
- Lower the mower slowly. Drop it no more than 0.5 inch each time you mow; going lower scalps the lawn and browns it.
- Water deep, not often. Check the soil first, water when the top 2 inches are dry and crumbly, and wet it at least 12 inches deep where the soil is that deep. Sandy loam and heavier soils seldom need water more than once a week. Early morning is the best time.
- Feed mainly nitrogen. Lawns in eastern Washington usually need only nitrogen, but test the soil first. For the best lawn, wait until fall, once you are done mowing for the year and before the ground freezes, then put down 1 lb of nitrogen for every 1,000 square feet.
Laying sod in Spokane
Lay the sod and water new sod the day it arrives. Sod delivered in winter may arrive dormant, and dormant is not dead.
Ordering sod in Spokane
USA Sod commonly offers Kentucky Bluegrass and Tall Fescue in the Spokane market. Availability changes week to week, so enter your ZIP code for today's list, or see the Spokane page.
Spokane pallets cover 500 square feet in USA Sod quotes, and sod is sold in full pallets because it is cut to order. Delivery is a flat $200 on any order that includes sod. USA Sod does not offer installation in Spokane.
Know which grass fits your Spokane yard? Order your sod or call 1-866-886-2763.
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