What type of grass in fescue

High-nitrogen, low-phosphorus fertilizer is ideal for most fescue varieties. The best time to water fescue, and most grass types, is early in the morning. To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews thisoldhouserevi ews.

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Patton, A. Cook, T. When you're on a quest for the perfect lawn, you're bound to encounter challenges. Water conservation and a healthy, beautiful lawn aren't mutually exclusive. You can do your part to manage water usage, and keep your lawn. Seeding your lawn is an economical and satisfying way to introduce healthy turf to your yard.

Tall Fescue at a Glance. Cool-season grass with improved heat tolerance. Suitable for northern and southern transition regions. Tolerant of heat, drought and shade. Disease resistant. Bunch-forming growth habit. Limited capacity for self-repair. Tall Fescue Basics. Additional Tall Fescue Characteristics. Tall Fescue Lawn Care Calendar. Weed Prevention and Fertilization Prevent crabgrass and feed your established tall fescue lawn in early spring.

Seeding and Overseeding Spring seeding and overseeding help tall fescue lawns stay dense and avoid a clumpy look. Weed Control and Fertilization Control emerged broadleaf weeds and feed established tall fescue lawns in late spring. Watering Water your established lawn so it receives about 1 inch of water per week, including rainfall.

Pest Control Treat insect pests such as grubs with Sevin Lawn Insect Killer Granules while they're young and close to the soil surface, before extensive grass damage occurs. Soil Testing Soil testing identifies your lawn's soil type, soil pH and nutrient needs so you can fertilize accordingly. Weed Control and Fertilization Treat broadleaf weeds and prepare your established tall fescue lawn for winter.

Seeding and Overseeding Early fall is the ideal time to seed or overseed northern and southern tall fescue lawns. Watering Reduce supplemental irrigation in northern lawns so that tall fescue lawn gets at least 1 inch of water every 10 to 14 days. Aeration and Dethatching If needed, aerate lawns with a core aerator to reduce soil compaction. Leaf Management Manage fallen leaves by raking or mulching to reduce the risk of winter lawn disease.

Northern Tall Fescue Lawns Keep your tall fescue lawn free of toys, sticks, rocks and other winter debris. Always read product labels thoroughly and follow instructions. Sevin is a registered trademark of Tessenderlo Kerley, Inc. Sources: 1. Duble, R. Grass Seed Resources. Professional Grass Advice for the Perfect Lawn When you're on a quest for the perfect lawn, you're bound to encounter challenges.

How to Water Your Lawn Wisely Water conservation and a healthy, beautiful lawn aren't mutually exclusive. This unique characteristic of fescue grasses make them ideal for environmentally friendly seed blends. Lawns of Fescue grass require the least amount of water and fertilizer to keep your lawn looking good.

These grasses require fewer pesticides than many other types of turf grass because they have shown a strong resilience to insects. Fine Fescue in particular is unbothered by lawn insects.

Others, like the shade-loving Creeping Red Fescue, function better when used in a seed blend with other cool season grasses. Tall fescue is typified by its finer texture than traditional grasses, like Kentucky Bluegrass, and it has a dark green color. It grows best in heavier soils that are rich in organic matter and thrives in the transitional climate areas. This variety of Fescue grass grows most vigorously during the spring and fall months and is best suited to northern lawns.

Tall Fescue is a bunch-forming grass, meaning it does not produce rhizomes or stolons. However, it is does not self-repair and benefits from annual overseeding. Its recommended mowing height is 2 to 3 inches. Tall Fescue grass requires less fertilizer and less water than standard grasses because of its deep root systems. In addition, it adapts well to many soil types and thrives well in soil that is slightly acidic with a pH level between 5. Turf-type tall fescue is a coarser variant of the fescue plants, and it is thinner than the other tall fescues.

However, turf-type tall fescue is not as thin as fine fescues. It is most commonly used as a pasture grass. Some of the newest varieties have a rich green color. Like other tall fescues, turf-type tall fescue is a bunch-type grass.

It is also highly resilient to foot traffic and is growing in popularity for athletic fields and campus lawns. This type of Fescue stays green for 8 to 9 months out of the year and has similar shade, heat, and drought tolerances. Turf-type tall fescue grows best in spring and fall, though fall is the best time to plant new seed, overseed, or aerate your existing lawn. Its ideal mowing height is 3 to 4 inches tall, and its deep root system helps it efficiently make use of water and nutrients in the ground.

It requires less fertilizer and water than other cool season grasses. Hard Fescue is less tolerant of heat than other fescue varieties. However, it works well in non-mowed and untended areas, like unused areas of parks or median strips between buildings.

Hard Fescue has a very fine blade that grows in bunches. It is a variety that can come with endophytes, which aid in insect tolerance. A resilient variety, it has strong tolerances to disease, drought, and foot traffic. Hard Fescue grasses can go long periods without being mowed, so it is low maintenance. In fact, it cannot be mowed close to the ground, so if you prefer taller lawn grass, this might be a good choice for your lawn.

These grasses are often found in seed mixtures because of their high shade tolerance. Like other fescues, they require less water and less fertilizer than other cool season grasses. Fine fescue is a bunching grass with leaves that are medium to blue green in color. Their resilience to adverse growing conditions, and low maintenance requirements make them a popular, environmentally friendly choice for lawns. They also grow well in adverse soil conditions, like rocky, sandy , or heavy clay soils.

Fine Fescue grasses have less heat tolerance and will go dormant in high heat temperatures. Once it cools off, this type of grass will quickly bounce back in your lawn. Fine Fescue grass is not resilient to heavy foot traffic due to the fine leaves. They work well in standard lawns in homes, but should not be used in high traffic lawns or athletic fields. Fine Fescue grows well in acidic soil of 5. It has a tolerance for being mowed low and is tolerant of insects. This is one type of Fescue grass for which thatch can become an issue, and in wet climates fungus can be a potential issue as well.

Fine fescues do require some nitrogen treatment and I recommend applying a quality, slow-release organic fertilizer early in spring to support these grasses through the summer. Chewings Fescue is an aggressive variant of fine fescue that spreads through rhizomes.

It has a tendency to overtake lawns and spreads well — something that is different than other fescue varieties, but quality that makes it attractive in thin lawns with poor light and growing conditions.

Chewings Fescue has adapted to the infertile soils of the northeast and northwest United States and grows well in sandy, rocky, and acidic soils. Though it is a fine fescue, Chewings fescue looks a lot like tall fescue because it grows more upright while maintaining a thin blade.

Its adaptation to adverse conditions also allows other grasses to grow better. It has high tolerance to shade and drought, and it requires infrequent mowing and can withstand being mowed low. Like other fine fescue grasses, it is not resilient to heavy foot traffic, so if you have pets that tear around your lawn it may not be a good choice for you. Creeping Red Fescue is another fine fescue that, like Chewings Fescue, is typically mixed with other grasses for best performance. It grows quickly and spreads laterally through rhizomes, covering a lot of ground.

Creeping Red Fescue is more wear resilient than other fine fescues.