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MAINTENANCE requirements
for fescue grass are quite low compared to the other cool season grasses used for lawns. Fescue grass requires less mowing, watering and less fertilizer, making fescue grass an
environmentally friendly grass. This also means less work for you!
Fescue grass requires maintenance
according to the species variety that is used and the
conditions under which the grass is grown. Visit Seedland.com for the newest fescue
varieties and specific details on their maintenance.
The following information is generalized, please follow the growing instructions for your particular fescue grass cultivar and the area where you live.
Watering Fescue Grass
WATERING fescue grass should be done infrequently in the cooler
areas of adaptation. These locales usually have more air moisture
and damper nights than the warmer climates and fescues are a more
drought tolerant cool season grass.
Fescue grass is drought tolerant which means
that in extreme cases of water deprivation the grass can go into
dormancy and return when sufficient watering is available. This
does not mean that the grass can exist without water.
Fescue grass likes
water if and when available but will develop diseases when
receiving more water than what is actually needed, this is
especially true of the more humid regions. A preventative program of fungicide treatment may be required to reduce or prevent disease issues. Fescue grass grown in the
regions of the lower temperate zone will need to be watered when
the weather is drier than usual due to the higher rate of
evaporation.
Maintaining Turf Type Tall Fescue Lawns & Turf
When properly managed, tall fescue can provide a green lawn all year round. Tall fescue should be overseeded as needed in
the fall or spring for thicker sod formation and to
repair thinning areas. Heat stress, insect damage, diseases, or other factors play a role in the lawn becoming thinner over the course of the year.
Tall fescue usually requires overseeding in the spring or fall. Overseeding
also allows the homeowner to add newer, better varieties at this time that may help toward curing or abating disease and other problems.
Newer varieties of turf-type tall fescue (and the other fescues) are always being developed giving you the opportunity to overseed with these newer varieties which have added genetic adaptation
strength, thus improving the
existing grass stand. Different varieties of the same species
can be mixed and often a blend of varieties prescribed for
your area will improve the lawn or turf performance.
How to Overseed Tall Fescue Grass
To overseed tall fescue,
mow the existing lawn as close as the variety allows, rake to remove all excess debris, aerate, and apply a fertilizer for starting new seed beds and seed at the rate of 4-5 LB (this depends upon
the thinning of the lawn) per 1000 Sq. Ft. For precise planting you may wish to rent a slit seeding machine.
Water to keep the lawn moist for 2-3 weeks until the seedlings are established.
Fertilizing Tall Fescue Grass
Tall fescue does well without fertilization on moderate fertility soils but grows best when additional fertilizer is added. The best application
is 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 square feet a YEAR in
divided increments. Fall is the best time to add the highest
division of the nitrogen and summer is the least best time to
fertilize a cool season grass like fescue. Do not encourage growth at the
hottest time of the year to cut down on disease and insect
infestation, especially in the southern part of the transitional area. Do not fertilize during the summer months.
Mowing Tall Fescue For Lawns
In areas of it's adaptation, Tall fescue grass for lawns should be mown at a height of 3" to 3.5" leaving the grass clippings on the lawn. Mowing at
this height will give the lawn an even textured finish. For athletic fields, mow to a
height of 2 to 3 inches.
Mowing maintenance requirements for warmer areas
include not mowing under 1-½ inches to keep the sod from drying out from the heat and losing too much moisture. Mowing too low will also cause tall fescue grass to thin out. Look
for pest damage at the time of mowing. This is also an excellent time to
inspect the lawn while mowing to notice changes in
color, health and density.
For a more comprehensive Tall Fescue Maintenance
Calendar visit
Tall
Fescue Lawn Maintenance Calendar
Tall
Fescue Athletic Field Maintenance Calendar
Maintaining Creeping Red Fescue Grass
Creeping Red fescue grass seed can be used to plant a standalone lawn in sun or shade, although this fescue variety prefers shade. Creeping Red Fescue also performs
well when mixed with other cool season grasses such as bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue or other fine fescues.
Watering Creeping Red Fescue Grass
Creeping red fescue grass is
predominately grown in the shadier areas and needs water only when
the ground in very dry. Apply water when grass starts to wilt. Over watering red fescue can lead
fungal diseases that are prevalent in hot, humid climates. Water
only infrequently.
Fertilization Of Creeping Red Fescue Grass
Red fescue requires little
fertility so fertilize only when the grass needs the added
benefit. Apply nitrogen fertilizer at the rate of 1/2 lb per 1000 Sq. Ft. in early fall to creeping red that is not in the shade. Do not fertilize during the hottest
times of the year. Over fertilization will actually keep red
fescue from competing with any companion grass that it has been added to because the other
grass variety will take over.
Mowing Creeping Red Fescue Grass
The mowing height of red
fescue is lower than some of the other fescue grasses and can be kept at the
height of 2 "- 2.5" inches depending upon which grass the red fescue has been added to if any.
For more information on particular Creeping Red Fescue grass
varieties, including improved varieties, please visit our online store Seedland.com.
Maintaining Hard Fescue Grass
HARD FESCUE is the indeed the one of the hardiest of
the fescues. More disease resistant, shade and drought tolerant, this fescue grass is also one the more heat tolerant of the fine fescue grass species. Newer turf type fescue grass
varieties have a very good turf quality with improved disease resistance and a good looking medium dark green color. For more on turf type hard fescue, visit our store
Seedland.com.
Watering Hard Fescue
Since it is more drought tolerant this fescue may need less water but when watering is needed it should be done deeply during the cooler months with a more frequent lighter
watering during the dry summer months.
Mowing Hard Fescue Grass
Hard fescue can be grown alone or preferably in mixes with
bluegrass or ryes. When seeded with blue grass or ryegrass mow
from 1 to 1 1/2 inches. When grown in a pure stand mow at 1.5-2 ½ inches in cooler climates. In warmer climates mow at 3".
Fertilizing Hard Fescue Grass
Fertilize hard fescue the low end to retain growth and can be
applied at the rate of ¼ to ½ lb. Per 1000 sq. ft. per growing
month. Not during the heat of the summer. Fertilize for cool
season grasses.
Maintaining Chewing Fescue Grass
Chewings
fescue is best adapted to cooler areas in the northern United States and Canada, the coastal regions of the Northeast and Pacific Northwest, and elsewhere where summers are cool. It is
well adapted to the sandy, acidic, often infertile soils that are found in these regions.
Chewings is a great choice to use when overseeding shady lawns and performs
well as a standalone lawn grass or when uses in grass seed blends. For more on Chewing fescue grass varieties please see our store
Seedland.com.
Watering Chewing Fescue Grass
Water chewings fescue grass deeply but infrequently during the cooler months. During the summer months of the year, water chewings fescue lightly but more frequently.
Fertilizing Chewing Fescue Grass
Chewings fescue performs best in soils with a pH of 5.5 to 8.0. Fertilize chewings fescue yearly at the rate of 2-3 lbs of nitrogen per 1000 Sq. Ft.
Mowing Chewing Fescue Grass
Chewings fescue grass may be mown lower than the other fescue grass varieties. The recommended mowing height foe chewings fescue is 1" - 2". Chewings fescue
that is grown in shady areas should be mown to a recommended height of 3" - 4". Chewings may be left un-mown for naturalized areas or areas that are hard to mow such as
slopes.
Grass Deficiency Symptoms - Soil Nutrients Needed
Nitrogen - Older leaves turn yellow green
and little new growth is noticed.
Potassium - Leaf tips and edges looked burned.
Phosphorus - Foliage will change from dark
green to reddish in hue.
Magnesium - Foliage will appear yellowish green
with red tinted edges.
Calcium - New leaves will be small and grass
will be rust colored.
Sulfur - Fully-grown leaves turn yellow.
Iron - The new grass will turn yellow.
Manganese - The new grass turns yellow.
Zinc - Grass leaves will appear shriveling,
narrow bladed and smaller than usual.
Boron - Yellowed grassing and immature growth.
Molybdenum - Fully grown and mature grass
appears gray-green.
The secret to partly eliminating any
one of these problems from occurring is of course in the first
step with a soil sample and improving the soil at that time of
seedbed preparation. Feeding the lawn on a regular maintenance
schedule as prescribed by the product information will probably
result in not having any of these problems crop up in your lawn.
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