Growing Fine Fescue Learn About The Care And Uses For Fine Fescue

How do you take care of fine fescue grass?

However, if the grass is to remain unmowed, fertilize only once a year in fall. It can be mowed as low as 1.5 inches, but 2 to 3 inches is better. HIgher mowing rate produces deeper root growth and maintains longer blades for maximum photosynthesis. Most fine fescues prefer drier soils.

How do you grow fine fescue?

Growing fine fescue requires soil pH of 5.0 to 6.5. As with any turf grass, it is best to prepare the bed before seeding, drilling, or laying sod. Fine fescue blends are not recommended for heavily trafficked areas, such as athletic fields, but perform well in standard home landscapes.

What is the difference between tall fescue and fine fescue?

The Tall Fescue grass species is a coarser bladed, dense clumping grass that grows well in shady areas. The Fine Fescues are fine, shorter fescue grass varieties named creeping red, hard fescue, chewings fescue and sheep fescue. Click on the previous links or scroll down to read about each fescue seed variety.

What is the best fine fescue grass seed?

Creeping red, chewings, and hard fescue are the most commonly planted fine fescue grass seed. These fescue varieties are not suitable for livestock grazing or pasture use.

Can you mix tall and fine fescue?

Turf-type tall fescues are often mixed with fine fescues for a finely textured, shade-tolerant lawn.

Does fescue come back every year?

Fescue is a cool-season grass; that means it grows best in the spring and fall when temperatures are cooler, and it struggles during the heat of summer. Under the right conditions, fescue is green year-round, but it can go dormant (brown) during severe heat and drought.

Will grass seed grow if I just throw it down?

The simple answer is, yes. Beyond just throwing the seed out into the lawn and not performing any grass maintenance there is a whole world of lawn care. ... Even though the seeds will sprout if just thrown on the surface of the dirt there are negative effects of planting the seed in that fashion.

Can you just sprinkle grass seed on lawn?

If you simply toss the grass seed onto the soil, you will end up with poor germination. ... Next, you can use a lawn spreader to put down the grass seed. Very little soil is actually needed to cover the seeds, typically about ¼- inch, so simple raking will do the trick.

Does fescue grass spread on its own?

It does produce short rhizomes, but its spreading capacity is limited. It naturally grows in clumps and spreads primarily through “tillers" — vertical shoots that grow from the base of the grass plant itself, rather than from horizontal stems.

What does fescue grass look like?

Tall fescue is medium- to dark-green in color and coarse textured. It is a bunch-type grass and forms a coarse, clumpy appearance when used alone. The new, improved turf-type varieties have finer leaf texture, denser growth habit, and possess weak rhizomes (Photos 1 & 2).

What grass mixes well with tall fescue?

The tall fescues stay green in the summer, tolerate heat & drought, and can tolerate a fair amount of shade. The perennial ryegrass establishes quickly providing erosion control until the turf becomes established. The Kentucky bluegrass complements the mix, and repairs any damage done by traffic or disease.

Is fescue a creeping grass?

Creeping Red Fescue is a fine bladed grass with medium to dark green color. It is easily established from seed and spreads with rhizomes with a "creeping" growth habit. While it persists in cool season climates, Creeping Red Fescue is not as cold tolerant as Kentucky Bluegrass or Creeping Bentgrass.

How do I know if my fescue grass is fine?

Fine Fescue Grass Identification

Their most distinguishing characteristic is their very narrow, finely-bladed leaves. They can also have a lighter green color than other grasses.

Which is better bluegrass or fescue?

Kentucky bluegrass turf requires more fertilizer and more frequent mowing than fescues. Tall fescue does not require mowing less than 3 inches high, and uses about half as much water as Kentucky bluegrass. Less watering means less mowing. Hard fescue and red fescue require little or no mowing.

When should I reseed fescue?

Fall is the best time to overseed (or plant) fescue grass seed. Ideally, you'll put fescue seed down about three weeks before the first frost of the season. This will give the seeds plenty of germination time, allowing roots to establish before winter arrives.

How fast does tall fescue spread?

Tall fescue is also a fast-growing turfgrass, adding up to 2 inches per week during spring and fall.

What is the best fertilizer for fescue grass?

Use a complete lawn fertilizer like 12-4-8 that contains a slow release form of nitrogen. Apply at a rate of 1.5 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet. Summer (optional): It is best not to fertilize fescue lawns during the summer months.

How do you thicken fescue grass?

Improve Your Soil. To get the most out of every step to a thicker lawn, take a tip from lawn pros and test your soil. ...
Overseed. Overseeding is simply sowing grass seed into existing grass to make thin lawns thick—or keep them from getting thin. ...
Fertilize. ...
Boost Your Lawn. ...
Irrigate. ...
Mow Properly. ...
Control Weeds.

What month is best to put grass seed down?

Several distinct advantages make fall the best time to plant cool-season grass seed. In early autumn, the soil is still warm from months of summer sun. This combination of warm soil, moderate day temperatures and cool evenings encourages fast germination and establishment of newly sown cool-season grass seed.

How long does fescue grass live?

It is the rhizomes from the bluegrass that hold the sod together and keep it from falling apart. Overseeding is important with tall fescue. A blade of grass only lives an average of 40 days before it dies.

Will fescue recover from drought?

Cool-season grass like Fescue will need to have an aeration and seeding the following fall to fully recover. Fescue grass does not spread like Bermuda or Zoysia. Here are some tips to help your lawn prevent and recover from drought damage or stress: ... Core aeration helps your warm-season grass make the best use of water.