How to Care for Fescue Grass (2024)

FAQs

How do you take care of fescue grass? ›

Care in the cooler months is basic: water as needed, mow as needed, and treat as needed with fertilizers and weed control. In the hot months, care becomes more critical as this cool season grass is now trying to cope with extreme heat, high humidity, disease, and in most cases drought.

Cool nights, moderate days and warm soil are ideal ingredients for fast, thorough germination and sturdy establishment of tall fescue seed. Fall planting offers other benefits, too. Fall rains typically arrive about the same time that favorable air and soil conditions align.

Water your fescue lawn with 1.5 inches of water per week. Water in the early morning. Watering your lawn once per week deeply is better than frequent shallow watering. Use preventative fungicides.

In general, a fescue lawn will need about an inch of water every 7-10 days, whether from rain or irrigation. Try to water deeply and infrequently. For example, apply an inch of water on a single day rather than . 25 inches a day for four days.

Maintenance. Low maintenance. Hard fescue is often not mowed and can be left unmowed (it doesn't respond well to close mowing). It has a low fertility requirement and has a high tolerance for drought, shade, and cold temperatures.

Apply 1 pound of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet in late winter. Then, switch to a fertilizer with slow-release nitrogen and apply 1.5 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet in mid-spring and again in early fall.

For instance: remove grass and spread/till Soil3 on one day; the next day spread the seed, lightly mulch with Soil3, and roll to smooth. Rake to grade, level, and smooth the bare soil in the lawn planting area. Spread lime or any fertilizer needed based on your soil test.

Grass seed is surface sown, meaning it lays and roots on top of the soil, so it does not need to be buried. It's usually broadcast over the ground with a hand or rotary spreader. For that seed to sprout, it needs good soil contact, which makes soil quality a major factor in growing a healthy, uniform lawn.

Grass that is dead will not come back, but there are steps you can take to have a lush, green lawn again. On the other hand, dormancy is a natural protection mechanism for grass to withstand weather changes.

During the summer, when temperatures rise, atmospheric and soil temperatures become too hot for cool-season grasses to grow and flourish. Once temperatures reach 77 degrees, it becomes too hot for root growth, and root growth ceases.

Will fescue live in summer? ›

The growing season for most turf type fescue is late September to early June. Most of that time, it's in sun because the leaves from your shade trees have dropped for the winter. During that time, Fescue stores food (carbs) that will help it survive the heat of summer.

Brown, Wilting Grass Blades. Yellow or brown and wilting grass can be a sign of overwatered new sod.

What are the disadvantages of Fescue grass? While Fescue grass has its advantages, it also has a few disadvantages. It can be susceptible to certain diseases and struggle in areas with high temperatures or heavy foot traffic.

Tall fescue is a seed grass, meaning it grows from seed instead of rhizomes or stolons. It's classified as a “cool-season” grass, which means it grows best in the spring and fall. Tall fescue is a perennial, so it will come back year after year. It's often used in lawns because it's very tolerant of heat and drought.

There are a few different reasons your tall fescue lawn may be going brown or declining this time of year—the most common are related to drought stress, soils that are too wet, or brown patch disease.

The newly seeded lawn can be covered with a layer of wheat straw to prevent washing and erosion while the seed is germinating. You will need about one bale of wheat straw per 1000 square feet if you choose this route.