A good aeration means ten … Available in 50 lb bags. It's the bluegrass in the grass mix making seed heads. It grows in a number of areas where other types of grass cannot survive. Plant tall fescue seed in the fall, between September 15 and the end of October, so the seedlings will have plenty of time to become strong in preparation for the summer heat nine months hence. With proper care for … Always try to plant fescue grass in the spring starting in the middle of February to the middle of April. Fungus is most likely to attack a fescue lawn that is improperly maintained and is a sign that your lawn needs better care. When you plant fescue grass is important to maintaining its green color and to prevent browning. You will have a window up until the first frosts of November. Description Summer turf‐type tall fescue scorches the competition with its extremely fine leaf texture, excellent turf density and a deep dark green color. Fungal fescue diseases can be treated with fungicide, but these treatments can be quite expensive. All you have to do is mix plenty of organic matter in the soil before you plant. The heat alone is damaging, but add some humidity and the conditions are just right for brown patch fungus. While other types of grass die due to constant use, fescue can survive areas with a lot of foot traffic, including lawns and areas around swimming pools. Peel back a corner of your new sod and touch the ground underneath. Tall Fescue fertilization requires 3-5 Pounds of Nitrogen per year in your applications. It is a fertilizer for all kind of lawn. Newly seeded turf-type tall fescue follows the same timing for optimal natural growth. There are a few critical steps you can take to help keep your lawn healthy during the winter months and ready to bounce back in the spring. Is this a weed? Since fine fescue is a cool season grass, you need to time your planting to its growth cycle. I live in greater Seattle area (zone 8b), so when it was nice and dry in the summer, things were fine (except dealing with raccoon and mole, but that is another story). (15.1 cm) top … Top Choice. 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. However, that doesn’t mean that you cannot sod in the fall. This Pennington Ultragreen lawn fertilizer is a perfect choice tom fertilize your fescue lawn. It performs best in cooler climates like Oregon. Fescue grass loves being in Kansas City as much as we do! It is best to take preventative action and apply fungus control for the duration of the summer months. If the ground is tilled before planting, fescue can tolerate full sun and summer drought. Summer is a turf-type tall fescue with a fine leaf texture that looks so good, people mistake it for Kentucky bluegrass! If you need to lay sod in the summer, be ready to water your new lawn very often as a means of maintaining its health. Tall fescue needs 1 to 1-¼ inches of water every week, ideally all at once. Get a garden tiller or tractor tiller. One of the principle keys to maintaining a healthy fescue lawn is proper mowing. Begin lawn fungicide applications when nighttime low temperatures rise to 60°F. Sod can be planted when it is available, December – May. You don't need to use a starter fertilizer if you are installing dormant grass. This grass type offers higher heat tolerance compared to other cool-season grasses as well as higher cold tolerance compared to warm-season grasses. It is subject to brown (large) patch, especially in prolonged periods of warm, wet conditions. In a few weeks they will stop producing. If you are further south you can plant in May. Tall fescue, a cool-season grass, grows best during the cooler days of fall and spring. Refer to publication (PDF) TT 77 - Recommended Turfgrass Cultivars for Certified Sod and Professional Seed Mixtures for recommended turfgrass cultivars. Tall fescue is a moderate- to coarse-bladed grass that can be grown in the shade and in many soil types. My grass is beginning to brown (and thin a bit) in certain areas. If you want to get an early jump on the growing process you can plant the seeds in September after the heat of summer passes. Tall fescue requires a 2-½ to 3 inch mowing height, and it is best to leave clippings on the lawn for additional nitrogen. Fine Fescue include various cool-season bunch and sod-forming species that can be used in water-wise lawns. Keep new sod "wet like a sponge" (this may mean daily or 2x … While this is not a good movie, you could succeed if you keep the lawn well irrigated and resort to fertilizers with lower nitrogen value. Summer Tall Fescue Blend. For instance, hard fescue seems to be quite susceptible to summer patch, a disease that is infrequent in Minnesota but a major problem in areas with higher levels of summer heat and humidity, such as the Mid-Atlantic region. Move back and forth from one side of the planting … DuraBlend Tall Fescue - sold by the square foot FREE SHIPPING on orders of 1200 square feet or more*. Blades are so fine, many people mistake Summer for Kentucky bluegrass. 100% Tall Fescue. It is possible to have a good-looking fescue lawn even in the heat of summer. Fescue sod is one of the thicker and more durable types of grass. Top Choice's quality ingredients are subject to rigorous inspection standards. Mowing Tall Fescue For Lawns. Tall fescue grows rapidly and requires frequent mowing but does not tolerate close mowing. This … This is because the grass is trying to cope with high temperatures yet you are forcing it to grow more top. Some grass will die due to the fluctuations between warmer and cooler temperatures in the summer and winter, but fescue grass will survive an extremely cold winter without any problems. However, the lawn’s roots continue to grow and store carbohydrates for next summer’s growth period. If you miss that optimal time then early spring is your second option. It is a drought tolerant, deep rooted grass that just loves to crowd out those pesky weeds. Top Choice lawn seed products are the right start to a beautiful lawn. Due to the high humidity and temperatures in the transition zone, it is mandatory that a fescue lawn be mowed no closer than 3 ½ inches during the summer months. Fescue sod. If your project requires a grass that has partial shade tolerance, this one will serve you well. With the best all-around performance of all of the grasses we grow, its the most popular turf in the Mid-Atlantic! Reduced Top Growth. It is considered cruel to fertilize fescue grasses in the extreme temperatures of the summer. Fine fescues are used on low-maintenance sites and for areas that receive less than 4 hours of direct sunlight. 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. It is a lot easier, in the Kansas City area, to sod in the spring and seed in the fall. Turf type tall fescue is the recommended type of grass for sunny lawns in Maryland. Summer turf‐type tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea also known as Lolium arundinaceum) scorches the competition with its extremely fine leaf texture, excellent turf density and attractive dark green color.Blades are so fine, many people mistake Summer for Kentucky bluegrass. My preference is to avoid summer applications for the cool weather grasses as there is a greater chance of fertilizer burn. However, water-conserving Pennington Smart Seed grasses require up to 30 percent less water year after year than ordinary grasses. During the cold winter months, cool season grasses such as turf type tall fescue stops top growth. The Most Popular Sod in the Mid-Atlantic This sod makes a perfect lawn! It is very hot and sometimes drought prone depending on your location. Till the area. You will want the soil to be damp three to four inches below the surface. Alternatively, plan to aerate the lawn before you plant and to re-aerate next spring in early June. 100% Tall Fescue. Typically, growth slows down a bit in mid-summer anyway as part of a grass’s natural growth cycle as it uses more carbohydrates (food reserves) than it makes. The Tall variety can be allowed to go dormant during hot summer months, which will give it a brown or “dead” look until temperatures cool or it is watered again. Usually, late summer to early fall is the best times to sow the seeds in your lawn. Things to Watch for When Fertilizing Tall Fescues You might see a few heads in our turf type tall fescue sod but they will not cause any issues. Tech Sheet. Bluegrass is a lower growing grass so it can actually make seed at a very low height, especially when being mown. Fescue, like other turf grasses, is susceptible to a variety of fungal infections. If the weather suddenly warms after sod is installed, it might still be a good idea to check that the sod stays moist each day. Sow at 6-8 lbs. Disease resistant and drought tolerant, a fescue grass grows quickly – and thickly – under the densest canopy of shade trees in your yard. Summer is a tough time to lay sod. Lawn Size: 600 sq feet Grass Type: Fescue, new sod laid in Late April Water Schedule: Water 2x (sometimes) 3x per day for first 2 weeks; sod settled; now water ~2x/week or 3x max Issue/Concern: Northern VA has experienced a bit of a heat wave with not too much rain. Turf-type fescue is a cool-season grass that comes from the Northwest region of the United States. If you desire, the lawn may … In a 2‐year study on top growth, Summer averaged 5.95 in. In the Southeast, fescue grass really takes a beating-especially in full sun. Actually it's not. Best Conditions for Tall Fescue Seed. Additional Elite Tall Fescue Care Fungus Control: Tall Fescue sod is susceptible to fungus during the hot, humid summer months. Do not fertilize during the summer months. Some schedules call for a summer application. per 1000 sf. If the ground is dry, then you'd better get the sprinkler and water your newly laid sod. It features 5% of iron for greener fescue lawn, 10.5% slow release Nitrogen and can extend up to 3 months of feeding the lawn. If the ground is moist/wet, then no need to water. It will actually strengthen you fescue lawn during summer and hot weather. In the transition zone, ordinary tall fescue varieties require more irrigation than warm-season alternatives, such as Bermudagrass and Zoysia grass, to stay green and healthy during hot summer months. As a cool-season grass, established tall fescue grows best during the cooler soil and air temperatures that happen in late summer to early fall and again in early spring. During the scorching summer months, it’s a challenge to minimize the propensity to infection and heat stress on a tall fescue lawn. Drought Tolerance. Now comes winter and it has been raining pretty often, the entire lawn turns muddy, the grass are mostly gone, and I have a hard time walking on it without slipping. When yo… Planting grass at the right time allows the grass roots to take hold in the ground. It tolerates heat and drought. Mowing at this height will give the lawn an even textured finish. 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