Tall Fescue: How to Prevent and Control Tall Fescue in Turfgrasses

Tall fescue arrived in the United States from Europe in the early 1800s. Throughout Europe, North Africa, and North America, the grass may be found growing in low, moist pastures and wet meadowlands. Tall fescue is found in low-lying pastures from the Pacific Northwest to the southern states of the United States. Tall fescue thrives best in damp conditions, although it is drought tolerant and may remain in a latent form during dry seasons. Tall fescue grows well in a variety of soil types, but it thrives on clay soils rich in organic matter.

Favorable Factors

Tall fescue thrives in soils with good drainage and high fertility, with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. Work the area well, then apply a starting fertilizer to the top few inches of soil. Sowing rates range from 6 to 8 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Apply a fine coating of sand or dirt to the area. The seed must be pounded into the soil. Keep the soil uniformly wet for 14 to 21 days, after which you should see your first seedlings. Plants can now become used to less regular watering. Turfgrass that is managed to a height of fewer than 3 inches is thicker and more appealing.

Signs and Symptoms

Tall fescue is a bunch-type grass with a coarse texture. Tall fescue leaf texture improvements have resulted in more fine-bladed varieties/cultivars, which have aided in increasing the turf quality and use of this drought-tolerant turf in Indiana. When present as a weed, forage-type tall fescue may be easily identified in lawns in early spring because it greens up faster than Kentucky bluegrass and has a bunch-type growth behavior that results in a cluster of turf. In addition, forage-type tall fescue may be easily identified in lawns during drought because tall fescue remains green and actively developing during drought, whereas Kentucky bluegrass frequently enters a drought-induced summer slumber.

Prevention and Control

Despite the fact that tall fescue tolerates low fertility, it responds to fertilization, particularly nitrogen. Tall fescue requires around 3 pounds of real nitrogen per 1,000 square feet annually. In the autumn and late spring, apply fertilizer. A summer treatment of 0.5 pounds of real nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn might help it look better. Excessive fertilization during the summer months, on the other hand, should be avoided because it only adds to the heat and drought stress problems.

Most turfgrasses are difficult to regulate when growing alongside another turfgrass. To maintain a dense, actively growing, desirable turf, turf managers should use clean seed or vegetative sources for the establishment, utilize an appropriate turfgrass species and cultivar for their area, and apply suitable mowing and fertilizing practices. One method of controlling undesirable perennial turfgrasses is to dig or remove them with manual or mechanical tools, such as a sod cutter. You can spot-treat an infested area with a non-selective herbicide, but keep in mind that it will also destroy the desired turfgrass.