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Selecting, Establishing & Maintaining the
Seeding Sodding Care After Planting
Primary Maintenance Practices 7
Selecting a Fertilizer 9
Fescue Fertilization Calendar 10
Secondary Maintenance Practices 11
Thatch and Its Development 11
Slicing and Spiking 12
Pests of Fescues 13
Selecting, Establishing and Maintaining the Fescues
Tom Samples, Associate Professor Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design
Four fescue species are maintained as lawngrasses in Tennessee.
Originally from Europe, these perennial, cool-season lawngrasses are an integral part of many Tennessee landscapes.
They grow best in deep, well-drained soils at air temperatures from 60 to 75 F.
High temperatures and drought often slow their rate of growth during late spring and summer.
Species and varieties may vary in color, leaf texture, stand density, disease resistance and tolerance of shade, high temperature and drought.
Tall fescue is adapted to a wide range of soil and climatic conditions.
This mediumto coarse-textured lawngrass tolerates high temperatures, drought and wear.
Tall fescue is usually best adapted in areas of the lawn receiving full sun or in light, open shade.
Turfgrass breeders continue to search for dark green, dense and disease-resistant tall fescue varieties.
Chewings , hard and red fescues are known collectively as fine fescues because of their narrow leaf blades.
Seeds of several fine fescue species are often mixed and marketed for use in shade.
Although they have excellent shade tolerance and good drought tolerance, the fine fescues are not particularly tolerant of high temperatures.
Tall and fine fescues establish from seed faster than Kentucky bluegrass.
They are also more tolerant of acid soil conditions, shade and drought.
Although tall fescue has short below-ground stems , most new leaves and tillers originate from the crown and not from nodes on rhizomes.
As a result, this lawngrass has very weak sod-forming characteristics and a bunch-type growth habit.
It may be necessary to broadcast seed over the lawn or slit-seed the lawn every two to three years to maintain a uniform,
dense and weed-resistant turf.
Tall fescue is best adapted to fertile, moist soils but tolerates wet soils of low fertility.
Leaf blades are flat and rigid.
Seed of many Leaf Blade improved, turf-type tall fescue varieties is marketed in TennesRhizome see.
Several of these Daughter varieties are higher Plant in overall lawngrass quality and more Adventitious Roots disease resistant than 'Kentucky 31' tall fescue.
For more precise information
Figure 1.
A lawngrass plant.
concerning tall fescue varieties, please contact your county Agricultural Extension office.
Table 1.
Drought, High Temperature, Shade, Soil Acidity and Wear Tolerances of Several Fescues.
Tolerance Tall Chewings Hard Red
Drought good good good good
High temperature good fair fair fair
Shade intermediate excellent excellent excellent
Soil acidity excellent good good good
Wear medium medium medium medium
Chewings fescue forms a very dense, finetextured and upright lawn.
Leaf blades of chewings fescue are thin, bristle-like and stiff.
This noncreeping, bunch-type lawngrass is well-adapted to acidic, infertile soils.
Chewings fescue does not usually tolerate wet, fertile soils or the high and low temperature extremes associated with sites exposed to full sun.
Hard fescue is a bunch-type lawngrass with tough, bluish-green leaves and an extensive root system.
Hard fescue forms a dense, somewhat tufted, low maintenance and low quality lawn.
Although hard fescue has limited high temperature
tolerance, it is sometimes used alone or in grass and grass-legume mixtures for erosion control on ditch banks and along roadsides.
Often referred to as creeping red fescue, this lawngrass is similar in appearance to chewings fescue with one important exception it has a creeping growth habit.
Two distinct types of red fescue are F.
rubra ssp.
rubra, a relatively strong, sod-forming type and F.
rubra ssp.
trichophylla, with short, slender rhizomes.
Leaf blades are thin, bristle-like and deeply ridged above.
Red fescue forms a very dense, fine-textured lawn.
The rate of vertical growth of red fescue is slow compared to most cool-season lawngrasses.
The overall quality of a red fescue lawn often declines rapidly if an excessive rate of nitrogen is applied.
Red fescue is usually adapted to soil and climatic conditions favorable to chewings fescue.
Table 2.
Comparative Chart, Tall and Fine Fescues.
Characteristic Tall Chewings Hard Red
Leaf texture medium -
coarse fine fine fine
Growth habit bunch bunch bunch sod-forming
Level of care medium low low low
establishment seed/sod seed/sod seed/sod seed/sod
good good good good
Density of aerial shoots medium-low high high high
Tennessee is located within a transitional zone between temperate and subtropical climates.
Fescues maintained in this transition zone often experience high temperature and drought stresses during extended hot, dry periods in summer.
Tennessee can be divided into four climatic zones which favor the growth and persistence of
certain lawngrasses.
Generally, the fescues are not well adapted in warm humid Zone IV.
Similarly, the moderately warm-to-cool humid climatic conditions in Zone III usually favor warm season lawngrasses including bermudagrass and Zoysia.
The fescues are generally adapted in cool-to-warm humid Zone II and cool humid Zone I.
Figure 2.
Four lawngrass climatic zones in Tennessee.1
Fescue lawns are commonly established from seed or by transplanting sod.
The preparation of a firm planting bed with appropriate fertility is critically important to the growth and performance of young seedlings or newly-transplanted fescue plants.
For best results:
1.
Test soils six to eight weeks before the intended planting date to determine soil phosphorus, potassium and pH levels.
2.
Stockpile existing topsoil from new construction sites before excavation and construction begins.
3.
Control [i.e.
Roundup application according to instructions on the product label] troublesome perennial weed grasses and broadleaf weeds.
4.
Remove all debris (i.e.
wood, pipe, rock, discarded cement, brush and construction
scrap) that may obstruct the growth of fescue roots and restrict soil water movement.
5.
Establish a rough grade which directs water away from the house.
6.

Selecting, Establishing & Maintaining the

Seeding Sodding Care After Planting

Primary Maintenance Practices 7

Selecting a Fertilizer 9

Fescue Fertilization Calendar 10

Secondary Maintenance Practices 11

Thatch and Its Development 11

Slicing and Spiking 12

Pests of Fescues 13

Selecting, Establishing and Maintaining the Fescues

Tom Samples, Associate Professor Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design

Four fescue species are maintained as lawngrasses in Tennessee.

Originally from Europe, these perennial, cool-season lawngrasses are an integral part of many Tennessee landscapes.

They grow best in deep, well-drained soils at air temperatures from 60 to 75 F.

High temperatures and drought often slow their rate of growth during late spring and summer.

Species and varieties may vary in color, leaf texture, stand density, disease resistance and tolerance of shade, high temperature and drought.

Tall fescue is adapted to a wide range of soil and climatic conditions.

This mediumto coarse-textured lawngrass tolerates high temperatures, drought and wear.

Tall fescue is usually best adapted in areas of the lawn receiving full sun or in light, open shade.

Turfgrass breeders continue to search for dark green, dense and disease-resistant tall fescue varieties.

Chewings , hard and red fescues are known collectively as fine fescues because of their narrow leaf blades.

Seeds of several fine fescue species are often mixed and marketed for use in shade.

Although they have excellent shade tolerance and good drought tolerance, the fine fescues are not particularly tolerant of high temperatures.

Tall and fine fescues establish from seed faster than Kentucky bluegrass.

They are also more tolerant of acid soil conditions, shade and drought.

Although tall fescue has short below-ground stems , most new leaves and tillers originate from the crown and not from nodes on rhizomes.

As a result, this lawngrass has very weak sod-forming characteristics and a bunch-type growth habit.

It may be necessary to broadcast seed over the lawn or slit-seed the lawn every two to three years to maintain a uniform,

dense and weed-resistant turf.

Tall fescue is best adapted to fertile, moist soils but tolerates wet soils of low fertility.

Leaf blades are flat and rigid.

Seed of many Leaf Blade improved, turf-type tall fescue varieties is marketed in TennesRhizome see.

Several of these Daughter varieties are higher Plant in overall lawngrass quality and more Adventitious Roots disease resistant than 'Kentucky 31' tall fescue.

For more precise information

Figure 1.

A lawngrass plant.

concerning tall fescue varieties, please contact your county Agricultural Extension office.

Table 1.

Drought, High Temperature, Shade, Soil Acidity and Wear Tolerances of Several Fescues.

Tolerance Tall Chewings Hard Red

Drought good good good good

High temperature good fair fair fair

Shade intermediate excellent excellent excellent

Soil acidity excellent good good good

Wear medium medium medium medium

Chewings fescue forms a very dense, finetextured and upright lawn.

Leaf blades of chewings fescue are thin, bristle-like and stiff.

This noncreeping, bunch-type lawngrass is well-adapted to acidic, infertile soils.

Chewings fescue does not usually tolerate wet, fertile soils or the high and low temperature extremes associated with sites exposed to full sun.

Hard fescue is a bunch-type lawngrass with tough, bluish-green leaves and an extensive root system.

Hard fescue forms a dense, somewhat tufted, low maintenance and low quality lawn.

Although hard fescue has limited high temperature

tolerance, it is sometimes used alone or in grass and grass-legume mixtures for erosion control on ditch banks and along roadsides.

Often referred to as creeping red fescue, this lawngrass is similar in appearance to chewings fescue with one important exception it has a creeping growth habit.

Two distinct types of red fescue are F.

rubra ssp.

rubra, a relatively strong, sod-forming type and F.

rubra ssp.

trichophylla, with short, slender rhizomes.

Leaf blades are thin, bristle-like and deeply ridged above.

Red fescue forms a very dense, fine-textured lawn.

The rate of vertical growth of red fescue is slow compared to most cool-season lawngrasses.

The overall quality of a red fescue lawn often declines rapidly if an excessive rate of nitrogen is applied.

Red fescue is usually adapted to soil and climatic conditions favorable to chewings fescue.

Table 2.

Comparative Chart, Tall and Fine Fescues.

Characteristic Tall Chewings Hard Red

Leaf texture medium -

coarse fine fine fine

Growth habit bunch bunch bunch sod-forming

Level of care medium low low low

establishment seed/sod seed/sod seed/sod seed/sod

good good good good

Density of aerial shoots medium-low high high high

Tennessee is located within a transitional zone between temperate and subtropical climates.

Fescues maintained in this transition zone often experience high temperature and drought stresses during extended hot, dry periods in summer.

Tennessee can be divided into four climatic zones which favor the growth and persistence of

certain lawngrasses.

Generally, the fescues are not well adapted in warm humid Zone IV.

Similarly, the moderately warm-to-cool humid climatic conditions in Zone III usually favor warm season lawngrasses including bermudagrass and Zoysia.

The fescues are generally adapted in cool-to-warm humid Zone II and cool humid Zone I.

Figure 2.

Four lawngrass climatic zones in Tennessee.1

Fescue lawns are commonly established from seed or by transplanting sod.

The preparation of a firm planting bed with appropriate fertility is critically important to the growth and performance of young seedlings or newly-transplanted fescue plants.

For best results:

1.

Test soils six to eight weeks before the intended planting date to determine soil phosphorus, potassium and pH levels.

2.

Stockpile existing topsoil from new construction sites before excavation and construction begins.

3.

Control [i.e.

Roundup application according to instructions on the product label] troublesome perennial weed grasses and broadleaf weeds.

4.

Remove all debris (i.e.

wood, pipe, rock, discarded cement, brush and construction

scrap) that may obstruct the growth of fescue roots and restrict soil water movement.

5.

Establish a rough grade which directs water away from the house.

6.