I wrote about tall fescue a few weeks ago, but since the time for planting it is about here, I wanted to talk about it a little more.
Fescue is commonly used for pastures and lawn in our climate because it is able to handle the cold well. Fescue is a cool season grass, which means that it does best in the spring and fall once the weather has cooled off. Fescue does not do as well in the summer because it doesn’t like the heat. In May this year some of the fescue suffered because we had three weeks with no rain and temperatures in the 90s. Some folks’ lawns developed brown patches after that, but I expect that in most of those situations the fescue will be able to grow back out this fall and winter.
Because fescue is a perennial cool season grass, it’s best to plant it in mid-September. It can be planted from seed, not sod. Fescue also has good drought resistance because it has deep roots. The deep roots allow it to pull up nutrients and moisture from deeper in the soil profile. Fescue is one of the most shade tolerant grasses out there. That makes it good for our area because of all the trees.
Fescue does best if it’s cut at three or more inches. That means that it won’t be trim like the Masters in Augusta, but it’s best for the plant. The same goes for pasture that’s being grazed. There is a saying that, ‘Grass grows grass.’ Meaning that if you want a hay crop or pasture to grow out, there needs to be some grass left for it to grow from. If the grass is cut or grazed too low, fescue will struggle and not be able to grow out as well.
Low pH is a common challenge when trying to grow grass, especially if it’s a space that was recently covered by trees. A soil test will tell you what the pH of your soil is and how much lime is needed to adjust it. An ideal pH for growing grass is 6 – 6.5. It’s best to add lime before planting grass because lime can take 3-6 months before it’s fully effective.
There are a couple of other grass options for lawns in our area besides fescue, but fescue is often the easiest. Zoysiagrass can be done as well, but it must be grown from sod for most varieties. There is a variety of centipede grass called Tifblair centipedegrass that is also adapted to our climate. Zoysiagrass and centipedegrass would need to be planted in the spring because they are warm season grasses.
If you have questions about tall fescue in pasture or lawn contact your County Extension Office or send me an email at Jacob.Williams@uga.edu.
On September 26, Union County Extension is hosting a Radon Education Program at 5:30 in the Union County Civic Center. Call 706-439-6030 or Email me to RSVP.
The Towns-Union Master Gardeners are having their annual Fall Plant Sale on September 28 at the Union County Farmers Market. Stop by to get some perennial plants that are adapted to our climate.