Understanding Fescue’s Growing Season
Fescue is a cool-season grass best planted in late September or early October. There is also a window in the spring, weather permitting, from late February through early April, when soil and air temperatures are right to overseed areas not covered well in the fall. The growing season for most turf-type fescue runs from late September to early June.
During that time, fescue stores food in the form of carbohydrates that help it survive the heat of summer. As soil temperature rises in late May to early June, fescue growth slows. It is important not to stimulate growth during that time.
Summer Maintenance
Fertilize fescue with a good quality organic lawn fertilizer like Milorganite. Mow as infrequently as possible during the summer and set your mower blade as high as possible, to leave the most leaf blade for light absorption and food production. Resist the urge to mow the fescue in the shade every time you mow the sunny areas. You are cutting off tissue the plant needs, and the energy expended to replace it, especially in shade, soon depletes the stored carbohydrates.
Keep it watered throughout the summer. Fescue needs approximately 2 inches of rain or water per week, all summer long.
Starting from Scratch: Soil Preparation
Everything above assumes a good, healthy stand of fescue. If that is not where your yard is currently, the key to a thick, green, and healthy fescue lawn is soil preparation. Proper soil preparation is essential for establishing fescue, and the more you do up front, the better your success rate will be.
First, check your soil pH. Most grasses grow best with a pH of 6.2 to 6.8. You can bring a soil sample to us and we will be happy to test it at no charge. We will need a 16 oz. cup filled to the top with soil taken from several different areas where you will be planting. If the pH is too low, an application of lime will be necessary. We carry several types of lime and will give you application rates to help bring your soil back into the right range.
Cover the area where you are planting seed with an inch or two of good composted organic material. We recommend Cotton Burr Compost in 2 cubic foot bags for small areas, or a compost and manure blend in bulk for larger areas. Once the compost has been spread, till the soil or use an aerator to work the compost into the existing soil.
Choosing the Right Seed
For years, the most successful grass for shaded areas has been turf-type fescue blends like 5 Star. 5 Star is a blend of fescues chosen for their disease, drought, traffic, and shade tolerance. The recommended rate for new lawns is 10 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft., and the overseeding rate is 5 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft.
Sow your seed and keep it well watered until it is about 1 inch tall, then water less frequently. Fertilize with Ferti-Lome New Lawn Starter Food or an organic food such as Milorganite. Once established, keep it 3 to 4 inches tall.
We carry two types of blended fescue: 5 Star and 5 Star Extreme. 5 Star is a blend of five top-performing seeds for our climate. 5 Star Extreme is formulated to work best in areas with sparse or dappled sunlight. Heavily shaded areas, such as under an evergreen canopy or magnolias, are best planted with groundcovers like Vinca minor or English ivy.
Keeping the Soil Healthy
Once the soil is loose, the seed is planted and germinating, and you know the fertilizer, watering, and mowing program, what keeps the soil from returning to a barren wasteland as your organic matter decomposes? Everyone focuses on feeding the grass, but the soil needs attention too.
In the average yard, healthy and viable soils contain billions of beneficial microorganisms. Keeping these microorganisms alive is important to the health of your soil, which in turn maintains the health of your grass. To keep all this life healthy, follow these two simple steps.
First, three or four times a year, add a bio-stimulant like Natural Guard Soil Activator. This product contains humates and 17 trace elements. Humates speed up the composting of organic matter, stimulate seed germination, increase microbial activity, make nutrients more readily available to plants, help hold nutrients and moisture in the soil, and improve soil aeration. Natural Guard Soil Activator has a well-deserved reputation as fescue’s best friend.
Second, spray your yard a couple of times each summer, and 30 days after seeding, with a heavy application of liquid seaweed. Liquid seaweed products contain a very small amount of nitrogen and have been found to aid in photosynthesis while serving as a bio-activator for microbes, which helps both the soil and the plant. Do not use a traditional lawn fertilizer on fescue in the summer. You will damage it.
The Same Prep Applies to Warm Season Grasses
Whether you are planting a cool-season grass like fescue or warm-season grasses like Bermuda or Zoysia, the prep work is the same. We can improve the longevity of our lawns by feeding not only the grass, but by keeping the soil healthy as well.