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The majority of cool season grasses (besides the Fescues) are not shade tolerant nor do many perform well in the lower areas of the transitions zone where the season is too hot for the cool grasses and in the area of the transition zone that is too cold in the winter for the warm season grasses.
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Note: Planting Tall Fescue in Northern colder states with temps below 10 degrees can result in winter kill on Tall Fescue. Map above includes both the fine and tall fescues growing range. Bluegrasses are more cold tolerant. |
Fescues fill a large gap in the grass field created by the climate differences that are not fully defined by zone. Fine Fescues are readily used in mixtures with the Kentucky bluegrass varieties for summer northern lawns and with the warm season grasses in winter lawns. Both Fine and Tall Fescues can remain green all year long in the cooler climates. They usually will become dormant in the areas too hot during the summer or too cold in winter and will show a paler green color at these times. Fescues are also used in overseeding warm and cool grass lawns.
TALL FESCUE | CREEPING RED FESCUE | CHEWINGS FESCUE | HARD FESCUE
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| Fescue.com - Tall & Fine Fescues |
Fescues differ in texture from the "coarse " to the very fine in the leaf structure. The fescues are divided into sub-species of shorter fine grasses and tall grasses; each having individual characteristics and specified use. The three major species are listed below...
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| Fescue.com - Tall Fescue |
| Tall fescues make early, fast growing "average" lawns and can provide a lawn of low maintenance. Tall fescue is the coarser of the lawn fescues, with a dense turf when maintained, forms a clumping growth at the base of the grass plant, drought resistant ( as cool season grasses are categorized) and is shade tolerant. | CLICK TO BUY QUALITY |
The newer Turf-Type Fescues are more dwarf in plant size, and create much more attractive lawns than do the older varieties. They have better drought tolerance, improved disease resistance and perform under heat better. Much changed from the older troublesome varieties. Popular choices of improved varieties are PENN 1901, Fescue Plus, Palmers Choice, Shady Lawn Blend, Rebels, Mow Less Blend, Summer Lawn, Summer Lawn PLUS and many more quality varieties!
Older varieties of Tall fescue are planted as pure stands in pastures. These same seeds when planted in a fine fescue or Kentucky bluegrass lawn, result in the different characteristics (clumping / tall), in the pasture types being considered a weed. Newer varieties of the older Tall fescue are grasses that can endure heavy traffic have been developed for higher disease resistance, insect resistance, better blade structure, and lower mowing capabilities, better color, etc.. These varieties are available in seed form are numerous.. Tall fescue while being once considered only a forage grass; can now perform as a good average "utility" turf lawn when used primarily as the dominate species and in better lawns when chosen by variety for the better lawns.
Tall fescue lawns can easily be over seeded when the lawn is thin and start to get the bunching, clumping uneven appearance. This can be the result of extreme heat during the summer, disease or insect damage or other factors. The Tall Fescue is then over seeded in the fall to get the lawn into shape before the next hot summer weather sets in. This is a good time to add newer and better varieties (especially in older stands) to the lawn. Several varieties for improved lawn performance can be over seeded yearly. The variety or varieties should be chosen by the adaptive characteristics for the region in which you are planting.
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| Fescue.com - Creeping Red Fescue |
Red fescue is also called Creeping red fescue and is a cool season grass used in the northern and temperate areas. Red fescue is in the fine fescues category and has narrow deep green blades. This fescue can be grown in single stands and prefer the more shadier and cooler areas than most other cool season grasses. Red fescue is often added to Tall Fescue, Bluegrass and Perennial Ryegrass mixtures and improves these mixture by increasing shade tolerance. It also has fairly drought resistant qualities.
Red fescue can establish in the lawn quickly while the slower growing bluegrass is forming. This fescue variety is a non aggressive easily maintained grass and overseeds quite well in the areas of adaptation. Besides being a lawn cover it is quite beautiful when left un-mown in a meadow or for a roadside growth and erosion sites on slopes or hill sides. Red fescues one of the most widely used grasses in mixtures and to overseed cool grass lawns.
| Fescue.com - Chewings Fescue |
Chewings fescue resembles Tall fescues in growth being more upright than creeping, yet still retaining the fine texture of the fine fescue group. The predominant use of chewings fescue is in the addition to other grass seed mixtures. One of the most popular is the mixture of perennial rye grass and chewings fescue. The adaptations of chewings improves the predominant grasses ability to better perform.
As all fescues do; chewings grows well in the shade, is drought resistant, non-aggressive and blends well with almost any grass. Chewings is not as wear tolerant as other grasses of the fescues but can be mown lower and prefers to grow on the more sandy soils of low fertility. Chewings fescue will germinate in about fourteen days. This fescue can be mown low at 1½ inches making it even more popular if grown alone or in mixtures. Overseeds well into other lawns for better diversity and problems solving.
| Fescue.com - Hard Fescue |
Hard fescue is indeed one of the "hardiest" of the fescues. Shade and drought resistant, and more disease resistant this fescue grows best in the north and the higher elevations. Hard fescue has beautiful blue-green color, and can grow in some of the most adverse of conditions and in heavily shaded areas. Hard fescue grows in the clump formations and may not be mown as low as the other fescues. Hard fescue is one grass that stays green a longer period of time, is slow growing and a low maintenance grass. Varieties of hard fescue are being developed for extended usage and acceptability as lawn grasses. This fescue makes an ideal conservation, erosion, and reclamation planting in areas not easily maintained and is the only fescue that is salt tolerant.
FESCUES FOR PASTURES:
WHY IS ENDOPHYTE FREE FESCUE REQUIRED?
Be sure and read about Tall Fescues for Pastures - You must plant an endophyte free variety to prevent health problems from animals grazing on fescues. Lawn varieties are NOT endophyte free. There are now available newer fescues that can prevent this endophyte problem. Plant ONLY endophyte free varieties for pastures.
READ ABOUT A BRAND NEW SOLUTION TO THE
ENDOPHYTE PROBLEM
MAX Q FESCUE with friendly endophytes!
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