Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea ) was introduced to the United States from Europe in the 1800s. It grows well in low, wet meadows and damp pastures in the United States, Europe, and Northern Africa. It is also drought tolerant once it is established. Before planting tall fescue, you will probably want to know the answer to the question, “Does fescue grass spread?”
Does Fescue Grass Spread?
Yes, it spreads, but not the way Bermuda grass spreads. While improved varieties of tall fescue have weak rhizomes, it is a bunchgrass. The plants get wider but do not establish new plants from the stems the way some grasses spread.
Description of Tall Fescue Grass
Tall fescue is medium to dark green and has course leaves. The improved turf tall fescue has a finer leaf texture and has a denser growth habit. Tall fescue has longitudinal lines on the leaves. They have rolled vernation (the arrangement of the leaves in a leaf bud) and the leaves have a sharp tip.
How Does Tall Fescue Grass Spread?
Because tall fescue is a bunch grass, it spreads when additional tillers, or upright stems, come out of the crown. The crown is where the roots and tillers meet. This makes the plant wider, but it still only has one crown. Tall fescue does not establish new plants in order to spread. It does spread through seed production.
Uses for Tall Fescue
Tall fescue is a cool-season grass that grows well in the transition zone. This is where the winters are too cold for warm-season grasses and the summers are too hot for most cool-season grasses. Tall fescue is often used in lawns in this zone. It is also used in parks and the roughs on golf courses. Tall fescue cannot be routinely mowed so the blades are less than 1.5 inches long, so that limits its use on athletic fields. While tall fescue is the most traffic tolerant of the cool-season grasses, it is not nearly as tolerant as Bermuda grass.
How You Can Help Fescue Grass to Spread and Thicken
Fescue will spread faster if it gets the right amount of sun, water, and fertilizer. These tips will help you do that.
Sun
Turf type tall fescue is fairly shade tolerant. This is especially true in the southern part of its range, where the summers are hot. It does well in full sun if sufficient water is provided during the hot months.
Water
Once tall fescue is established, it grows deep roots that help it access groundwater. In its northern range, it does still need an inch of water four or five times during the summer. In the southern part of its range, it will stay green all year round with an inch of water each week from spring to fall and occasional water in the winter. Tall fescue must have supplemental water in hot months in the southern part of its range.
Fertilizer
It is important to get a soil test run every year in the fall. This soil test will tell you what nutrients your tall fescue needs. It will also recommend the amount of fertilizer you should use. You can get sample bags and instructions from your County Extension Agent. In the absence of a soil test, fertilize with nitrogen in the fall. High-traffic lawns will need to be fertilized more than low-traffic lawns. Consult your Extension Agent for when to fertilize and how much to use.
Factors that Will Stop Fescue Grass from Spreading
Just as you can do things to help your fescue grass spread, you can do things that make it hard for the grass to stay alive. Here are some things not to do.
Mowing
Tall fescue is picky about being mowed. If you mow it to less than 2 inches of blade, it will not grow and spread as well. In the shade or in a hot summer, leave the grass blades three inches long. If the fescue grass is cut infrequently, do not cut more than 1/3rd. of the blade off or you will make it difficult for the fescue to survive and spread. Tall fescue needs the longer grass blades to make adequate food for the plant. For a lawn, do not let it grow taller than 5 inches.
Plant in High Traffic Areas
While tall fescue is the most tolerant of traffic of the cool-season grasses, it should not be planted in a high traffic area. That makes the grass get clumpy and uneven, with bare areas in the lawn. The tall fescue will even die if the traffic is too high.
Apply Herbicide in The Summer
You can apply 2,4,D to your tall fescue lawn to kill weeds. However, make sure the temperature is below 85F when you apply the herbicide or you will hurt your tall fescue lawn, or even kill it.
Final Thoughts
The answer to the question, “Will tall fescue spread?” is “Yes, but not like some grasses.” When seeded and cared for properly, tall fescue, especially the improved turf fescue, makes a nice lawn. It does have to be overseeded every 3-5 years or it will become too clumpy and won’t be a nice smooth lawn anymore.
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