Strong creeping red fescue, slender creeping red fescue, Chewings fescue, hard fescue and sheep fescue are often grouped together and are called fine fescues.
Creeping red fescue prefers drier soil while the other fine fescues can tolerate moist soil typically found in shady areas of the yard.
In addition to poor heat and drought tolerance, the cool-season grass also has poor traffic tolerance. If you're planting a turf lawn because you want an area for your kids, pets, or yourself to play, red fescue probably isn't the best choice.
Red fescue grows well in New York, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and the New England states. In places where temperatures are high and there is a great deal of humidity, grass may turn brown and go dormant. Once fall temperatures arrive and more moisture arrives, the grass will rebound.
The fine fescues are composed of several different Festuca species and subspecies. All are fine textured compared to most other commonly planted turfgrasses. Fine fescues have long been used in mixtures with other grasses and are generally considered the standard for shade tolerance in cool season grasses.
Fine fescues struggle with many of the same weeds, diseases and insect pests as other cool-season turfgrass species. The most problematic biotic pests for fine fescues include annual bluegrass invasion and diseases such as summer patch, red thread, dollar spot and snow molds.
A narrow bladed strong creeping and binding grass with good wear and recovery characteristics suitable for many lawns. Also tolerant of disease and drought.
Red fescue has two distinct growing habits: creeping red fescue spreads very slow by very short rhizomes and Chewings fescue is a bunchgrass with an upright growth habit.
Boreal is a broadly adapted fine fescue that is well suited to poor drier soils and reduced fertility under both sun and shaded environments. Boreal is aggressive and competitive, quickly establishing a dense turf with excellent insect and disease resistance.
Creeping Red Fescue is the most tolerant of the fescues in the No Mow lawn mix, and can be cut at a height of two inches, as compared to four inches for most of the other fescue varieties.
Nitrogen fertilizer should be applied mid to late October to creeping red fescue seed stands prior to the first seed crop. Early spring applications of nitrogen will be effective at increasing creeping red fescue seed yields but nitrogen applica- tions made the previous fall will result in consistently higher yields.
Hard Fescue is the "toughest" of all the fescues in that it is the most drought resistant, shade tolerant, and disease resistant than the other species. It is a clump type grass that can be grown in very adverse conditions as well as extremely shady areas, typically in the Northern regions and in higher elevations.
Similar to strong creeping red fescue but with shorter, more slender rhizomes. Both slender and strong creeping red fescue tolerate some close mowing. Strong creeping red fescue has more rhizome growth (spreading ability) than slender creeping red fescue.
Red Fescue can spread aggressively under the right conditions due to its ability to reproduce through both seeds and rhizomes (underground stems). Red Fescue is listed in the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.
"Fine fescues typically require less nutritional input than other popular grass species such as perennial ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, or turf-type tall fescue, making them a lower maintenance turf option for homeowners," he says, adding that because of their fine leaf texture, fine fescues are less tolerant to ...
However, if you're comparing perennial ryegrass vs. fescue, you really can't go wrong with either in a high-traffic situation as fescue is also quite durable. Earth Development knows fescue is also used for school playgrounds and sports fields and is also often used as a pasture grass for horses and cattle.
Strong creeping red fescue, slender creeping red fescue, Chewings fescue, hard fescue and sheep fescue are often grouped together and are called fine fescues.
Creeping red fescue is the only species that spreads by rhizomes, and within this species there are two distinct types that include an aggressive creeping type with strong rhizomes and a slender creeping type with short rhizomes.
Coarse Fescue, “The Bad Fescue” is a clumpy, wide-bladed grass that grows taller than your good grass.
For this reason, creeping red fescue is considered an excellent soil stabilizer and is therefore used extensively for stabilizing slopes, banks, cuts and fills (USDA Plant Guide). However, roots are shallow with most of the root mass distributed within the top 5-15 cm.
No, Kentucky bluegrass will not choke out other grasses. It is a cool-season grass that spreads by rhizomes and forms dense mats of foliage. However, it can become invasive if left unchecked or overfertilized.
Red thread can cause major cosmetic damage and is the most common disease found in fine fescue turfgasses. Lawn mixes, which commonly contain strong creeping red fescue, often see problems with red thread. You may spot it in your fine fescue turfgrass during rainy periods in spring, fall, or summer.
Often known as Strong Red Fescue, this common grass, as its name implies, has creeping rhizomes . It has a more vigorous creeping habit than some similar species which can help to create a dense, hardwearing turf or sward. These shallow creeping roots help it to remain green even in drier soils.
This grass variety grows robustly in both full sunlight and partial shade, maintaining a lush, green appearance.
Hard fescue — Festuca longifolia
It does well on low fertility soils and in shaded areas. This species is good as a non-mowed turf for slopes, median strips, and nonused areas of parks.