Care & Types of Fescue

Fescue Planting and Care

• Thorough tilling at a depth of 3 to 4 inches will break up the soil and give seedling roots an easier job of expanding. Broadcasting 6 to 8 pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet of ground will ensure proper coverage. Rake the seeds lightly to cover with soil before watering thoroughly. After a month of growth, apply 1 pound of well-balanced fertilizer per 1,000 square feet. Water fescue when it shows signs of stress. Saturate the soil 3 or 4 inches deep when watering is required.

Needle-Leaved Fescue

• Hard fescue (F. longifolia) is low maintenance and cold hardy. Hard fescue is low growing, requiring less mowing than other species. Choose chewings fescue for acidic, sandy soils. A few varieties include Salem, Medallion, Marker, Exslyva, Longefellow and Flyer.

Blue Fescue

• Try planting blue fescue (Festuca ovina var. glauca) as an attractive landscape addition. This plant is native to Europe but is widely grown throughout the United States as an ornamental. Blue fescue grows to about 10 inches tall. The plant forms tidy clumps but will spread outward by seed. Remove blooms if you do not desire seedlings.

Tall Fescue

• Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) is used as a grazing sod for horses, cattle and other livestock. The plant is deep-rooted, adaptable to various soils and cold tolerant. Another good quality is its ability to perform in wet pasture conditions. Properly managed fields can expect a harvest of around 2 to 4 tons of dry matter an acre. Endophyte-free grass is preferred as livestock does better when grazing uncontaminated grasses. Seeding rate for pastures is 15 to 20 pounds an acre.