Sunlight Needs for Fescue Sod

Types of Sunlight Exposure

• It is important for gardeners to understand the different types of sun exposure in order to determine if their yard can support fescue sod. Full sunlight is characterized as six to hours of sun a day. Partial sunlight is four to six hours of sun a day. Shade is less than four hours of sun a day. To know how much sun you lawn receives, monitor the area for one day. Note how much sun each area of the lawn receives and be sure to factor in sunlight obstacles such as buildings and trees.

Planting Fescue in Full Sunlight

• Fescue sod prefers to grow in full sunlight. Gardeners may notice that most fescue sod varieties are blended with Kentucky bluegrass. Kentucky bluegrasss helps the sod spread quickly. One problem with fescue is that it is a slow-growing bunch type. Bunch type grass grows upright and tends to spread slowly. Kentucky bluegrass blended with fescue helps to achieve a thicker turf.

Planting in the Shade

• Fescue grass types such as hard fescue, chewings fescue and creeping red fescue grow well in the shade. These grass types are highly recommended for shady areas. Fescue grass grown in the shade must be kept 1/2 to 1 inch taller than your grass grown in the sun, recommends Clemson University. Grass blades need enough surface area to absorb as much sun as possible.

Other Factors

• Avoid keeping lawn clippings on your grass in shady areas. Grass clippings prevent enough sunlight from hitting your grass. Furthermore, reduce the amount of fertilizer you give to your fescue in the shade by 1/2 to 2/3, as recommended by Clemson University. Fescue grown in the shade has a higher rate of contacting a fungal disease when you encourage a flush of new growth with fertilizer.