Fescue Grass Comes In Many Forms

What is Fescue Grass?

Though fescue is technically a variety of turfgrass, it has many undesirable and invasive characteristics that make it more of a weed in a residential lawn.

It’s a deep green and durable grass, which makes it a popular choice for turf in parks and sports fields. However, if you’re a homeowner with another type of turf grass, fescue grass is intrusive and undesirable.

It can show up as either tall fescue or fine fescue.

What Is Tall Fescue?

Tall fescue is a perennial cool-season grass that is identified by its tall, dense blades, which have a deep green color and a rough texture. It’s a hardy grass that is tolerant of drought, heat, and foot traffic.

It bears a strong resemblance to crabgrass. However, tall fescue is a perennial (visible year-round), whereas crabgrass is an annual and generally won’t germinate until early summer. This makes accurate, professional identification important for effective treatment.

Tall fescue is problematic in residential lawns because it has long, deep roots that make it difficult to pull out, and it will often regrow from the roots or from seeds that have fallen into the soil. It can spread quickly, forming dense clumps that outcompete other grasses, making it hard for the rest of the lawn to thrive.

What Is Fine Fescue?

Fine fescue is a group of cool-season grasses that are known for their fine leaf texture and shade tolerance. These grasses are often used for turf, ground cover, and erosion control, as they are typically low-maintenance and can survive in poor soil conditions.

Fine fescue varieties include:

• Creeping red fescue
• Chewings fescue
• Sheep fescue
• Hard fescue

Fine fescues are sometimes blended with other turf grass varieties, like Kentucky bluegrass, to improve aesthetics and to create a diverse, hardy lawn that will thrive in areas where it is generally difficult to establish grass.

Fine Fescue grasses are well adapted to:

• Acidic, infertile soils
• Low-maintenance sites, such as shade, rocky outcrops
• Low-water-use landscapes

They are not well-suited for high-traffic areas and may go dormant during hot, dry weather.

How Do I Kill Fescue Grass Weeds in My Lawn?

The first step to effective fescue control is accurate and professional identification. Remember, it can look a lot like crabgrass! Killing fescue isn’t as simple as using over-the-counter sprays that make big promises. You need a trained fescue grass control expert to treat the problem properly and ensure it doesn’t come back.

How Do I Get Rid of Fescue Grass?

The best fescue grass control results come from a combination of:

• Controlling small infestations in the early stages, whenever possible.
• Pulling individual fescue plants by hand.
• Repairing these areas with desirable grass seed varieties or sod.
• Treating the lawn with professional weed control applications.

But if the infestation is larger, other forms of control may be necessary, and your trained and certified Weed Man technician can make expert recommendations tailored to your individual lawn.

As always, a healthy lawn is the best defense against invasive species and threats. That means staying on top of beneficial cultural activities like mowing, watering, fertilizing and aerating the right way.

If you’re seeing the early stages of an infestation right now, act immediately and find the local Weed Man in your area ASAP.