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Fescue Grass

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Fescue Grass: Drought Resistant and Great for Those Shady Places

Some may think of fescue as a grass primarily used for hay, but it also fills a need when it comes to grasses for lawns. Other grasses often do not do well in the shade, but fescue does. There are several varieties of fescue, including the tall hay grasses and shorter ones used in yards. Creeping red fescue is a variety that is particularly happy in the shade.

A good grass to know if you are establishing a lawn in the North is hard fescue. It is an eco-friendly plant in many ways. It's clumping growth pattern means that it cannot be mown very short, but it grows slowly and does not need mowing as often as other grasses. It is not as lush as other grasses, but it stays green a long time and helps control erosion of soil. It is also resistant to insect damage and stands up well under traffic.

Kentucky Bluegrass	Bermuda Grass	Fescue Grass

St. Augustin

Zoysia

Fescue needs to be planted in the fall. This will give it the longest possible time to get established before the hot days of the next year's summer. Like other grass seed, it works well in a blend. A mix of grass seed will give you more of the advantages, which will offset the disadvantages of the various types of grass.

One of the first steps in constructing a lawn of fescue grass is to take a soil test. This test will let you know how much and what kind of soil amendments you need to add. Fescue likes for its soil to be a bit acidic and well drained. It likes sandy soil, too.

Next, be sure to smooth out the bare ground. You may need to till it and rake out roots and rocks. If you do not carry out this step carefully, you will probably find yourself having difficulty mowing over holes and little hills. (What's worse, you could twist an ankle while playing a game of badminton.)

Fescue is easily seeded by using a broadcast seeder. Some broadcast seeders are designed to tamp the ground down at the same time. This will save a lot of work and time. Many other grasses are better started with plugs or sod, but fescue works very well with seed, an economical alternative.