INTRODUCTION
These suggested management practices will help you care for your tall fescue lawn throughout the year. Location, terrain, soil type and condition, age of lawn, previous lawn care, and other factors affect turf performance, so adjust the following management practices and dates to suit your particular lawn.
MARCH THROUGH MAY
Mowing
Mow to 21⁄2 to 31⁄2 inches. Mow often enough so that no more than one-third of the grass height is cut; this may be every five to seven days in late spring. Leave grass clippings on the lawn where they will decompose quickly and can provide up to 25% of the lawn’s fertilizer needs. If prolonged rain or other factors delay mowing and clippings are too plentiful to leave on the lawn, collect them and use them as mulch. DO NOT bag them for trash collection; grass clippings do not belong in landfills.
Fertilization
Fertilize as needed to promote color and recovery from damage (such as pests, traffic, or early disease). If fertilized, rates should generally be between 1⁄5 and 1⁄2 pound of nitrogen (N) per 1,000 square feet, with lower amounts generally applied after March 15.
Watering
Tall fescue needs about 1 inch of water every week, ideally NOT all at once. A dark-bluish-gray color and wilted, folded, or curled leaves indicate that it is time to water. Water until the soil is wet to a depth of 4 to 6 inches. Use a screwdriver or similar implement to check for proper saturation. Sandy soils require more frequent watering (about 1⁄2 inch of water every third day). In clay soils, which accept water slowly, irrigate just until runoff occurs, wait until the water has been absorbed, and begin watering again. Continue until the desired depth or amount is applied. Proper irrigation may prevent or reduce problems later in the summer. Watering between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. decreases the incidence of certain diseases.
Weed Control
Apply preemergence herbicides to control crabgrass, goosegrass, and foxtail. It is typically best if applied in early March, sooner in the piedmont and coastal regions.
Insect Control
White grubs may be active at this time, but spring curative applications are not effective. Make note of areas with white grub activity and plan to apply a preventive application in the following spring or early summer. Specific timing will vary depending on white grub species, so plan to make an application when adult flight is at its peak.
Aeration
Delay aeration until fall.
Thatch Removal
It is generally not necessary to remove thatch.
JUNE THROUGH AUGUST
Mowing
Mow to 31⁄2 inches and before the grass gets taller than 5 inches.
Fertilization
Fertilize as needed to promote color and recovery from damage. If fertilizing, rates should generally be between 1⁄5 and 1⁄2 pound of N per 1,000 square feet.
Watering
Water as needed to prevent drought stress or allow the lawn to go dormant. Dormant lawns must be watered every three weeks during a drought.
Disease Control
Tall fescue is highly susceptible to brown patch disease, which appears as irregularly shaped patches of dead or dying turf. Brown patch develops under high humidity and when ambient temperatures are above 85°F. It becomes extremely severe during prolonged, overcast wet weather with evening air temperatures above 68°F and daytime temperatures in the mid to upper 80s. Ensure that the mowing height remains above 3 inches and water between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. Apply fungicide during severe brown patch outbreaks.
Weed Control
DO NOT use herbicides at this time.
Insect Control
Preventive treatments for white grubs can be used in June, when adults are flying and starting to lay eggs. Curative treatments for white grubs are applied after the larvae have hatched from the egg stage. The best time to apply curative treatments is about 24 hours after significant rainfall, when grubs are actively feeding near the soil surface.
Aeration
Delay aeration until fall.
Renovation
Western region only! Overseed thin, bare areas as weather cools (August 15 to September 1). Lawns may be aerated as part of the renovation process. Use a blend of “turf type” tall fescue cultivars at 6 pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet. In the absence of a soil test recommendation, apply a starter-type (high phosphorus) fertilizer. Keep the seedbed moist with light watering several times per day. Do not let the seedlings dry out.
SEPTEMBER THROUGH NOVEMBER
Mowing
Mow to 21⁄2 to 3 inches in height.
Fertilization
Have your soil tested. Ask your local Extension agent about a free soil test. Then apply the nutrient your lawn needs. If you don’t test, apply a complete nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (N-P-K) turf-grade fertilizer with a 3-1-2 or 4-1-2 ratio (that is, 12-4-8 or 16-4-8). For a basic level of fertility, fertilize with 1 pound of N per 1,000 square feet in mid-September and again in November (about the time the grass is green but not actively growing).
You need to apply 1 pound of N per 1,000 square feet, so how much fertilizer do you need to buy? Divide 100 by the FIRST number on the fertilizer bag. (The first number always represents N content.) For example, if you’ve got a 10-10-10 fertilizer, divide 100 by 10 and you get 10. That means you need to buy 10 pounds of fertilizer for every 1,000 square feet of lawn.
Watering
Follow guidelines for March through May.
Weed Control
Apply broadleaf herbicides to control broadleaf weeds like chickweed and henbit, as necessary. Caution: Some herbicides may affect newly seeded turf. Follow label directions.
Insect Control
Curative applications applied in early fall may control some white grubs, but efficacy will vary depending on the size of grub. Later instars (larger grubs) are harder to treat than early instars. Identify and make note of problem areas for preventive applications in late spring/early summer.
Aeration
Aerate lawns that are subject to heavy traffic or grown on clay soils. Remove plugs and break them up to put the soil back into the lawn.
Renovation
Piedmont and coastal plain regions only! Overseed thin, bare areas as weather cools (September 1 to October 1). Use a blend of “turf type” tall fescue cultivars at 6 pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet. In the absence of a soil test recommendation, apply a starter-type (high phosphorus) fertilizer. Keep the seedbed moist with light watering several times per day. Do not let the seedlings dry out.
DECEMBER THROUGH FEBRUARY
Mowing
Mow to 3 inches and remove leaves and other debris.
Fertilization
Fertilize with 1 pound of N per 1,000 square feet in February.
Watering
Follow guidelines for March through May.
Weed Control
Apply broadleaf herbicides as necessary for control of annual winter weeds like chickweed and henbit.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Riverside Turf would like to thank the turfgrass staff of North Carolina State University for developing these guidelines. You may also read this publication on the NC State website at:https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/tall-fescue-lawn-maintenance-calendar
Authors
Grady Miller
Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist
Crop & Soil Sciences
Fred Yelverton
Professor and Extension Turf Weed Management Specialist
Crop & Soil Sciences
Charles Peacock
Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist
Crop & Soil Sciences
Jim Kerns
Professor and Extension Turfgrass Pathology Specialist (Turfgrass Pathology)
Entomology & Plant Pathology
Rick Brandenburg
Professor and Extension Turf Entomology Specialist
Entomology & Plant Pathology
Terri Billeisen
Extension Associate
Entomology & Plant Pathology
