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 | Pete
Join Date: Posts: 1 
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2000-04-20 14963
Hi,I am finally about to redo a couple of acres of grass by overseeding. I have read a few pieces of literature from some seed companies. In the past I had been using a Tri Blend of Rye Grass. However since my lawn seemed to be vulnerable to disease and drought I am considering other options.From what I read it looked like TALL FESCUE has the characteristics I want; drought resistant, Hardy for a fully sunny area.I had never considered Fescue before, I noted that it takes about twice as much seed per acre versus Rye but costs the same per pound, so its about twice as expensive. Is this just a rip - off? On a seeds per pound basis you can't beat bluegrass seed with its unfortunate slow gerination and other issues.Thanks for any help!
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| Bird Senter
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 962 
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2000-04-20 14965
Pete, I understand there are several varieties of Fescue, and I don't know which are which, so I can't say the "Tall Fescue" is bad, but years ago in town, I had a beautiful Bermuda lawn and the next door neighbor had his lawn hydromulched with some kind of Fescue. As long as it was watered regularly and mowed frequently, it was a pretty good lawn, but that stuff spread into my yard, grew twice as tall as the Bermuda between mowings, in clumps or spots. Then when he sold the place, the new owner rarely watered, and all that was left was clumps of tall grass, and bare spots. No way would I ever allow a Fescue seed on my property. ....
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| Pete
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2000-04-20 14968
Yep!
I hear you. When I was a kid we had some creeping red Fescue that clung close to the ground, if you kicked or slid on it big patches would just come off like it was a toupee. I swore I would never use that stuff
Then last year I bought some ornamental "Blue Fescue" seed and grew it for my garden. Hard to get going but once it did its really cool. Stays green almost all winter starts early, very hardy. That is why I thought about the Fescue again.
You must be someplace warm with burmuda grass, I am up in PA where we don't have the heat.
I quess that my question could be re-phrased What is the best seed for MidAtlantic States for full sun, Hardy disease resistant, drought resistant, low maintainance, that could be put down now (overseeding).
Thanks! ....
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| Bird Senter
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 962
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2000-04-20 14971
Yep, Pete, I'm in central Texas, so the grass you want would certainly be different for what we need. ....
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| MichaelSnyder
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 0
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2000-04-20 14976
Pete,
I'm located in E.PA. 1/2 hour from Allentown. Just finished overseeding this weekend. After hours and hours of reading, and talking to landscapers. We did buy the seed from a landscaper who is friends with my father. He uses a custom blend of 60% Red fescue, 10% K Blue grass, and 30% perennial rye. He came up with this mix after years and years of trying different grasses in our area and found this mixture to work best. Probably because of our high drainage type soil otherwise known as shale. We own 2 acres, so watering is out of the question. Anyway, 1/2 our yard is partially shaded from many trees, and the other 1/2 is wide open. Red Fescue is very shade tolerant, rye is very durable, and K. blue grass is a nice grass to fit anywhere in between. Obviously its way to early to tell if it will work, but this mix is all he uses and he guarantee's his lawns.
Hope I took the right bet. ....
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| Kruser
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2000-04-20 14984
I"m certainly no expert, but have started several thousand sq. ft. of "K-31" fescue around my new house in the last 5 years, with excellent success. I'm in central Kansas. It gets almost too hot & dry for it here in Summer, but I've found that, once it's started, if you don't "baby" it by watering all the time, it will survive (even tho it turns brown in late summer from the heat). I think it's more like "tall" fescue; at least never noticed any "runners". ....
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| turfman
Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 97 midwest
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2000-04-21 14988
There are some other alternatives to K-31 or just the old 3 way mix. There are some new types of dwarf and double dwarf tall fescues that are very hardy and not nearly as "clumpy" as the older types of Tall fescues. These are sometimes indistinguishable from a blue grass stand depending on the location. Ask a seed distributor in your area. these are generally not available at the local farm store. Just remember when you are seeding, seed is the cheapest thing you got. don't be afraid to use a more than the minimum amount recommended. just my 2 cents. ....
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| Eddie Watkins
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2000-04-23 15033
I live in central Oklahoma. I have been raising a hybrid tall fescue for nearly ten years Under my shade trees. Aboout 3 years ago I built a new house which was finished in the fall of the year when bermuda grass would not have rooted so I planted about 2 acres in a new hybrid tall fescue especially for lawns. Since I live in an area that gets 100+ degrees in July and AUgust I also put in a sprinkler system. We have had the three hottest summers I can remember the last 3 years and the fescue has done great. I have people stopping 5-6 times a year asking me about my yard. It has gooten to the point that my wife and daughter rib me about the drop-ins. I do have to overseed in each fall but the grass stays green year round and is absolutely beautiful from February until the first of July and from mid September until late November. The hybrid I have grows to about 3-4 inches and I mow it at 2.5. In July and August it still looks as good as bermuda grass and I mow it about once every three weeks. During the spring and fall I have to mow weekly. It is super tolerant of traffic and I have had no disease problem whatsoever. I am a yard fanatic and enjoy having a yard that is beautiful. I suspect in PA where you don't have the heat like we have here you could grow the new fescue with very little trouble. Do a search on tall fescue and you can get all sorts of information about the new and old types. The new types are really fine bladed and do not clump like some of the old pasture fescue but overseeding helps that too. SInce I have gone to fescue I spend less money on herbicides and fertilizer and mow less often. Since it comes out earlier than the weeds it tends to keep the weeds choked out. This is my opinion and as I said, I don't mind yard work so it is not that much work. ....
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| MichaelSnyder
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 0
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2000-04-24 15057
Eddie,
FYI: Seems PA is getting warmer every year. While it is rare for us to hit 100 degrees, it is no longer uncommon to see 90-95 degrees in July/Aug. Just had to mention that because everyone in the south thinks our summer temperatures only reach the 80's. BTY: having done a bit of work in Guymon, OK. I now understand the second reason its called the pan handle, its temperature is well matched for its reference.. ....
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