How many types of fescue are there?

Asked by: Jackie Thomas

What is the difference between tall fescue and fine fescue?

Fescue is divided into broad-leaved and fine-leaved classes. Tall fescue is a broad-leaved fescue with wide, flat blades typical of lawn grasses. Fine fescue is the collective term for all fine-leaved fescue grasses. Fine fescue has thinner blades than tall fescue, with some fine fescues having needle-type blades.

What fescue seed is best?

• BEST OVERALL: Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Tall Fescue Mix, 7 lb.
• RUNNER UP: Pennington Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue Grass Seed.
• BEST FOR BARE SPOTS: Scotts EZ Seed Patch and Repair Tall Fescue Lawns.
• BEST FOR LAWN THICKENING: Scotts Turf Builder Thick’R Lawn Tall Fescue Mix.

What is the difference between dwarf fescue and tall fescue?

The biggest difference between dwarf and regular tall fescue is the texture of the grass. Tall fescue is a very wide-bladed grass, giving it a coarse appearance when mowed at 3 inches-plus, while the dwarf varieties are much narrower and softer-looking, much like bluegrass and other fine leaf rye grasses.

What is the darkest green fescue?

Hard Fescue

The dark green variety “Scaldis” performed well in scientific trials as a no-mow ground cover but needed summer irrigation.

Is there a difference between tall fescue and turf type tall fescue?

The tall fescues are finer leafed than K-31 but not as fine leafed as the fine fescues. Turf-type tall fescue are becoming a popular turfgrass for homes and industrial sites. Turf-types are more coarse than bluegrass, though not as thick as traditional tall fescue commonly used as pasture grasses.

Is there a fescue that spreads?

Unlike grasses that spread by horizontal above- and below-ground stems, tall fescue is a bunch-type grass. It grows in clumps and spreads primarily through vertical shoots called “tillers,” which grow from the base of the grass plant itself.

Is fescue or Kentucky bluegrass better?

Rich, thick Kentucky bluegrass tolerates foot traffic and heavy use better than either hard or red fescue. However, coarse-bladed tall fescue is more tolerant of foot traffic than Kentucky bluegrass and can withstand the wear of people getting in and out of vehicles.

What is the most heat tolerant fescue?

Tall fescue

Tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort.) is known as the most heat-tolerant cool-season grass (4), and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is also considered tolerant to heat stress (7).

What is tall fescue good for?

Tall Fescue Grass Care

This type of grass is drought tolerant and does not require a lot of fertilization. The roots develop a very deep system, reaching between 2 and 3 feet. Because of this, tall fescue survives well without regular watering and is a good eco-friendly choice where water is scarce.

How do you get super dark green grass?

The number one way to increase the green color in your lawn is with Nitrogen. Nitrogen is one of the big three macronutrients needed in the greatest quantities for healthy turf. It promotes top growth in the lawn by pushing the production of chlorophyll in the plant.

What is the greenest grass you can buy?

Not all grasses grow dark green, no matter how much you care for them. Grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass are known to yield dark green grass.

What grass is the deepest green?

Zoysia japonica, a member of the Zoysia species, and generally referred to as Zoysiagrass, has a deep, dark green color and and produces a thick turf that is very tolerant of a number of conditions, but not cool weather.

What makes fescue dark green?

After turf grass selection, fertilization is the most important factor in growing a dark-green lawn. To encourage green growth, choose a lawn fertilizer with a high percentage of nitrogen and a low percentage of phosphorous.

What kind of grass stays green year around?

Fescue

Basically, Fescue is a cool season grass (that means it likes cooler temperatures, more appropriately, it melts in higher temperatures), so now is the time it should look good. Many covet their fescue simply because it is green year round, unlike its warm season grass counterparts that brown out in the winter.

What is the darkest Kentucky bluegrass?

Midnight Kentucky bluegrass set the standard for dark color, beginning with the 1985 NTEP test (Morris, 1991). It con- tinued to be the darkest variety in national trials through the end of the 1995 test (Mor- ris, 1996; 2001).

What shade of green is Kentucky bluegrass?

emerald to blue-green

Part of the charm of a healthy Kentucky bluegrass lawn is its rich emerald to blue-green color. Add its medium to fine texture, and a KBG lawn is both beautiful to look at and comfortable for bare feet. As with other cool-season grasses, Kentucky bluegrass growth slows significantly during hot summer months.

What is the darkest perennial ryegrass?

Hawkeye Perennial Ryegrass

Hawkeye Perennial Ryegrass is one of the darkest green perennial ryegrass varieties available today. Hawkeye was developed specifically for its excellent Winter color in the South and increased resistance to Red Thread, Brown Patch, and Snow Mold in the North.

How long does it take for Midnight Kentucky bluegrass to germinate?

2 – 3 weeks

Midnight, like all bluegrass’s, requires 2 – 3 weeks for complete germination. Color may be observed before that time, however in good growing weather where soil temperatures are above 65º F (18º C), expect 8 to 10 weeks for a complete stand of grass.

Is annual bluegrass the same as Kentucky bluegrass?

It’s important to distinguish the two because Kentucky bluegrass is highly desirable in a lawn, but annual bluegrass is a weed. It is a weed because it is a winter annual or weak perennial and often dies during summer heat and drought leaving behind a lack-luster lawn.

Can you overseed with Kentucky bluegrass?

Make sure that you plant your Kentucky bluegrass seeds in early spring or late summer in order to give the seeds the best possible chance of germination and permanent establishment. Consider overseeding with a different grass species to help strengthen your lawn and make it more adaptable to a variety of conditions.

What temperature does Kentucky bluegrass go dormant?

Root growth of Kentucky bluegrass peaks at soil temperatures of 60°F and declines sharply as temperatures rise above 70°F. Root growth practically ceases at temperatures above 80°F.

Will Kentucky bluegrass overtake fescue?

Kentucky Bluegrass is unlikely to choke out Fescue. Fescues grow better in shade and will grow in hotter temperatures than Bluegrass.

Will Kentucky bluegrass choke out weeds?

It can’t choke out weeds if the weeds are growing, but as a KBG lawn gets thicker and thicker, it makes it much harder for weeds and weed seeds to get a foothold.

Why is it called Kentucky bluegrass?

The Kentucky part of Kentucky Bluegrass came about as a result of Europeans naming the northern part of modern-day Kentucky the Bluegrass Region, because of the huge meadows of blue-flowered grass that grew there.

Does blue fescue need full sun?

Blue fescue thrives in full sunlight; it tolerates shade but will not flower as well in it.

What animals eat bluegrass?

Wildlife: Elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep eat Kentucky bluegrass. It is an important winter forage grass for these animals in the west. Cottontail rabbit, wild turkey, and prairie chickens consume the leaves and seeds of Kentucky bluegrass.