Fescue Maintenance

Mow your fescue at a height of 2.5–3 inches in height during the fall.

Fescue requires about 1–1.25 inches of water every week including rainfall and supplemental irrigation. Don’t overwater. Watering in the early morning decreases risk of certain turfgrass disease.

For optimal results, feed your lawn during the fall season by applying the Lawnifi Fall Fertilizer Box.

Apply pre-emergent herbicides to control winter annual and perennial weeds like chickweed, henbit, Poa annua, crabgrass or goosegrass. Apply post-emergent herbicides only when weeds are present.

Check for and control any white grubs. Treat with an insecticide if needed. If you use a granular variety, water the lawn immediately after application to help soil absorption.

Apply fungicide if needed. If you have had a fungus or disease in your fescue in the past or have quite a bit of shade in the yard, apply a systemic fungicide to prevent future outbreaks. Consider mapping those areas because fungicide treatment can be expensive. If you use a granular variety, water the lawn immediately after application to help soil absorption.

When mowing during the summer, never remove more than 1/3 of the leaf blade at a time. If you remove more than that, you will stress the grass and it may go brown for a short time. Taller blades provide more shade for your root system to stay cool and retain moisture during the hot summer days. If you are returning from vacation, you may have to mow multiple times to get the grass back to the desired height. Wait about three to five days between each mowing.

Do not over water the grass. Fescue only needs about one inch of water weekly. Water for longer periods of time, less frequently and in the early morning hours. Take rainfall into consideration.

For optimal results, feed your lawn monthly during the summer season by applying the Lawnifi Summer Box liquid fertilizer program.

DO NOT use herbicides at this time.

Check for and control white grubs in July and August. Treat with an insecticide if needed. If you use a granular variety, water the lawn immediately after application to help soil absorption. August is the best time to control grubs because they are small and feeding near the soil surface.

Fescue is highly susceptible to brown (large) patch disease, which appears as irregularly shaped patches of dead or dying turf. Do not apply nitrogen fertilizer when the disease is active, keep the mowing height above three inches and water between 2:00–8:00AM. Apply fungicide during severe brown patch outbreaks. If you use a granular variety, water the lawn immediately after application to help soil absorption.