Spot-Seeding Lawns
By: Sandy Feather
©2006
Penn State
Cooperative Extension
Q. Can I
overseed my young lawn, currently a mixture of Kentucky bluegrass
and perennial ryegrass, with tall fescue? I like the positive things
I have read about tall fescue, but are there drawbacks, too? What
are the pros and cons?
A.
The straight species of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) is
actually a pasture grass that has a much coarser texture and more
rapid growth rate than turfgrass species such as Kentucky bluegrass
(Poa pratensis) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne).
A common variety or cultivar of tall fescue is Kentucky 31. You do
not want to overseed your lawn with it.
The varieties
used for lawns are known as turf-type tall fescue. They are less
coarse and have a more refined growth habit than those mentioned
above. But they still tend to be coarser than Kentucky bluegrass or
perennial ryegrass, and it is not recommended that you
overseed an
existing lawn with them. Turf-type tall fescues do not blend well
with other types of lawn grasses. It would create a very patchy
appearance if you use it to overseed your lawn.
Grass seed is
often sold in mixtures of different types of grasses. A mixture of
Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and fine fescue is often sold
as "Penn State Mix." (Penn State University DOES NOT sell grass
seed). This creates a diverse lawn where one variety may be affected
by a particular insect or disease problem while the others are
unaffected.
Turf-type tall
fescues are generally sold alone or with no more than 5 percent to
10 percent Kentucky bluegrass to help the lawn knit together faster.
It is not recommended for use with perennial ryegrass.
Tall fescue has
been used in
low-maintenance situations because it tolerates poor
soil (although it requires well-drained soil), has good wear
tolerance and is drought tolerant once it is well established due to
its extensive root system. It is commonly used to reclaim
strip-mined areas. It is more shade tolerant than Kentucky bluegrass
or perennial ryegrass, although not as shade tolerant as fine
fescue. It does not require as high a level of
fertility as Kentucky
bluegrass or perennial ryegrass. The newer varieties of turf-type
tall fescue have good color and density, too.
On the downside,
it takes time to fill in because it is a bunch-type grass. A new
tall fescue lawn knits together as the clumps increase in diameter,
which can take a full growing season. It is also susceptible to
winter injury as you go north in Pennsylvania, particularly when we
have cold weather without snow cover. And even though the turf-type
varieties are more refined than the straight species, they still
look quite coarse when compared to Kentucky bluegrass and perennial
ryegrass. They are not for everyone.
Lawn care videos
Watering a
spot-seeded lawns
More of
Sandy's Lawn Care Tips
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