Does your fescue look bad right now? You are not alone. In warmer climates, like the southeastern United States, cool season grasses like fescue, often look brown and dry this time of year.
Why?
The late summer is a tough time of year for all lawns. Depending on the amount of heat and water received, your lawn could be looking particularly stressed right now.
Although fescue is fairly heat and drought tolerant for a cool season grass, hot temperatures and low water can cause the turfgrass to begin to go into a brief dormancy. Your grass is likely not “dead” and you should continue with regular watering throughout the summer, to maintain root health.
Don’t worry! As temperatures begin to cool down, when the fall temperatures begin to arrive throughout the southeast, your lawn will begin to recover. Fescue grass should start to come out of dormancy and green up again. Fall is also the time when cool season grasses like fescue, should receive aeration and overseeding.
An aeration treatment will allow more oxygen to flow through to the roots of your turfgrass and will break up the soil so that more water can reach the root system as well. Aeration, combined with seeding, will encourage new growth for grasses like fescue and your lawn will be back to looking lush and green in no time! If your lawn has thin spots, seeding in the Fall will also help fill in areas that did not survive the summer temperatures well or had disease.
Seeding should be complete by the time winter sets in and freezing temperatures begin to arrive. During the late fall and winter months, you should properly maintain your fescue by continuing to mow as needed and ensuring that leaves and debris are cleared from your lawn.
If you are concerned that your fescue lawn is not coming out of dormancy or is showing signs of disease, it is best to contact a turf specialist, who is familiar with the ongoing maintenance of fescue lawns.
Canopy can be reached via phone, email, or text message at your convenience if you need help maintaining your fescue lawn. Contact us today!
