Tall
Fescue will thrive on a regular a fertilizing schedule.
Many schedules call for three to four applications a year, an
early Fall, late Fall, and mid Spring application are
typically the best. Some schedules call for a summer
application. My preference is to avoid summer applications for
the cool weather grasses as there is a greater chance of
fertilizer burn. Tall Fescue requires 3-5 Pounds of
Nitrogen per year in your applications. Another area to be
careful of is to make sure that the Spring application is not
too heavy as excess nitrogen will promote excessive shoot
growth and potentially rob the lawn of more
important root growth. To accomplish this you may
want to apply fertilizer at the rate 1.5# per 1000Sq ft in
September, 1.5# per 1000 Sq ft again in October and .5 to 1 #
per 1000 Sq Ft in mid spring. The use of a slow release
fertilizer is preferable. Most any of the commercially
available fertilizers will work well on your Tall Fescue Lawn.
It is important to make sure it is a "balanced" fertilizer for
lawns such as a 27-4-6 or 20-5-15 as examples and that you
take into account the amount of nitrogen required by
your grass type. Read more on calculating precise
application rates based on your lawns requirements here.
There
are varieties of fertilizer that include pre-emergent’s or
week killer. My inclination is not to use these unless I know
there is a specific problem for my lawn and even then, I
prefer to spot treat the problem if at all possible.
Pre-emergent’s do work well but it is not advisable to use
them if you plan on seeding a new lawn or over seeding any
sections.
Lime is
recommended for Fescue lawns, both when starting a new lawn
and as part of a maintenance schedule. The best time to lawn
is when you have aerated as it gives the lime (as well as
fertilizer) a chance to work it’s way into the soil. The
recommended rate of lime is 25# per 1000 Square feet if twice
a year, once in the spring and again in the
fall.
An
interesting note on Tall fescue is that it responds well to a
feeding schedule. Following a schedule should reward you with
a lush green lawn.
