Fine Fescue vs Tall Fescue: How Are They Different & What Type is Best

[@TurfMechanic]

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[@jaredgmetz]

Thanks for the great demonstration. Very informative. Live in PA and i have some Fine Fescue, especially Creeping Red & Chewings but you need to make sure that the area you're seeding is getting less than 4 hours of sun. Last fall I planted Fine Fescues in a 500 sq ft section of my lawn that I thought was getting less than 4 hours of sun because of huge trees on my neighbors yard. It all came in beautifully but about 60% died within in a few weeks. I wanted to understand why so I waited for a nice clear day and went outside every 2 hours and took notes. What I found was that due to the angle of the sun in the afternoon, the sun was on the other side of the trees and this 60% was getting fully blasted all afternoon. Unfortunately, it was a little late in the season to re-seed so I had to wait until Spring to regrow with KBG and its already coming in nicely. Just wanted to share this story with anyone looking to plant Fine Fescues. Spend a day going outside every few hours and see how much sun shadier areas in your lawn are actually getting.

[@amorestperpe]

Thank you for what you do. I appreciate the small planted visuals and throughout information.

[@dr.avalanche4994]

Very informative video!! I’m getting into lawn care as a hobby and I noticed a lot of dirt patches and moss in the shadier areas on my lawn when I mowed it today. Time for a make over!

[@petersonfamily6223]

We had some work done in our yard, which looks to have Fine Fescue, and purchased Tall Fescue to reseed the area's truck tires significantly dug up our yard. Soil replacement and full reseeding were required. I didn't know that was a difference between Fescues! We planted Tell Fescue, and it seems to grow 3x faster than the grass we have! Right now I have to spray for weeds, remove them, thatch, and reseed, hopefully in Sept. Not sure what seed to use now>

[@gardenfreek5084]

Hey 👋🏻 I found the Chew light green grass seedlings were soft to the touch in my back yard 4 years ago and planted in a cool weather in spring/summer a few in my yard and its growing and filling up nicely. I love to sit in the grass with my dog. No more of that awful crabgrass in the future for me. Thanks so much for the information!

[@wakingupfrom]

inspiring video. I Was going to cut mine tomorrow, but now will give it that extra day because of this video.

[@vegetarianfoodie9091]

Thanks for this information I’ve got a recent blend of chewing FF and KBG and found this very informative.

[@graham8430]

Loved your video Turf Mechanic! Planted my lawn way back in, wait for this, in 1988 and used 'the best' mix consisting of 2 seed types... Chewings fescue and Browntop bent. It came up just like the guy in the shop said it would... lush, dark green and Bristle-like... just what I wanted here in the UK. Subscribed!!

[@TurfMechanic]

Very cool that you remember the mix from way back then! My Chewings is still going strong in pots out on my back porch. I'm planning a followup video in a week to 10 days when my fine fescues are a full 2-months old. Crazy, I still haven't had to trim any of the four varieties and they are about 7-8 weeks old now!

[@mushy_GLX]

Such an informative video as always! Do you have a video about bent grass? I would love to see that. Thank you

[@MoparSmith1]

I'm going to reseed my yard with the TTTF w/ rhizomes. That example you have looks pretty powerful for preventing new weed seeds from getting started. Just don't know if my push mower can cut that high lol.

[@familybarton]

Fantastic comparison and information.

[@vonzellable]

Thanks for the info. I have a franken lawn that one part looks awesome and it's fine fescue. exactly what I want. At least for the shaded part of my house.

[@SteveinJersey1234]

I'm coming to this excellent video well after you released it and I wanted to thank you. Super informative. And now I know why the grass in my front lawn looks and behaves so differently than everywhere else - it's fine fescue that was planted by the original owners decades ago when the front of our property used to have three massive oak trees that kept the lawn almost entirely in the shade. But those trees have been gone for nearly ten years now and that fine fescue is subject to almost full sun now. I was wondering why it appears to brown up so much more than the TTTF/KBG in our back yard, but I just assumed it was due to fungus infections. So I have been religious about applying fungicides (following your videos as well). But I now realize due to your video that fine fescue is really not the most appropriate type for our front lawn anymore, and I am very seriously considering replacing it with a TTTF/KBG mix like we have in our backyard. Given this, I would welcome your advice on how to go about a conversion. Should I simply bite the bullet and do a complete tear-up and reseeding of the front lawn? For the record, it's about 1,200 square feet (30'x40' area), so it's of moderate size. Or should I consider overseeding and converting the lawn over time? Frankly I am leaning towards the former because the fine fescue is very thick and I am concerned that new seeds would have a hard time reaching the soil!

[@TurfMechanic]

how about this for an option, head off to a local tool rental and rent a mechanical dethatcher/scarifier machine (or buy one of these ( www.amazon.com/VonHaus-Electric-Dethatcher-Scarifier-Collection/dp/B07N2VDNQ8/?tag=turfmechanicyt-20 ) and run it over the fine fescue on the lowest setting possible. You will greatly thin the yard out but not kill it or anything like that. Then overseed the entire space with your desired grass type now. It will germinate (probably) by Halloween and grow for about a month depending on weather protected from frosts by taller blades of fine fescue that usually hold up well in cold late Fall conditions. Then by Spring you'll have a good mix of fescue and you can slowly allow the fine to thin out over time. Alternatively, you can try to kill and reseed entirely right now but you may be left with a muddy lawn over winter if the weather doesn't cooperate. Last option is harder but may be something you are interested in taking on. Wake your fine fescue up from winter early just to apply glyphosate in March and reseed on the same day. I showed how I did this in a couple videos on the channel, most recently this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooKtpo2dnr90j9k

[@SteveinJersey1234]

Excellent suggested options. Thanks! I actually have access to a Sun Joe dethatcher/scarifier and that sounds like the most sensible way to proceed and basically see how it goes. I'll have to mow the grass much shorter than I have been doing though. I've been cutting it on the highest settings for a couple of years now. It's yielded a very deep, thick lawn that has effectively choked out almost all weeds. But the challenge is that it's now SO thick that it literally stalls out my fairly powerful Honda lawnmower if/when I try to cut it short! So I'll have to do the mowing in stages. But certainly worth trying since I'll have to do that regardless of the method selected. Thanks again!

[@bmfairweather]

What's the best seed type for sidewalk/curb lawn?

[@mrmrv42]

Thank you for reviewing the fine fescue grass. It is the Rodney Dangerfield of grasses, it gets no respect. I did a lawn renovation and used only hard and chewing fescue that I got from Outside Pride. I probably should have added the creeping fescue to hedge my bets. There is some perennial rye and blue grass coming back up because I didn't do a complete kill on the existing lawn. I'll try to give you an update next spring. so far so good.

[@mrmrv42]

I live in the Chicago area, zone 5. I have a lawn with a mix of sun and shade.

[@nspinicelli]

Hey man I have to commend you on your presentation. I didn't notice any "um"s or "Uh"s , it was all good and relevant info. Best of luck on your channel! Do you know if I can overseed Fine Fescue with Turf Type Tall Fescue (TTTF)? Will the TTTF take over? I don't like the Fine Fescue in my front yard but I don't want to spend money on ripping out my lawn and laying down sod. By the way, you have a nice intro animation too.

[@joepdarrow]

Super video. I know nothing about grass except I have a broad blade Bermuda. I'm tired of mowing twice a week and those little seed pompoms. What grass are you sitting on in this video and will it do well in Norfolk Virginia? Thanks for the help.

[@TurfMechanic]

Hey Joe, I'm sitting on a Perennial Rye / Kentucky Bluegrass blend in the video. Those grasses will do fine in your area through the winter but you may have some summer stress to deal with. I think your temps get higher than mine do in the middle of summer; that's why you have Bermuda probably. If you are looking for a low maintenance grass that's good for heat maybe give Centipede a look. It's not a dark green grass, more limey, but it grows slow and doesn't need to be fed heavy... would probably stay green for you all year round too if I'm not mistaken. If your summers are milder than I think they are then yeah, Rye/KBG should be doable too where you live.

[@joepdarrow]

@@TurfMechanic thank you!! Do you know Scott's Landscapers Mix? Thank you for the help. I have Bermuda but I'm sick of mowing three times a week

[@DiscoveryWonders]

What about zone 4-5 with dry super sunny summers? And. Any idea what grass is used in evergreen golf lawns in sunny northern zone 4-5? (Which won't require sprinklers)?) Thank you!

[@Linda-yx2mp]

Do you advise overseeding with microclover? Zone 9

[@davidscottblacksmith]

Great videos. Thank you.

[@dberry5543]

I asked too soon; found your video on watering and articles on website; thanks.

[@burnsm2012]

How much seed was used in each pot. Trying to get an idea for lawn

[@stangssoftwash]

If you allow the turf type tall fescue to grow longer in the summer does that mean the stalk is going to be longer too? and when it comes time to cut it shorter will the stalk be all that you have left?

[@neilfpv]

How old is the TTTF on the pot? It's so beautiful! I planted seeds Sept 27 and today, it's an inch tall now. It's 14 days old. It's kinda slow since it's chilly here in Huntley, IL. I'm not sure if these seedlings will die once it's covered with snow. I was browsing my pics on my phone yesterday and I found pics of my yard covered with snow in October 28. I'm worried.

[@TurfMechanic]

Its about 11 weeks in the pot. I have a silly video I posed in August that featured the tttf and my son when it was 15 days old, probably on par with what you have now. Chances are they'll be fine, 45 days from germination is probably safe, just hold the weather off for a couple of extra weeks if you can lol and consider applying a Potassium fertilizer now like a liquid aeration product, the potassium helps with winter stressor like freezing temps and snow pack recovery. I have another vid on the channel also from August on Potassium.

[@neilfpv]

@@TurfMechanic Got it. Thanks a lot for making me feel better. Yeah, I'm praying that weather stays above 50F for another few weeks. hahaha! We will see. It will be a little above 70s on Wednesday which is unusual for this time of year. It was above 70s last week which was awesome! I'll keep you posted.

[@TurfMechanic]

No problem, I've got my fingers crossed for you! Today and yesterday have our coldest yet, highs in the mid 50's but were back into high 60's this week so im happy to have some extra growth yet to come.

[@SpudRunGolf]

I’ve been on an endless loop of your videos, haha. I used TTF on my golf hole fairway. Other than Armyworms, it performed well at 2” last year. How low you reckon I can go with it? It’s Titan Turf Type Tall Fescue. Thanks

[@adriennem3168]

What brand/mix is in the TTTF pot?

[@juanguevara4287]

Very informative. Thank you.

[@dberry5543]

Perfect video for me; thank you. I have a very small shaded area (150 sq ft.?) with no traffic - except for occasional creatures like raccoons, opossums, neighbor's cat - and planted fine fescue twelve days ago. It is germinating nicely, however, being in the shade it is hard to tell if I should keep watering the sprouts or if they will drown; sprouts near the house are taller and thicker than the ones farther out. Can you give me a few words of your wisdom on how long to water the new sprouts? Thank you.

[@rotidefan2150]

keep the area damp. water early in the morning with a decent amount but not saturated. you want the grass to grow about 3 1/2" before you pull back on watering. remember, you just want to make sure that the soil is always damp. when seeding, the first watering should be a saturating type of watering. good luck!

[@mattemond777]

Where do you purchase your creeping red fescue seeds?

[@TurfMechanic]

The creeping red was bought locally at my Grange Co-Op, made by Rogue - I'm out now so I need to see if they have any more on the shelf for spring if not then I'm not sure where I'll get it at the moment.

[@1ronhall]

Thanks and very informative ......

[@TurfMechanic]

You are very welcome Ron, I hope my detailed comparison of the fine fescues im planning for later in the fall will be just as helpful. A lot of people know very little about the fines so I want to offer as much as I can.

[@joeb134]

I live in the midsouth and I have fine fescue growing under trees. I wish I knew someone to tell me what kind they are exactly because some do pretty well but won't spread

[@TurfMechanic]

If they don't spread then it's probably not creeping red, probably hard, sheep, or chewings. Hard is probably the most common fine fescue used so that would be my guess but it is hard to identify between hard, chewings and sheep so even in person most people, myself included would struggle to identify.

[@joeb134]

@@TurfMechanic thanks

[@lilynmike26]

I overseeded with tall fescue and they are about 3" now some spots 2" The temp dropped to 55 and is probably not gonna go up much now. Do u think my tttf is established enough to come back in spring? Good content I subbed bro!

[@TurfMechanic]

Ohh yeah, I definitely think it is at this point. You would need a very early very hard freeze to stop it however, as I said in another comment consider applying some potassium rich fertilizer before long to help the baby grass overcome the stressors of winter and cold weather. Im not in a place to lookup links but probably if you searched for my "potassium in the lawn" video you'd find it easy. I look at it like a bit of insurance for better grass as winter turns to spring.

[@TriniDB]

I have 2 kids and a dog with a similar situation as yours with the sun/shade at certain points of the day. If I plan on having a lot of foot traffic, would just plan Tall Fescue work?

[@TurfMechanic]

Probably will be fine so long as you aren't too far south. Turf Type Tall Fescue is good for cold and transition but the hotter you get the harder it is on it. You may also want to plan on overseeding every sept or October depending on where you live just to make sure it stays thick with the dog traffic on it.

[@TriniDB]

@@TurfMechanic Great! I’m in Central VA, Thanks for the response!

[@mattjones1378]

When I mow fescue grass, the lawn mower wheels flatten the blades on the ground then they die because they don't spring back up off the ground.

[@outofAlog]

What’s that grass called that looks like a carpet. Hardly needs mowing and creeps and takes over other lawns?

[@TurfMechanic]

You could be talking about a few different types but I'm going to guess you are talking about Bermuda? It's usually cut very low and spreads out a ton especially if it's fed well. Honestly though, all warm season turf grasses will spread out wide, many of them somewhat quickly, while the KBGs and Creeping fescues typically spread wide at a slower pace.

[@DaMidnitezorro]

Your the goat

[@TurfMechanic]

ohh dude, you make me blush! :)

[@tjwillis47]

The house I bought came with what seems to be a hard, fine fescue in the yard. I have downloaded several apps to identify the lawn but cannot find anything consistent. It's definitely fine fescue ish, but very clumping

[@jaydenlee6907]

Just contact a proffesional

[@wise9022]

👍🏼

[@thedankdahl2183]

For the algorithm

[@TurfMechanic]

🤜