Is Tall Fescue The Best Cool Season Grass Type?

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

Need help with your lawn? Check out my FREE Guide - ryanknorrlawncare.com/simplelawnguide/ For those asking about grass seed, here’s what I recommend - ryanknorrlawncare.com/product-category/grass-seed/

[@jnorth9702]

Would you provide a link to the tool you suggest for moving Kentucky bluegrass plugs from one spot on my yard to bare spots? I can’t find that video you created. Thank you for all you do helping others.

[@whiteout628]

I'm with you, I think fescue looks like poux poux mixed into kbg/rye. It looks good by itself, but not mixed with less narrow bladed varieties.

[@dylan8285]

I got mix of fine fescue and KBG looks great blends well. except in long dry periods kbg shows its grayish blue color because fescue does not need as much water

[@sinnaever]

I have fescue in the front and it take a lot of love to keep it full and lush. Heat and drought in Tennessee can really take its toll on the grass. Doesn’t take as much water as KBG, but still needs a morning sprinkle and some milorganite to be deep green year round. My backyard is another story. Haven’t reclaimed that space yet from the previous home owner.

[@christopherlafreniere7141]

Jump to the future where his backyard becomes fescue by accident =)

[@Mericanfekyeah]

That was great. Lol

[@joehuff1110]

He also states he just doesn't like it because it throws the look off on what he has going on in his lawn. If you want the perfect lawn. Ya don't do stick out slightly spots. I wouldn't want Bluegrass in my fescue or visa versa. Do I need to explain more so you understand? Usually words such as yours come from those who don't understand what they're watching. Or talking about.

[@nathant2414]

Sub freezing in Missouri for weeks on end this past winter...my Titan Rx stayed dark green and thick

[@rjmiller2553]

The new turf type tall fescue grasses are hands down better than the tall fescue of just a few years ago...like night and day. Falcon IV (or any of the 5 Falcon versions) are excellent. Best thing I ever did to my lawn. I scalped and thatch raked manually then top dressed with a compost and top soil mix and then over seeded. Some spots I sprayed Tenacity but it wasn't needed. Turf Type Tall Fescue has become the most recommended lawn type by cool season lawn and turf grass management and research,for the first time in 50 years of KBG is no longer the recommend grass for American cool season lawns, though the majority of cool season lawns are KBG.

[@jimmyjohn8008]

Thanks a lot for info trying to plant different types of lawns on my property and didn't understand the difference between tall fescue and Kentucky blue grass....

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

Glad to help!

[@sgtshultz13]

I have a cold season mix kbg rye red fescue and we got loads of rain this year. I could not keep it cut short enough and lost some grass because it was too wet. The roots are too shallow and my zero turn just rips up spots. I am over seeding the front with Black Beauty Ultra to mix in some fescue for the deep roots. Getting my irrigation together and need to kill the invasive grasses with Tenacity. I have patches of nimblewill that I can’t wait to terminate. Problem is it won’t stop raining long enough to get out and spray. I just hit the front with AIR8 and RGS to help open up the soil.

[@SeerreuS]

I've got a bunch of Bluegrass that doesn't grow nearly as quick or as tall as the fescue I can't stand the patchiness in my yard switching over to complete fescue. Not only that I found you need to keep the Bluegrass much shorter as it is so thick that if it gets tall it will lay down on top of itself and actually smother the lawn. Bluegrass would be beautiful if the entire yard were bluegrass.

[@groussac]

The test spot @ 2:11. If you started watering now, do you think the lawn would come back? Looks pretty similar to my yard right now. Iowa. BTW, how can you tell what kind of grass you have? The clumps of fescue are easy, but doesn't fescue also come in fine varieties with thin blades?

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

I believe it would but I guess we'll find out soon whenever the rain actually decides to come back. I would need to water it heavily now for it to come back and keep up with it because it's especially hard on grass to go in and out of dormancy. Fescue comes in what's called Fine Fescue and that's thin blades but it mainly only grows in shade and will be very whispy looking. Bluegrass and Ryegrass are slightly wider than the fine fescue.

[@groussac]

Thanks Ryan. One thing I've learned this summer is to not plan either cutting or watering on weather forecasts. My lawn looks pretty much like yours at 2:11. Anyway, my goal is to keep the grass alive, not necessarily bring it back. Although I will need some softness in the soil if I aerate this fall.

[@Chrisbennett-k5h]

I really like how dark green my tall fescue gets..I also have a large yard without irrigation, which makes fescue a better option.

[@lawnrebel]

Now that... Is a snazzy looking shirt. Like you said, fescue is a great grass type for drought resistance. Great video Ryan.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

I've got a whole new lawn wardrobe this year. :)

[@cyrick5494]

Hi Ryan, I live in the STL area and had KBG for many years and it looks amazing in the spring/fall time-frame. However it was a real struggle keeping it that way through the warmer months. Also, the trees grew larger so more shade was introduced, bought a couple dogs, kids trampoline, you name it. The KBG just didn't fare well. I killed it a few years ago seeding with TTTF and blended with other seed, 65%, 25% KBG and rest Creeping Red/Hard Fescue. This mix has really worked great for me. Not that great blueish green during part of the year, but not weak in the summer either. It's worked well for me so far. The TTF has some lateral spread but not like KBG. I'm happy overall making the change and is easier to stay on top of. Oh and I do have a sprinkler systems. Just thought I'd comment. Love watching the channel.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Manny-gf9gm]

Turf type tall fescue is amazing....

[@MidniteSon]

It's a good choice, but I view it more as a transitional grass, not a cool season

[@wilburyuen]

Kentucky 31 is so bad, it looks lime green and ugly.

[@pault477]

I see a tendency of people gravitating towards just letting their lawns go to whatever grows. So essentially a front lawn full of weeds - low growing weeds that they seldom have to cut,. Ugly but low maintenance. I like obsessing over my grass. : )

[@lewis1180]

I know! It's frustrating to see that people don't care about their lawns. Why not just put some concrete over the weeds instead? Why have grass if it's not going to be beautiful.

[@73bluedart]

Fescue, perennial Rye and KBG is the Pennsylvania blend. that's all over the state and can look nice.

[@Sleepyplumbr]

Just got my tall fescue planted 2 weeks ago and its growing like crazy! The color is a beautiful forest/jungle green. It is super thin bladed right now and is mixed 90% tall fescue, 10% KBG. I got my seed from seed superstore and have been very happy!

[@MrJuancarlos3030]

Josh Burleson how look your fescue now??

[@StevenLeeper]

It has been 4 or 5 years since this post. How has it gone with your 90% TF/ 10% KBG? Was it a good choice for your yard? Any negatives? What were the positives? I am about to put 90/10 down on my .67 acre yard with a lot of trees. Very curious how it went for you and if you recommend it. Thanks.

[@Sleepyplumbr]

​@@StevenLeeperThe first two years were very good. Regular watering schedule and reseeding helped. The only issue is... I have dogs that take over the backyard. It's been challenging to keep the yard looking great with them ripping it up every season. On the other hand, the front yard is still pretty strong and I haven't done much to it the past two seasons. Every once and a while (usually spring) moles will ravage through the front yard but not beyond repair typically. Years 2-3 I used a 80 fescue/20 KBG blend that seemed to take well too. I haven't reseeded at all this year and am now regretting the destruction of the backyard 😂 Overall I'm very happy with the results I got. If you have areas that get less than 4 hours of direct sunlight, I would definitely look into a shade grass blend as well. Hope this helps! 🤙

[@Drewg351]

I was torn between with which to use for my lawn renovation, KBG or TTTF. Being in Minnesota, KBG does much better than TTTF in very cold climates. I also have heavy clay soil so if I water just a little bit, my KBG stays green and doesn't go dormant in the summer. I personally like the way KBG aggressively spreads vs the bunch style TTTF which generally does not. Lastly, from reading on many websites and forums, most don't recommend to mix KBG with TTTF. Most state that the bunch style of the tall fescue stands out significantly in the KBG and therefore doesn't blend well like other grass types. Depending upon your situation, I'd have no problem growing a lawn of either KBG or TTTF, but I definitely would avoid mixing them together. But, for me, I don't like blending different grass types together. I don't like my lawn blades looking different amongst each other or having different shades of green. I realize blending can be very beneficial for all the obvious reasons, but I personally, hate the look. It's my main reason for doing my lawn renovation. I wanted a 100% KBG lawn. I choose Seed Superstore's SS1100 KBG Blend (Award, Bewitched, and Midnight).

[@alexsmith3463]

I live just north of the cities and TTTF does way better for me than KBG. I do not have an irrigation system and am in the Anoka sand plain, so much more sandy soil that dries out faster. The biggest factor of TTTF is the root system! Very deep roots and when I mow at 4 inchs during during the summer my lawn will stay green even with maybe a 1 inch of water a week and if there is going to be a dry spell I just won't mow, it might get a little shaggy, but it stays green and healthy. Even when I would try and water extra when I started with KBG it would always start to "gray" before browning really quickly in the summer heat. I aerate and over seed every fall anyways, so TTTF wins in this section too because it germinates so quickly. TTTF requires way less maintenance and way less $$$ (money, fertilizer and KBG seed is super pricey). The Root system to me is the game changer, if they can ever engineer a KBG that has a deeper root system than that would be amazing, but right now TTTF works way better in my sandy soil.

[@GregAspenson]

@@alexsmith3463 good info. I plan on overseeding my lawn with 90/10 TTTF to KBG. Some people say it will not look good as TTTF clumps, but a lot of the new and improved varieties tiller out more than old TTTF that clumps and looks bad in an existing grass that is thinner bladed.

[@alexsmith3463]

@@GregAspenson I agree, I keep searching and find higher quality TTTF seed. I have a huge spruce in my backyard and even though it drops needles and shades my lawn, I don't want to get ride of it. The fescue is the only seed that grows and fills fall around it. Again, the Tall Fescue root system is the game changer, it performs better in dry heat, recovers fast and can handle shade way better than KBG.

[@jfrux]

How do you know if it's TTTF? I bought the SS1000 stuff from Superstore... is that considered TTTF?

[@srwven]

Are you sure those clumps aren't the non-turf type clumping tall fescue? There is a difference.

[@daflea66]

The only thing I dislike on TTTF is the need to seed it regularly because of its minimal spreading. Its rugged, beautiful, and otherwise pretty great!

[@thomassullivan1207]

They have some Rhizomatous Tall Fescue now that spreads well. Check out Barenbrug Turf Saver RTF.

[@daflea66]

@@thomassullivan1207 interesting I like it, but its still easier for us to use KBG/Rye/Creeping fescue mix up here

[@DK-pr9ny]

I’ve had KBG for years, and every summer it would brown out because my front yard gets 8+ hours of sun, and I didn’t want a $500 water bill. After watching Pete from GCI Turf’s videos, I killed off my KBG front lawn and laid down a blend of 85% TTTF with 15% KBG sod. My lawn looks the best it has ever looked in the summer. I cut it at 4.25 inches. TTTF roots way deeper than KBG which makes it so drought tolerant. I still have KBG in my back yard as it gets more shade, and I cut it at 2” so I get my low cut fix lol. If you get over 8 hours of sun, go with TTTF!

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

That sounds like a great way to adapt. My backyard is 14-16 hours of sun at peak summer! It's insane how hot it is back there.

[@Xena69Warrior]

What the heck is TTTFI

[@Xena69Warrior]

Tall fescue???

[@DK-pr9ny]

Turf Type Tall Fescue. It’s not the old school crabgrass looking Fescue. It has a thinner blade and a nice dark green color. Much easier to maintain than KBG.

[@jonathanmessore1907]

turf type tall fescue

[@landdon24]

I use to have KBG. I always liked the thinner blades, but it seems to go to dormancy quicker, and is slower to wake then TTTF. So, I have all TTTF now, and it's pretty hardy. I like it too because I do like to keep it tall for water conservation. I guess if I had an irrigation system I'd probably have a KBG lawn. As always Ryan, your videos are very very informative. Thanks for sharing.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

Thanks for sharing!

[@davejustice7464]

I don't like to tall fescue because it looks like crabgrass I love Kentucky bluegrass I got the same thing I try to pull out that tall fescue

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

A full yard of fescue looks much better but if it's really spotty then I'm not a fan either.

[@kleco1000]

Tall fescue looks horrible with majority bluegrass yard it stands out too much, it does looks super green when the bluegrass is going into dormancy. I usually pull out the clump knot and my bluegrass fills in the over time.

[@Stegs]

I have tttf and kbg mix. It's nice. Turf type is awesome...what you have is not a very nice cultivar of tttf. These new cultivars of tttf look almost like kbg. Do a mix of tttf and kbg....hogan seed recommends about 80% tttf and 20% kbg Keep in mind, per pound tttf has around 300k seeds. Per pound kbg has near 1 million So a 80/20 mix will end up being closer to 60/40 once it matures. The 2 work great together....its prg that's a pain.....looks good until any heat hits it....then it becomes all stalks and looks ugly South west Michigan guy here!

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

I appreciate the insight!

[@kellyjensen9425]

Stegs Do you know what cultivars are the better kbg seed? This is exactly my concern, that I'll over seed with some not ideal fescue. I've looked at the seed bags in Home Depot. Ever one of them has blends of different cultivars.

[@Stegs]

@@kellyjensen9425 so sorry for the real late reply. Just watching old seeding/grass variety videos and i seen this from a year ago. What you should look for is the newer dwarf type tall fescue. I order my seed from united seed. Its called super turf II. Its got 4 or 5 top performing tall fescues that are dwarf and lateral spreading. Mixed in with super turf 2 is 10% bluegrass to fill in around the fescue. 4th millennium, firecracker, titanium, avenger II, raptor III is what i have in my mixes. These are all top performing cultivars!!

[@user-22-]

To me, it looks like patches of Crabgrass. I have no idea what most of my lawn is. Mostly nice though. Thanks for the vid's!

[@G5Hohn]

I have a mix of quack grass, dallisgrass, crabgrass, and barnyard grass. Grows very well, seems to grow where other cultivars can't. Yes, I'm kidding. And frustrated. Tenacity seems to have taken out most of my "yard" so hopefully this fall overseed will help.

[@lewis1180]

Hi Ryan! I live in California. Do we even have seasons here? What type of grass do you recommend for a short cut? Long cut grass?

[@unknownunknown797]

Im with you brother, im renovating my lawn right now. Im gonna try out tall fescue grass seed.

[@bitTorrenter]

Kentucky Bluegrass, known to everyone outside the US as Meadow Grass. Definitely not native to Kentucky, or even the US.

[@freethinker3161]

After this drought this year I am going with tttf. I am moving and think it will stand up better to this heat in July.

[@borkfork3163]

I'm working towards a 75% tall fescue and 25% KBG. I want the KBG to help with filling in open spaces you commonly get with the fescue.

[@pacoramon9468]

Venosaur is the best grass type.

[@lewis1180]

I actually looked up Venosaur grass. Fooled me.

[@wise9022]

You should get a sod cutter and sell your lawn.

[@daelhoser310]

Hi Ryan. I really enjoy watching your videos. I’ve learned a lot but the more I learn the less I seem to know. This scares me a bit. I’m getting ready to start my renovation. However I’m a bit confused. I’m trying to find the best type of grass to use for Southern California. So far I think the top two options are Tall Fescue and St Augustine. Personally I prefer the tall fescue because I can plant the seeds and is more dog friendly. However I’ve read that it goes dormant during the summer,while other sites say it works well in Cali during the summer (btw, max temp here is about 108 but usually 90s). Can you help me choose the right type of grass please

[@HalcyonDaze33]

Thank you! I’ve been on the fence about grass types. After watching several videos this was by far the most informative and practical video I’ve seen. I appreciate the help.

[@9175rock]

My Fescu holds up well. One of the best looking grasses on the Block with different varieties. Just dont like the clumps and does need to be reseeded. But it works well for beginners and unskilled.

[@americantroy77]

My yard is fescue and I love the low look you guys are doing now but it’s no way I could do the full kill and reseed. I’m just going to go heavy on a kbg overseed this year and hopefully it will spread.

[@JealousLawnCare]

Definitely agree with you, fescue is a nice grass to have if it's standalone but definitely a pain when mixed in bluegrass!

[@seanocomp-3281]

so i shouldn’t get a blend of both tttf and bluegrass?

[@seanocomp-3281]

if your referring to the patches of fescue then i understand but i was thinking about overseeing with a blue grass/fescue blend

[@antonleimbach648]

I moved to Tennessee last year from Florida. Fescue is new to me but I like it much more than St. Augustine. Our house is a new build so there was no lawn, just weeds. Our lawn has clay soil and very rich. Lots of rain where we live, around 50 inches a year. We aerated and seeded, using Kentucky 31 Fescue in October. Kind of late but it came in great. Our lawn was green the whole winter. I over seeded this spring twice. I just want to get it thick and then get the weeds out. It looks real nice, I’ll post a video in a day or so. I use a wheelchair and this grass handles me rolling over it pretty well.

[@grit6956]

Where did you but the seed from?

[@jeremyknauer3386]

how well does tall turf type fescue do in shady areas?

[@quinnhunsinger1603]

I have 2,000 square feet of a KBG and TTTF mix surrounding a bentgrass putting green in my backyard. The KBG does well cut short in the spring and fall, while the TTTF helps the stand survive July and August in Maryland. Given I have the products, equipment, etc., for the putting green, I don't mind the maintenance of the KBG. If I just wanted a nice lawn, cut at 2-3 inches, I would use a quality TTTF seed, no doubt. The KBG is much higher maintenance than the fescue.

[@tomcosta47]

Hi Ryan I live in St.louis Mo. The tall Fescue works best in my area, I did use 5 star and sometimes they sneak K31 in it that's why I only use one type fescue jaguar' cost 110 for 50 BL.

[@OHitsDevN]

Spring '20 I overseeded my lawn with Scotts Thick'r Lawn Sun & Shade mix (Bluegrass and Ryegrass) and loved the deep greenish blue color. At the time I didn't know much about the differences of all the grass types so I aerated in the fall and overseeded with Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue. This Spring '21 I've noticed dark green areas where I used the Sun & Shade mix heavy and light green areas where the fescue took off as the majority. You can definitely tell the difference when they're next to each other. Going forward I will be using TTTF since I can get the deeper green color with the drought tolerance.

[@seanjmichel]

Just overseeded w a fescue mix. My perennial rye was getting burnt up

[@johnmininger7472]

I greatly appreciate these videos. Live just north of Indianapolis above the transition zone but probably not as extreme as Iowa. My lawn is primarily blue grass and that makes sense for the back of the house which faces west, getting the afternoon sun with no shade. I have a struggle with my front lawn, which primarily receives full sun most of the day but there are sections close to the house and under two relatively mature oak trees near the street that get as little as a few hours of sun a day, especially in the spring and fall. The blue grass is struggling in those spots and it is getting worse, thinning and just looking sickly while the rest of the lawn is thick and beautiful. This was less of an issue when the trees were young. Love the blue grass, especially the self-healing but have to weigh my options here. As much as I would love a close cut front lawn, I think my best option for the deep shade is fescue ... and that would either mean having a mix of the existing KBG and fescue or completely starting over with fescue.

[@richardyin8698]

holy crap....i didnt know that that clumping grass i had in my yard was k31, so removed most of it and reseeded with k31.........i HATE the clumping stuff...

[@derrickp]

Why would you remove it and replace it with the same stuff?

[@krzyszko]

95% tall fescue 5% ryegrass... summer cut 3inch and looks amazing dark green colour whithout fertilizer in summer, 0% fungus, temps 85-105F watered 1 time per 5 days 1,5 inch. Read about falcon IV fine texture 1,5-3 inch cut height dark colour great fungus resistence :) Sorry for my bad english i live in Albany NY

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

Thats pretty impressive!

[@DericKnight]

im in SoCal. Fescue is everywhere. my yard used to be all fescue however there was bermuda before they laid sod. now i have a blend of the two, and honestly i like the bermuda more. fescue clumps and grows these weird mound that turn into ankle breakers.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

Fescue is a really eye sore in my yard since it's not mixed well but more in clumps.

[@farquadshmoogle9120]

I think it depends on where you are located, any shade, etc. Bc my perennial rye infont is good, but also gets shade. But evenso, if i water it twice a week in summer, it will be fine. My back is TTTF, water it once a week in summer, does ok, & it gets full sun.

[@Brian-vd4mg]

Living in KC you have to have a mix of grasses to have a green yard in the middle of summer. Our soil is crap and we are the transition zone for warm and cool season grass. I’d love to have a all blue grass lawn, but it is just not practical. Mixed fescue probably looks best at 2.5-3 inches which unless you are Ryan is normal height for home owners. Any lower than 2.5 is difficult. You do have to over seed every fall or every other fall to maintain thickness and maintain a blue grass look. Most non landscape nerds would not be able to tell the difference between modern fescue varieties and blue grass. Lastly I have never had fungus or brown patch, but I’m very careful with my watering times only between 4AM-6AM.

[@Mr__Geno]

My grass was looking pretty good and I figured if we were going to get a "rainy" season here my grass would do ok. Well, I cut down the water by like 5 minutes with the same 3 waterings per week and I was not able to keep it green. Granted, i only put down Weed and feed, did not aerate or put down Ironite, but after watching your videos I realized that I probably have Bluegrass and some spots of Tall Fescue. We had two female Cottonwood trees that we cut last year and it's been harder to maintain our grass to stay green since we lost 90% of our shade, so I may consider going to tall fescue. Love your videos, and though I still feel pretty noobish watching your content gives me motivation to keep the good fight and get my lawn looking good eventually lol

[@cami701]

That’s what’s happening with me as I seeded with Kentucky blue grass for the passed 3 years and the company that was doing our lawn seeded with the tall fescue and now our front lawn looks horrible because it just looks like there’s a bunch of crab grass all over it so how do I get rid of all this tall fescue? Help please

[@stangssoftwash]

My main issue is which type of Tall fescue to get....There seem to be a thousand brands saying a thousand different things for Tall fescue. I just want a lawn that doesn't have weeds,

[@danielrussell9416]

In Kansas City I always use a heat/drought tolerant mix of tall fescue, fine fescue, perennial rye and bluegrass. I let natural selection choose which ones will thrive. K-31 looks horrible, you can always just dig it out when you see a bunch appear. Modern tall fescues look great and will dominate in our hot, dry transition zone.

[@edwardpate6128]

I have a great looking KY-31 lawn. Just good care and annual overseeding keeps it looking great.

[@farquadshmoogle9120]

In nnj. By backyard is a mess. Has big patches of tall fescue, doesnt match rest of yard. I sprayed it with Round up to kill it. Gonna be seeding backyard with perennial rye in a few weeks. I'm seeding backyard with Natures seed perennial rye & overseeding front yard with Scots perennial rye. Hope it all grows & fills in good. changing it. its Kentucky 31 that i hated, and sprayed with the roundup. Im gonna try to put Scotts Rapid Grass Tall Fescue Mix for backyard. im gonne use the Natures Seed Perennial Rye for overseed in Spring and Fall for front yard.

[@fistofodin1]

I love my tall fescue. Tall fescue with just a little bit of kbg > all others. I seeded with a 90% tall 10% KBG looks great together, looks good all summer long and it does that good ole self healing the kbj is known for.

[@soilcreepsandgardengeeks71]

I have the big three in my Chicago area lawn. I have hand pulled a good amount of K-31 type old time coarse fescue out of my lawn, but the majority is a decent and beautiful TF. I’ve overseeded my 100 yr. old lawn several times with more modern, cutting edge, and disease/heat tolerant cultivars. I use Johnathan Green Black Beauty which was on the forefront of TTTF since way back. From a visual standpoint there is not a lusher thicker looking lawn than a rescue lawn, and to your point it has little water and fertilizer needs and takes wear and tear way better than the others. It is NOT a barefoot grass...like a fine KBG or Bent but I’m never barefoot so I don’t care...my kids do and they don’t complain. After the dormant/recover phase by November it starts looking outstanding again and stays green Into and DURING the winter. spring green up is almost instant. It looks cool as it really starts emerging in spring as the bunches grow out. It stays blended very well with the rest of the grasses most of the year, it starts outgrowing the rest at the onset of the heavy growing season so you might find yourself mowing certain sections of your lawn only, but after that it looks great all season. When the dog days settle in tho......you might have to turn your back and go inside and oil and sharpen your garden tools for a month or so..LOL rock on dude.

[@shawnamison2485]

A lot of people have been recommending Jonathan green black beauty lately after I mentioned I wanted to do a heavy overseed this year. I'm about 2 hours north of Chicago but probably similar zone as you. I was thinking I would do straight kbg, but now I'm second guessing. My current lawn is just an ugly mess of a mix of weeds and other grasses I cant even identify. It looks like a blend of probably 10 different kinds of grass all growing at different rates. It sounds like the black beauty blends pretty well? Is the growing height and blade thickness really all that noticeable between the different grass types?

[@grizzsoup]

Great information, thanks for sharing. I’ve considered mixing different cultivars myself and other days think about just going with Black Beauty as I hear good feedback about it.

[@hd1845]

I'm from socal where weather is crazy. 90 one day then 65 the next. Here my yard is green during winter because that's when it rains. I just added fescue KY31 to kill off my st Augustine that dies during the summer. I get no shade and can't afford the $350 water bill.

[@davidhintz1806]

For the people who don't know, fescue stays green longer that KBG, but once fescue does go brown, you are going to be buying some seed.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

That's another good point. Thanks!

[@emilionunez4566]

When is a good time to plant tall fescue and when does it go dormant?

[@dbrown992]

I can only hope this happens so that I can walk around with my 3.5x scoped suppressor Barrel attachment with shoulder stock loaded with glyphosate . No fescue would survive lol

[@pitbull1026]

I HATE TALL FESCUE!! I'm also in Iowa. I finally got rid of crabgrass, clover, quack grass, and dandelion. I used tenacity and over sprayed my neighbors to help prevent returning. Now I'm dealing with tall fescue. I've been pulling it out slowly. Crabgrass still trys to make a return but I'm able to pull them as well.

[@pitbull1026]

@@armyvet8090 I feel like some type of obsessive-compulsive behavior every time I get out of my car, instead of going into my house I see tall fescue sticking out and I start pulling. I work hard all summer trying to get a nice yard, spent lots of money, and then about the end of June, I started to notice tall fescue. Didn't notice it before. I don't know if I accidentally brought it in when I overseeded it or what. But now I have little bald spots all over my yard. I think if I just pull out this one it will be ok, oh get that one and the next thing ya know, I went overboard. Everywhere in my yard is about a 5 - 6 inch bald spot. Crazy.

[@PascualAndres]

Well said and understood. I’ve planted my about two weeks ago. Some came up but I’m hoping all will. Thanks

[@kidcruz]

Hey Ryan can you over seed with TTTF over KGB I accidentally bought TTTF from GCI and did not know I had KBG till after I bought it.

[@rjmiller2553]

yes

[@mgradianu]

What kind of Mix Seed would you recommend for a greener lawn even in the summer time and less maintenance that doesnt require that much watering for the MidWest region (Michigan - Detroit area). Would you use Tall Fescue? Fine Fescue at all?

[@Scott-xq2dm]

I love Johnathan Green Black Beauty in Michigan.

[@brettknoss486]

I like Russian Wild Rye for sunny areas. I was thinking a blend of Russian wild rye, created Wheatgrass, Kirk crested Wheatgrass, and Kentucky bluegrass.

[@supremetrain]

please help I need to find a TTTF seed that is excellent for high traffic I have a Daniff dog will be 180-220 lbs. and a almost 3 year old daughter and my yard is already destroyed from previous home owners 2 dogs can anyone please give me recommendations I live in minnesota

[@ksero1000]

I don’t know what kind of grass I had the last 14 years, but it’s all dead now.

[@ThePlanBPill]

I threw my money at the SSS TTTF mix with 30 percent fine fescue mix. We'll see how that goes this fall as an overseed. Really hoping it doesn't come out with some of the more coarse clump fescue everyone hates.

[@kevindowe]

Mixtures always work best for me, (here in SE Michigan), especially the self-repair effect of kbg. In the end...do what your gut tells you brotha. Looking forward to your next chapter👍.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

I'm still a bluegrass/ryegrass guy at heart. However I did want to share these thoughts to give little more info to those who are specifically wanting to have a nicer yard in the summer. I think that's the main thing we're dealing with now is too many stretches of extreme heat.

[@kendog0731]

Kevin Dowe I'm in lansing how does the tall fescue hold up over winter. I'm trying to decide what to over seed with. I have a bluegrass/rye grass mix but am really leaning towards overseeing with tall fescue. Plus the price difference is quite substantial.

[@kevindowe]

kendog0731 I didn't stick with it long. The transition to fescue was taking too long. I'm in Redford and the kbg mix has been most beneficial for me.

[@kevindowe]

Ryan Knorr Lawn Care I completely understand, the dormancy look is DEPRESSING!

[@kendog0731]

Kevin Dowe thanks I have about a week to decide I think I'm leaning kgb. I do like the lower cut look in fall you get with kbg and the thinner grass blades. Where do you buy your seed from?

[@patrickobrien9982]

Lesco liberty mix is a mixture of turf type fescue creeping rye and kbg.

[@matthias.9834]

5:43 looks awesome--got grass stains on my brand new WHITE JE ANS just watching your vid!

[@angelf9800]

I have Titan Rx turf fescue mixed with Barenbrug RTF Turf Type Tall Fescue and it stays green all year.

[@SuperWave420]

Try Jonathan green black beauty ultra. It's a tall fescue that is supposed to look like Kentucky blue grass. Not sure if you can mow it short.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

I have been hearing a lot of people suggest that in the comments here. If I ever do a full renovation again I'll consider it.

[@recordman555]

I once heard a professional horticulturist say, ' a weed is really just a plant out of place'. In my case, Tall Fescue is a weed!

[@marekj.1321]

Hello, this is now I am, we have 38c °, very warm 👿and on my lawn the sun shines all day, nor does it irrigate bad enough and some of my places start to dry. I also do a complete reconstruction of my lawn, I go to this Barenbrug Water saver.Good luck 👍.. Marko Slovakia.

[@stormtrooper9404]

Marko I hope you'll read this! Am in Macedonia and just wanted to seed Barenbrug dry and strong. Can you update how is your lawn after few years now? Thank you very much! Vlado, Macedonia

[@andyleibrook6012]

I'm i n Cincinnati Oh. and have tall fescue that I have been cutting at 4 inches since the 1st week of May. Put down fert March 6 and June 6 and it's still looking pretty nice and green for the 1st week of August. I don't water but I think starting early cutting tall and often helps those roots get established.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

That's pretty good without any extra watering .

[@thejarrod123]

Yes. It’s the best

[@thelast9021]

I am constantly removing velvet grass's (Holcus Lanatus) from my lawn. They grow at a much quicker speed and start to take over the lawn if you don't deal with them. Neighbor thought it was crab grass, but it was actually velvet grass, which is why crab grass removal product never worked.

[@vashon100]

grasses vs grass's

[@Papi4l2]

i feel like this is a dumb question but i gotta ask lol. is tall fescue and turd type tall fescue the same thing? are people just saying tall fescue and not saying turf type? lol

[@LoveMyKleeKai]

wow sure glad I saw this before i decided on bluegrass fescue it is

[@02DCorona]

I have both Tall Fescue and Kentucky Blue. I'm so going back to Kentucky I feel like it handles the heat better than then fescue. Fescue to me goes into dormmate. From Long Island NY

[@smast16]

Auto Finesse Fescue and Bluegrass for me, and Bluegrass baked alive. Fescue still kicking strong.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

My experience is the same that bluegrass just cooks and it happens FAST.

[@josephgries4683]

Huh? Must be more going on here, no way does TTTF go dormant faster than KBG. TTTF is very drought resistant because it grows a deep root system. KBG on the other hand has quite shallow roots and will go dormant very quickly. I'm actually overseeding my lawn with more TTTF because I'm sick of all the KBG either going brown for 3 months or requiring water almost every day.

[@strumzi]

Just get a good irrigation system set up. And it doesn’t matter what type of grass you plant. Make sure you plant the right seed for your zone. And feed the lawn with good micro/macros.

[@matthewhartup941]

I live in southeast TN. I've have had a TTF lawn for 5 years, and I've had to do a pretty heavily lawn renovation every fall. I decided this past week I'm converting to bermuda grass. My TTF looks wonderful until about July, and then it wont look good again until around November. It's simply too hot here to try and maintain a cool season turf grass. My heart is with TTF, but I think the climate has changed and it's just too hot for TTF where I live. I think I can live with dormant bermuda for 3-4 months, we shall see!

[@robgeach8105]

the problem with just going pure warm season in the transition zone is that it won't work in shady areas so if you have lawns that are 100% sun in some areas and 2.5 hrs sun in another you get all sorts of fun (difficult) decisions to make. if the lawn is small enough sprinkler systems can get you through the summer.

[@davidmartin2323]

So tall Fescue would be good for a clay heavy soil?

[@aldinturan3271]

I’ve been doing quite a bit of research on what grass seed to use in my lawn for over seeding this fall. My lawn is a mix of tall fescue and different shades of it which I hope to fix with a decent top dressing and overseed. I’m reading that some TTTF can be mowed to .75-1.5 inches, which I feel is pretty short for a tall fescue. Has anyone tried mowing their TTTF this low, outcomes?

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

There's a few patches in my front yard and it's at .75 and still alive but it doesn't look that great

[@aldinturan3271]

Would you say it doesn’t look that great because it’s cut so low or the general look of Fescue? I was hoping to go to a height right below 2”, that would make me happy.

[@ryanern18]

I have a mix of fescue and blue and some rye which I put down last year because I moved in halfway through the growing season. It mixes well in spring and fall when everything is green but yeah it looks like ass in the summer. I think some of the wide blade stuff is a contaminant and not generally included in modern mixes. Also, If I'm not mistaken certain strains will also grow wider blades when surrounding grasses have tapped out and aren't sucking resources. I've always felt TTTF is great as a stand alone and only if you start from 0. Success with overseeding is really hit and miss and it seems to need space to establish which is tough with the self-repairing nature of KBG. Same with the fescue/rye mixes - the rye germinates so much faster and takes over (not to mention the different mowing practices that each prefers). I tried for 5 years at my previous house overseeing at 5-7 lbs/1000 of an 80/20 TTTF/rye mix into my predominantly rye yard and made exactly 0 progress in visibly altering the mix.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

Rye is a dominant one for sure and like you said, mowing really needs to be different for it. I agree that I think overall a specific grass type on its own (like only fescue or only bluegrass) is likely the best choice.

[@RMalai]

I have all tall fescue. Is that good for Maryland?

[@RoseTorn411]

I have a lawn of crabgrass and it's doing fantastic 😆

[@marshallrichmond4909]

LOL

[@380stroker]

Glyphosate it.

[@chrisgrove8937]

Great video. So are you saying Kentucky 31 tall fescue is a good turf type?

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

No I am talking about turf type tall fescue

[@yellowcat9568]

Tall fescue is also highly resistant to grub.

[@9175rock]

Good to hear

[@CMDRSloma]

So, what sort of spreading grass would be a good mix for fine fescue grasses?

[@Scott-xq2dm]

10% blue

[@CMDR-Cody]

KBG is hands down the best looking cool-season grass, but it's also the most maintenance intensive. TTTF is much easier going and will look really nice almost all of the time it just doesn't get that same blue hue that KBG gets. Perennial Rye is another good alternative that is thinner bladed but is more hearty than KBG.

[@runninonmt8259]

I'm in Western Canada..I have been overseeing with premium KBG..It's now about 85% ..looking better every year..!!👍

[@scottygoodwin4276]

Good information on the type of seed. I also enjoyed UTAH. Thank you RYAN

[@tswarner67]

I’m in central Ohio with about 3/4 acre in my back yard with heavy shade due to massive trees.. would tall fescue go for this? My front yard is a lot smaller but gets full sunlight

[@incith]

Might want look into fine fescues instead of tall fescues, like chewings fescue or red fescue. But yes tall fescue would work good too.

[@marksobkowiak9959]

Never cared for fescue...I prefer perianal Rye here in PNW

[@dailyDIYdude]

Kill it off and overseed with TTTF. You’ll think me later. Green all year long

[@dailyDIYdude]

Go to GCI turf service on KZbin. Best tttf in town

[@hasanshaaban8901]

Hello Ryan, we talked few months back when I sent you a pic of my lawn, its KBG, tall fescue and perennial Rye... After I killed the grub worms the lawn looks great with tall or medium cut, its dark green all year.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

Nice!