What Kind of Grass is on My Lawn? // Tall Fescue Identification and Use.

[@davidgonzales-ec8bo]

Man this is a great series of videos.

[@GrassDoctor]

awesome--glad its useful for you David! Thanks for spreading positivity on the internet.

[@y2ksurvivor]

This is great! I inherited my grandparent's home some years ago and I've finally decided to do something about the lawn. It used to be beautiful but it hasn't been maintained in any significant way apart from basic mowing for at least 20 years. I've been curious about the different grasses I've spotted growing in the lawn. I'm excited to have found someone as knowledgeable as you that can explain this stuff to a laywoman like me. I put off looking into all this for years for fear of the unknown. Glad that gave you time to upload all these videos for me 😂 Kidding! Thank you for these uploads, truly.

[@GrassDoctor]

I'm glad I could make them for you too! 😀I need to get a couple more uploaded to get more species covered. I taught turfgrass management at universities for years so I think I've figured out some ways to make learning this stuff a little easier...I hope it's useful!

[@seniorDAS]

Hey Doc - do you have any experience with South American grass types? Can you make videos like these? Great content. I wish you would post more.

[@GrassDoctor]

Hi SeniorDAS, I wish I would post more too--I've got a full time job and a family so I only get to make content once in a while. I have worked with cool- and warm-season grasses so am knowledgeable about most of the grasses you would be able to grow in South America. Let me know what specific grasses you are talking about and I'll see if I can get some information out about them!

[@RoomForTools]

Excellent videos.

[@Cardroid]

very helpful thanks!

[@GrassDoctor]

awesome, glad it was useful. Thanks for spreading positivity on the internet!

[@MostlyCountryMan]

If i have a lot of K31 in my yard would i be able to overseed and get the TTTF to take over ?

[@GrassDoctor]

Hi Mr. Welder, unfortunately it's not quite that simple. If you were to thin out the K31 with a power rake (dethatcher) and plant TTTF into it, you would still have a stand that would be a mix of the 2 grasses. It might be a little better than what you had, but certainly not perfect. You could try running over the K31 several times with a power rake to really thin it out or you could spray it out and then plant fresh. It really depends on where you'd like to be next year--can you handle some K31 remaining in the lawn, or do you want it to be perfectly clean? Tough one...Let me know if you have other questions!

[@MostlyCountryMan]

@@GrassDoctor Thanks for the reply looks like i got some thinking to do !

[@GrassDoctor]

@@MostlyCountryMan yep, there are pros and cons to both ways...

[@case8987]

Kill it off. I just did it to mine and planted TTTF. Best thing I ever did.

[@KeepOffTheGrassLivecast]

Olee needs to watch this episode! #fescuefreak

[@GrassDoctor]

he certainly does an outstanding job with his!

[@delinquense]

Doc, that tall fescue (31) that you showed looks a lot like quackgrass. Do they look similar? If so, how to differentiate? Thanks.

[@ritchiesecrist2670]

Are tall fescue grasses better for dog urine spots? My Kentucky bluegrass and rye grass are impossible to up with the repairs all time. It drives me crazy to have dead spots all the time.

[@JohnDoe-ud2cc]

Does the Kentucky 31 also have the red root?

[@GrassDoctor]

the red is at the base of the stem rather than in the roots, but it does have it.

[@jadeduan6991]

Hi Dr, is it cold hardy in Ottawa Canada? We are zone 5.

[@GrassDoctor]

Hi Amy, great question. My friends at Cornell Univ. in NY and UMASS tell me that TF does pretty well in their states in terms of winter hardiness (better than perennial ryegrass). You may have some crazy cold winter without snow cover that I may be concerned with it, but in general, most years should be ok. One problem you may run into is that most of the lawns up that way are likely Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fineleaf fescue, or some combination of the 3. TFs usually have larger leaf blades than these other grasses so if only a little TF is going out with these others, they can sometimes look clumpy. However, if you're going out with a lot of TF or if it's a new lawn, it wouldnt be an issue. I know General Seed in Toronto sells quality TFs and there are likely some others as well. Please let me know if you have any other questions!

[@jadeduan6991]

@@GrassDoctor Wonderful, thx for the info Dr. I will try General Seed for sure.

[@glyshorts9107]

Would you recommend it for northern MN? Canadian border. Area. Thanks

[@GrassDoctor]

that's a tough one. I grew up in that vicinity and tall fescue was nowhere around. The new tall fescues have much better cold tolerance than when I was a kid, but still would be a gamble and could have some issues in really cold winters. I would try a little area before committing to it completely. I know the Univ. of MN recommends several of the fine-leaf fescues for northern MN so that may be something to explore as well.

[@suselew]

What are the names of turf type tall fescue that you would see listed on a seed bag/box? When I see tall fescue listed on any bag right now, I run away...fast.

[@GrassDoctor]

Great question Susan and I understand your fear of tall fescues! Most of the new TFs are much improved over the old ones but a lot of the time, the grass seed that you'll find in the box stores, etc. is not all that great--usually older varieties that may or may not have been tested in national trials. What I'll do sometimes is look at the name on the bag and then search it's name along with 'NTEP' on my phone and see if there are any matches that show that the TF variety was tested in NTEP (National Turfgrass Evaluation Program). If it was, you can check to see how well the grass did in trials in your area (I'll make a video about this). I know for sure that Mountain View Seed is selling an Ohio State mix and a Penn State mix at Lowes in those areas at that have excellent (based on NTEP testing) TFs in them but grasses from other companies will be hit or miss. If you buy from places that sell professional grass seed, you're usually going to find much better seed. Let me know if you have more questions about this!

[@GrassDoctor]

Let me know which grass you'd like to see me break down next!

[@fxrparlour1061]

I'm interested in hearing more about zoysia grass.

[@GrassDoctor]

@@fxrparlour1061 Hey FXR, thanks for the comment. Check out this video and let me know if this helps: kzbin.info/www/bejne/onWmqIKeiLKfaZI

[@fxrparlour1061]

@@GrassDoctor I amend my previous request and submit Creeping Bent grass

[@GrassDoctor]

@@fxrparlour1061 I could probably handle that!

[@wayneessar7489]

Please do the hard, creeping red and chewings fescues. Also there is supposed to be a strong creeping red, how much will it creep and does it make a firm sod?