Chewing Fescue vs. Tall Fescue

Fescue Grasses are cool-season grasses. These are popular not only because of their drought tolerance but also because of their fine shade tolerance. Many people like this desirable grass species because of its adaptability to different conditions. This amazing grass stays green all year long, making it loveable among people.

Most cool-season grass species accessible to users do not perform well in the hot season as it will be difficult for them to survive. Similarly, most of the warm season grasses cannot flourish in the upper part of the transition zone where the weather remains too cool. The grasses normally do not grow and prosper properly in such states. On the other hand, Fescues grasses can efficiently fill this gap in growing conditions.

How to Select the Right Kind of Grass?

You might come across many options when buying turf for your new lawn. There is a slight possibility that you may go with cool-season grass, such as tall fescue or fine fescue. Well, there are a large number of people who are not completely familiar with fine fescue grass. What is it exactly? Fine fescue is a common term used to portray several species of fescue, creeping red fescue, hard fescue, and chewings fescue. Each one has its characteristics. Check all the points in detail before selecting the best suitable option.

Chewing Fescue vs. Tall Fescue

Chewings fescue is aggressive fescue. It is a bunch-type that can easily overtake another form of grass. It is not considered a good option if you want to preserve these but fine if you want to crowd out weeds. It contains a high shade tolerance because people normally use it to oversee their shady lawns. It often gets mixed with perennial ryegrass.

Similarly, chewings fescue is best adapted to cooler places such as the Pacific Northwest and Northeast coastal regions, the northern United States and Canada, and other places where summers are cool. The chewing fescue is well adapted to the acidic, sandy areas, often infertile soils, normally present in all the above-listed regions.

On the other hand, the tall fescue seed contains tall fescue. It has a coarse texture. The tall fescue is almost similar to Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass in appearance. The tall fescue doesn’t spread but grows in clumps or bunches as a substitute. If you set a mixture containing tall fescue and don’t mow it regularly, you will soon observe the clumps of tall fescue throughout your lawn.

Some Updated Chewing Fescue Varieties

There are a large number of new varieties of Chewing Fescue that have been developed over the past few years. All these varieties are genetically engineered grasses. Another name used for these grasses is synthetic grasses. These new varieties are bred to combine some of the certain characteristics that make them more pleasing and desirable.

One new range that is popular among people is windward. It is an elite new variety of chewing fescue. The Windward Chewing Fescue is quite tough and long-lived. It contains an excellent adaptation to low fertility, shade, and acid soils.

The best thing about Windward Chewing Fescue combines quality, color, and disease resistance. All this made it superior to all the other commercially available chewings of fescue available on the market today.

Moreover, it works well under medium to high fertility levels. One must blend it with other fine fescues to use it well. Most people also mix it with perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass for an efficient outcome. This fescue grass is normally recommended for use in parks, golf course tees and roughs, home lawns, and more. It does mostly well in lower-preservation situations.

It is evaluated for almost all the common cool season turf diseases, with outstanding results. Windward Chewing Fescue has established well to excellent confrontation to a broad range of diseases, counting Red Thread, Leaf Spot, Dollar Spot, Powdery Mildew, Summer Patch, Brown Patch, Net Blotch, and more.

Important Things to Check

There are many things to check before selecting the right fescue grass seed. It includes grass type, Germination, Coverage, and much more. The tall fescue generally produces a nice-looking lawn that will endure foot traffic as soon as the grass gets healthy. One can easily maintain their lawn by doing some of the few planting and maintenance tips.

To make the best decision, try to get your soil tested by a local county extension group to verify if it requires adjustment before sowing seeds or not. The tall fescue usually grows best in soil with a pH between 6 and 6.5. If the outcomes are wrong, the agency recommends some amendments to manage things well.

All tall fescue varieties require a soft bed to germinate and put down their roots completely. One can easily loosen their soil by using a rototiller or shovel to a depth of around 3 inches, raking smooth, and breaking up clods before planting. Try to maintain the soil dampness for around 14 to 21 days to make sure all stragglers find a chance to sprout.

Conclusion

Tall fescue is a cool-season grass well suited to northern lawns, whereas chewing fescue is suitable for the warm season. Choosing a seed product for your lawn is a matter of personal choice, but one must check the coverage and budget of the one they are planning to use. Read the article above to complete a guide about Tall and chewing fescue.