Creeping red fescue?

20 years ago

What a great idea this forum is!!!

I have a DH who hates to mow!!! He actually JUST mowed for the FIST time on Saturday!!! The grass was waist high! I have recently seen a landscaping show on HGTV, where the small amount of grass (sod) that was installed was called creeping red fescue, also reffered to as "no mow grass". I would like to know if it is feesible to have an entire yard of this. My conditions are Zone 5, southern NH, VERY sandy soil, full light range from full sun to full shade, steep slopes, sparse grass and lots of weeds on approx. 1/2 acre. If this is a possibility, I would be more likely to go with seed rather than sod, due to the difference in expense. Oh yeah, we also have lots of chipmunks and moles who like to tear up the yard.

So, is this a good option for me? Could you recomend any other types of low growing grass that would need little to no mowing? Any other tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

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Comments (11)

yarddoctor
20 years ago
Thank you very much for the inquiry. Creeping red fescue would be an excellent choice for your lawn, given the circumstances. I would not classify it or any grass for that matter, as a no-mow grass, but rather one that will rarely get above 8 inches tall. It will perform best if mowed at 3-4 inches weekly and fertilized in May and September. It can be established from seed. Seed it a rate of 2-3 lbs/1000 ft2 this September with a starter fertilizer. You should see satisfying results by Halloween.

Again thanks for the inquiry.

Respectfully,

Trey Rogers
The Yard Doctor
robbesbooks_juno_com
19 years ago
Would creeping red fescue grass be feasible in HOT Alabama? The H&G TV show I saw also reported it as being a "no mow" grass and very soft. If not....what would you suggest as a low grower that wouldn't need mowing very often? Thank you for your help...
Bobbe Kochinski
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Western wheatgrass isn't often listed as a turfgrass. Were they talking about western wheatgrass or crested wheatgrass (or streambank wheatgrass)? Streambank wheatgrass isn't normally found as far east as MN, so I didn't list it. I don't like crested wheatgrass very well. I don't like the color very much (too yellow) and the way it lives in low water conditions is to go in and out of dormancy very quickly Western wheatgrass deals with drought by having an extensive root system. So it has to be dry for a long time to go dormant (the native stuff in fields here usually goes dormant in mid July after no rain since the first week of June). It's not without faults, though. It's almost blue in color and has wider blades than most of your other options (with the exception of K31 tall fescue). I've seen native stands here under trees along the road that look like they'd keep it shaded most of the time. Most of this area is either zone 5 or 6, but at higher elevations, it's zone 4 and I've seen it growing there, too (native, no water at all except for snow, early spring and late fall rains). If you want something that is closer in color and blade width to a traditional lawn, western wheatgrass is not what you want, but if you want something that will stay green (or blue, anyway) with no water from the sprinklers, it'll do the job. The fescues will probably stay green in MN, so CRF + sheep fescue might give you a lawn that will stay green for the most part and look more like what you're used to seeing.
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I am in N. Ga and am trialing creeping red fescue in a part shade area. It has performed great but it may not be what most people are after. It is the finest bladed grass you will ever find. Almost like hair. So by itself is not the most traffic tolerant. It fertilizer requirement has been low but not as low as I'd like. It grows pretty darn vigorously, even though its first summer and haven't had not any major signs of stress from either drought or high temperatures. It's green and growing and I even have some in full sun that looks good. It's tolerated wet soils due to a drainage issue without any fungus so far, knock on wood. I'm using the variety 'Florentine' which is a highly rated grass. The color is excellent, very dark. and the seed is not very expensive. The appearance looks sort of what you'd expect in some Scottish meadow or something if left to grow kind of longish. Since it tolerates close mowing also, you can cut it down to 0.5" and also get that putting green effect with it but I would definitely plant it at a slightly higher planting rate if you want to do that. The clumps do not spread out like tall fescue. Establishment was a total pain in the butt. It took forever and the winter color was not so wonderful during the coldest part of winter but perhaps this was because I didn't expect to have to fertilize it as much as it wants to be fertilized. Creeping red fescue is native to Georgia. Definitely worth a try. I will be planting a lot more of it this fall. I see if I can find the photos I had but yahoo photo albums whent out of business.
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jbuddenberg_woh_rr_com
18 years ago
Hi I love to have a good looking yard. I love landscaping. But my yard is some what shady. And I can't get it to fill in the bare spots. I have read and read. I have a patch of grass that I filled in at one time and it is spreading and I might like to get that. It is thick but not sure what it was. It looks a little like a fair way grass. A little lighter green then I like. What grasses spread the best? I have read about fine fescues but not sure which one to use. I live in springfield ohio. Not a whole lot of traffic except to work on yard, plants and train. No kids. Send any infomation you can to my e-mail. I would like a thick lawn. Thanks for any help Jim
mas12_bellsouth_net
18 years ago
CAN YOU GIVE ME INFO ABOUT CREEPING FESCUE. I AM IN GA.
lwalex7850_hughes_net
17 years ago
I live in Middle part of South Carolina not sure what zone. We are building a house in the woods. After cutting out for our driveway there is nothing but dirt on both sides. Part shade and sun. We would like to plant somtething now to keep erosions down would, red fescue work as a ground cover. We really do not want to have to cut grass very much.
It would be nice to have some green grass up the drive. Any suggestions.

Thanks, Linda
Colombiana09_gmail_com
17 years ago
My fiance has a house in the middle of a slope. The landscaping now is make of Crown vetch to hold the slope. I wanted to change that weed to Creeping red fescue. It will be possible this grass will hold the slope the same that Crown vetch?

thanks for the information. I live in cottage Grove WI
ann_strickland_jbstrick_com
16 years ago
I have a lot of shade trees in my yard and a hard time with fescue grasses.Ilooks great in the spring but b August it looks bad I have a sprinkler system so water is not a problem What grass will be best?
brlacy_conwaycorp_net
16 years ago
We live 20 miles north of Little Rock, AR. We have 4 shade trees in the back yard and need to know what to plant. I have tried several kinds of fescue, but have not tried the creeping red fescue. It seems the fescue that I have tried tend to "clump" instead of spreading. The Farmers Coop says it is a turf fescue. I really need help. Thanks so much
estherkale_aol_com
16 years ago
I have a marathon grass lawn which has part sun and part shade. and it does well but requires a lot of water. We have a shortage here and am looking for an evergreen ground cover. Is there a blade grass that would work for me?
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Thank you,
Esther Levy
roberthurd2_yahoo_com
16 years ago
Creeping fescue may be great for some areas and/or desired types of lawn, but I have concerns about mine. I like nice tall, single-blade grasses but I have something that has invaded that turns my lawn into a mat of grass that is all interconnected at the roots. It takes over entire portions of my lawn, and while green in the summer, it dies and turns brown all winter and early spring. Hard to get rid of too. I'm trying to eliminate this creeping grass, and beginning to wonder if I didn't introduce it myself through seeding. Not sure if this is bermuda grass, centipede grass or creeping fescue. Photos would be helpful. And tips on how to get rid of whatever it is. Lots of interconnecting roots..... Thanks!!!
todd2008_yahoo_com
14 years ago
Robert, what you're describing sounds exactly like the way Bermuda grass tends to appear and spread in a lawn. It happens a lot around here, in Charlotte, NC.

Creeping red fescue?

Comments (11)

yarddoctor

robbesbooks_juno_com

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