How To Properly Fertilize A Fescue Grass Lawn (2024)

FAQs

What is the best fertilizer for fescue? ›

For Fescue, it is best to use a slow-release formula with a 3-1-2 ratio. An example would be a 12-4-8 fertilizer. It is important to use slow-release fertilizers whenever possible. Most major brands of lawn fertilizer will have a combination of soluble and slow-release forms of nitrogen (indicated on the label).

This is a traditional fertilizer mix used for generations in farming and landscape maintenance as a starter fertilizer. Our formulation, at the recommended rate, adds a small amount of nitrogen, but is higher in phosphorus and potassium.

Feed your KY-31 lawn with Pennington UltraGreen Lawn Fertilizer 30-0-4. The added iron helps keep your lawn looking healthy and green. KY-31's deep root growth helps protect against heat and drought stress, but wise watering practices build on that strength.

A 12-4-8 fertilizer ratio is a good nutritional balance for perennial plants with lots of foliage, like trees, shrubs, and grass. It can be applied to support early seasonal lawn growth in soil that's deficient in all three macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium).

Fertilizing Elite Tall Fescue

Apply 3 to 4 pounds of nitrogen fertilizer per 1,000 square feet annually. Begin application in the fall and continue until spring, during Fescue's peak growing months.

Applying too much fertilizer to your lawn will cause the nitrogen and salt levels in the soil to increase rapidly, which can damage or even kill the grass.

The Big 3—nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium—provide the foundational nutrients of today's commercial fertilizers.

The number one way to increase the green color in your lawn is with Nitrogen. Nitrogen is one of the big three macronutrients needed in the greatest quantities for healthy turf. It promotes top growth in the lawn by pushing the production of chlorophyll in the plant.

For use in greenhouse, nursery and foliage production, container gardens, interiorscapes and landscapes. Recommended for use when growing a wide variety of crops or in combination with water soluble fertilizer for a steady source of nutrition throughout the season.

How do I make tall fescue thicker? ›

An old wives tale says that snow is the poor man's fertilizer. This is true because snow contains the nutrient nitrogen. The snow lies as a blanket on the ground and slowly percolates through the soft spring soil, gradually releasing its fertilizer and moisture into the soil.

We typically recommend starting with the 20-0-5 because the 20 percent nitrogen generally is a safe amount for most turf. For those who want a lawn that is not going to damage on the first warm day, or can make it through a fungus issue, keeping that first number (Nitrogen) a bit higher is an excellent idea.

15-15-30 water soluble garden fertilizer. Water soluble • Ideal for vegetable garden, tomatoes, herbs and fruit plants • Promotes healthy plants and an abundant harvest • Promotes resistance of vegetable plants to diseases and strengthens the stems • Accelerates ripening fruits and vegetables.

The turf in your lawn, Tall Fescue, is a drought tolerant grass, but it can still thin out if it does not receive enough water. By watering once a day, you are only penetrating the top inch of soil, which causes the roots to grow closer to the service.

Fescue has a deep root system, but it will discolor, thin, and eventually die under drought conditions. In general, a fescue lawn will need about an inch of water every 7-10 days, whether from rain or irrigation. Try to water deeply and infrequently.

Wilting Grass

But overwatering can cause similar symptoms. Keep an eye out for signs of overwatering such as leaves and lawns that appear dull and faded, in addition to grass that does not spring back into shape after being pressed down.

At Master Lawn, we typically say to wait 24 hours before watering your lawn after fertilizing. But it is important to make sure that it does receive a good watering session soon after that 24 hour waiting period. Watering helps the fertilizer to activate and to break down and begin feeding nutrients to the lawn.

Ideally, you'll want to mow and rake before fertilizing, so that excess lawn waste is removed and the fertilizer will have an easier time reaching the soil. Aerating your soil before fertilizing can also help; the best times to aerate are when your grass is actively growing, such as in spring or early fall.

What is 10 15 10 fertilizer good for? ›

Schultz® All-Purpose Liquid Plant Food 10-15-10 is a concentrated product designed to feed all kinds of indoor plants, outdoor plants, flowers and vegetables. Perfect for transplanting, repotting and rooting. It is a micronutrient-rich fertilizer that will promote new growth. Must be mixed with water.

Understanding the Fertilizer Label

These three numbers represent the primary nutrients (nitrogen(N) - phosphorus(P) - potassium(K)). This label, known as the fertilizer grade, is a national standard. A bag of 10-10-10 fertilizer contains 10 percent nitrogen, 10 percent phosphate and 10 percent potash.

Fertilizers containing all three primary nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) are called complete fertilizers. If high levels of phosphorus and potassium are already present in the soil, supply nitrogen alone.

Sugar will fortify grass while discouraging weeds. It is easy to apply. It is cheap. Sugar will not only give you a green lawn, but will help you to “go green,” meaning that it is free from chemicals that damage the soil, our water supply, and ourselves.

Recommended ratios of N-P-K for lawn fertilizers include 3:1:2 or 4:1:2. Another important factor in choosing nitrogen fertilizers is what kind of nitrogen is actually in the product. Nitrogen fertilizer may consist of fast-release or controlled-release nitrogen.

Apply at the rate of 1 quart per square foot or 100 gallons per 400 square feet. Repeat treatment every 1-3 weeks as needed. CONSTANT FEED:Fertilizer applications with every watering (3 or more times per week).

A full feeding is recommended at least 5-6 times per year. You want to feed your lawn when it's growing most rapidly. However, you should base the frequency on your climate and the type of grass you have. For example, cool season grasses can be fertilized in late spring, but only if necessary.

Growing Your Fescue Grass

Once they are given time to grow, most fescue lawns can be mowed when the grass is at four inches. Mowing your fescue lawn allows the fescue clumps to spread among your yard and promote a thick, full yard. When mowing, you should only cut about an inch off.

Should you overseed fescue every year? ›

In order to maintain a healthy fescue lawn year round, it's important to aerate and seed once per year, and now is the time. Because fescue is a cool season grass, September and October are perfect months to core aerate and overseed your lawn.

It looks nice, it feels nice, and it will keep the weeds out on its own, making your maintenance work easier! But your lawn is patchy and you wonder how to get your grass to spread? Cutting grass will encourage it to spread.

Mowing actually helps make your grass grow thicker because the tip of each blade contains hormones that suppress horizontal growth. When you cut the lawn, you remove these tips allowing the grass to spread and grow thicker near the roots.

Mow tall fescue at 2 inches during the fall and spring, raise to 3 inches in heavy shade and during the heat of the summer months. The improved turf-type varieties of tall fescue can be mowed at a height of 1.5 inches during spring and fall and 2 inches during summer months.

Hard or Compacted Soil

Because when your soil is hard, oxygen, water, and nutrients have trouble getting to your grass' roots, which can lead to a thin lawn. Consider aerating your lawn, which is a process of perforating the lawn with small holes to let water, air, and nutrients pass through.

The fescue grasses usually will not form seedheads when grown in the shade, so June mowing is not required to maintain a six inch height. However, leaves from deciduous trees must either be raked up and removed, or chopped up with a mulching mower in order to prevent smothering of the turf over winter.

Yes, it can, and the consequences for that smooth carpet of green are not pleasant. Overwatered grass is not just the result of too-eager homeowners. Water on the lawn can come from humidity and showers, as well as sprinkler hoses.

Have you any thoughts about what's going on with the fescue, and what the plan should be for the fall? A: Improper watering is the problem. Watering that often (3 times per week) never allows the soil and foliage to dry out. This weakens the grass and makes it more susceptible to fungi.

The most common yet most hazardous fertilizer is anhydrous ammonia. Anhydrous ammonia is applied as a liquid or gas and is kept in tanks at a very high pressure. It can cause severe burns and blindness, even in a few seconds. Other types of fertilizer that come in solid or pellet form can be toxic.

Urea is a low cost nitrogen fertilizer form. This is because of its high nitrogen composition and consequent low transport and storage costs. Urea may be the fertilizer of choice when only nitrogen is needed in a soil fertility program.

What does 5 10 5 fertilizer mean? ›

The first number is nitrogen, the second is phosphorous, and the third is potassium. The numbers tell you the percentage of that nutrient in the bag. So,quiz time! If you have a 5-10-5 bag of fertilizer that weighs 10 pounds then 5 percent or one-half pound of it is nitrogen.

When is the best time to fertilize a lawn – before or after a rain? Too much rain could wash away the fertilizer before it has a chance to soak into the soil, so plan to fertilize several days before a heavy rain arrives or several days later.

If you're looking for a versatile and all-inclusive fertilizer to give your lawn a healthy boost, 10-10-10 fertilizer may be just what you need. This formula is designed to deliver balanced nutrition to your lawn, with equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

All-Purpose Fertilizer 10-10-10 is great for your vegetable garden, shrubs, trees or flower beds. The fast-release formula feeds your plants for up to 2 weeks. It is recommended that you re-apply the fertilizer every 30 days during the growing season to help give your plants the nutrients they need to grow.

Leading scientists recommend applying nitrogen fertilizers in the spring and fall for cool season grasses like Kentucky Bluegrass, Fescue and Ryegrass, and throughout the summer for warm season grasses like St. Augustine and Bermuda, since this is when the grass plant is actively growing.

Each number describes the total percentage of fertilizer made up of that nutrient. A 14-14-14 fertilizer, then, is made up of 14 percent nitrogen, 14 percent phosphorus, and 14 percent potassium.

We suggest Super-Sod's Total Lawn Food 16-4-8 + Iron for Bermuda, Zoysia and Fescue grasses. This type of nitrogen fertilizer is great for promoting growth if applied correctly throughout the growing season. Iron in Total Lawn Food also improves the color of your grass.

Tall Fescue

Seed in early spring or early fall (spring plantings are at risk from hot and dry conditions over the summer). Fertilize in early spring, late spring or early summer, late summer and fall. Tall fescue tolerates hot, dry conditions better than other cool-season grasses.

As the soil temperature rises in late May to early June, fescue growth slows and it's important to not do anything to stimulate growth during that time. Fertilize fescue with a good quality organic lawn fertilizer like Milorganite .

This Hyponex 13-13-13 40 lb. All-Purpose Fertilizer helps provide the nutrients your plants need to grow. This fertilizer is ideal for your vegetable garden, shrubs, trees, hedges and flowers. The fast-release formula feeds your plants up to 2 weeks.

How do you maintain fescue grass? ›

Starter fertilizers vary, but most are either a 10-10-10 or a 20-10-10 formulation. The extra nitrogen helps green up the existing grass as well as feed the fescue as it germinates and grows. Apply at a rate of 1/2 to 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn. Water thoroughly after fertilizing.

If you maintain fescue in a transition zone region like the Richmond, VA area, overseeding fescue is best to do on a yearly basis. Fescue grass seed germinates best in mild weather, which is why fall lawn seeding is the most popular time of the year to repopulate your turf.