Hello. First time on this site. I have new tall fescue I planted in late February of this year. It has come in really well so far. I have been cutting the new grass between 4.5 and 5 inches so far. I like the look of longer grass when it's cut. Is this too long for hot NC summers? Any other concerns in regards to this? Thanks in advance
Length of grass???
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I would keep it where it's at. You can probably go down to 3.5 - 4" if you wanted. Longer grass will shade the soil and root system which helps keep it from drying out completely.
Check at GCI Turf Services on YouTube. He's in Greensboro and has some good videos about maintaining tall fescue.
Check at GCI Turf Services on YouTube. He's in Greensboro and has some good videos about maintaining tall fescue.
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I'm not sure if HOC really matters here in NC as far as fungus goes. Summertime here means ideal temps and heavy dew for fungus production. Better have some type of fungicide close by and keep a close check for any type of fungal diseases to pop up. My biggest concern would be the young grass doesn't have a strong enough root system to make it through the heat and dry conditions that are probably coming. So far we've had some heat but also plenty of rain.SNOWBOB11 said:
Right now I'm at 4" but will go to 4.5" when it looks like a lot of dry weather is on the way. IMO this definitely helps it through the summer. I'm also doing bi-weekly fungicide apps to avoid brown patch which has been an issue in the past.
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I agree with all of the points here, which is to say that there isn't a perfect answer.
Higher HOC (e.g., cutting 4 and above) does mean that more of the grass isn't getting much airflow, and that is a concern for disease development. I cut my fescue at 4.5 during the spring, but I transitioned to 4 at the start of summer. Was that really necessary for disease prevention? I can't say, but it seemed reasonable. I can say that, since I transitioned to 4, my color hasn't been as good.
Many people in the transition zone also use fungicides with their fescue, regardless of HOC.
Do check out GCI Turf on youtube. That's a great resource for fescue, especially fescue in the Greensboro area. FWIW, I believe that he cuts between 4-5 in the summer, partly to maintain color. But he also uses fungicides.
Higher HOC (e.g., cutting 4 and above) does mean that more of the grass isn't getting much airflow, and that is a concern for disease development. I cut my fescue at 4.5 during the spring, but I transitioned to 4 at the start of summer. Was that really necessary for disease prevention? I can't say, but it seemed reasonable. I can say that, since I transitioned to 4, my color hasn't been as good.
Many people in the transition zone also use fungicides with their fescue, regardless of HOC.
Do check out GCI Turf on youtube. That's a great resource for fescue, especially fescue in the Greensboro area. FWIW, I believe that he cuts between 4-5 in the summer, partly to maintain color. But he also uses fungicides.
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