The Fall Grass Variety That Makes A Stunning Lawn Alternative

That image of the American Dream as a lawn and white picket fence is an outdated one, especially with the ongoing U.S. housing crisis that sees a dearth of over 4 million homes. But lawns can still be worth having. Children thrive with access to lawns, gardens, and other places they can connect with nature or play with their loved ones. Turfgrass also has benefits, despite being maligned for its outsized environmental impact and high maintenance costs. Grass roots can stabilize the soil and filter water, as well as reduce dust and outcompete weeds. If you want a lower-maintenance variety that's heat- and drought-tolerant, tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) is a great option that stays strong throughout the summer and retains its leaves to be of even higher quality in the fall.

Tall fescue is one of the most popular cool season grasses, with fall being the best time of year to plant fescue grasses in your yard. This holds for a good range of the country too, as tall fescue—a turfgrass that's native to Europe—is able to thrive in USDA Hardiness zones 5 through 9. Everywhere but the northernmost tips of states including Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota can provide these growth conditions in the continental United States, and the turfgrass can last throughout the year with proper maintenance and care.

One of the most important things to note if you're looking to begin growing tall fescue in your yard is that turfgrasses can act akin to weeds. Tall fescue in particular has a tendency to grow in clumps, so you'll want to clear out your yard by establishing clean seeds and using a sod cutter before you attempt to grow this deep-rooted perennial grass variety as a standalone field. Even then, you'll probably have to re-seed tall fescue every fall given it can thin out under extreme summer heat and water conditions. Tall fescue is drought- and heat-resistant, but is slow to recover from damage and has trouble in areas such as California deserts.

Though it struggles to recover from major damage, tall fescue makes for a pretty wear resistant turf, and thus it's one of the best grasses for busy areas that see a lot of foot traffic. Tall fescue should be given about an inch of water spaced throughout the week, saturated down to a soil depth of about 4 to 6 inches. However, during the summer months it should just be given enough water to prevent drought stress before the grass goes dormant. Tall fescue should also be mowed down to 2.5 to 3.5 inches in length on average, and never taller than 5 inches. Wet, acidic soils with a pH of less than 5.5 will be ideal for seeing the most foliage out of your tall fescue.

While there are a lot of benefits to this grassy lawn alternative, there are also downsides to consider before planting tall fescue—even beyond the fact that there is already 62,500 square miles of turfgrasses in the United States. whichoffers little value to wildlife and produces high outputs of pollution. Not only that, tall fescue is prone to brown patch disease, especially in climates of eastern states, as well as winter diseases such as fusarium patch and net blotch. The perennial grass can also be infected with a fungus called Neotyphodium coenophialum, which can cause grazing animals to suffer from symptoms including poor weight gain and milk production. It's also worth noting that tall fescue is mildly invasive, with dead leaves falling in a thick thatch that prevents native plant growth.

That being said, tall fescue is relatively resistant to pests—just watch out for the presence of white grubs that might be laying their eggs in summer months. There are also different varieties of tall fescue you can consider planting, which may solve some of your concerns. For example, a particular turf-type tall fescue cultivar has a finer texture and dense growth akin to Kentucky bluegrass. Ultimately, tall fescue will be a long-lasting addition to your yard if you take the time to maintain it properly and watch for the onset of any diseases.