Weed Control in Fescue Grass

Tall fescue is a cool season turf grass that can tolerate shade much better than the warm season grasses we most commonly use here in Oklahoma, this is why it is a popular option for areas on your property that do not get much sunlight. While fescue has many advantages, it is not immune to getting weeds. Weed control in fescue can be a tricky situation to navigate. The same products that control many problematic weeds in warm season grasses cannot be used in fescue without the risk of serious damage, including killing the plant. We are still able to control a wide variety of weed species that may find their way into your fescue, but the harder to control weeds may have to be controlled through different cultural or mechanical controls. One issue that we face when attempting to control the weeds in fescue is the timing of the pre-emergence applications, which typically lines up when you would want to over seed your fescue. The pre-emergence herbicides used for home lawns are designed to prevent the germination of a plant from seed, this includes turf grass seed. We try to work around this timing as much as we can, but the absence of a pre-emergence application can always open the door for weeds later in the season. As I said earlier, we can still control a wide variety of these weeds with a post-emergence application. If you are seeding your fescue, make sure you go with a Blue Tag certified seed, as some seed blends or mixes may contain an undesirable crop that can cause issues in your uniform stand of turf. The temperatures in Oklahoma can cause great stress on the cool season turf grasses, and anytime we apply an herbicide it can create an even more stressful situation. There may be times where weed control in fescue is limited or omitted, depending on the condition of the lawn, amount of weeds, and temperatures at the time. We are striving for the overall health of the grass, so each day may vary in how we approach the care of your turf.