By Sharon Omahen


University of Georgia

If you live above Georgia’s gnat line and you’re looking for a
low-maintenance grass for your lawn, University of Georgia turf
breeders recommend two tall fescues bred just for you.

Tall fescues like Southeast and Tenacity can do well with very
little maintenance, said Bob Carrow, a UGA agronomist who worked
on the team that developed the varieties. But they can also be
great in higher-maintenance lawns where you want a denser,
greener turf.

Survives water bans

“Southeast tall fescue performs very, very well if you use the
same inputs used for other turf-type tall fescues on the market,”
he said. “The real benefit of Southeast shows when drought hits
and the water restrictions begin or if a homeowner doesn’t want
to apply as much fertilizer and irrigation as other turf-type
fescues require.”

A cool-season turfgrass, Southeast tall fescue retains its
green
color year-round. Both of the new UGA releases, Southeast and
Tenacity, have better root systems and are bred especially to
grow in central and north Georgia’s red clay soils.

“In our breeding program, Ronny Duncan (retired UGA turf
breeder)
and I set out to improve tall fescue so it could survive during
Georgia summers,” Carrow said. “Tall fescue has been grown in
north Georgia for years, but it looked bad in the summer. It just
couldn’t persist and would require reseeding in most years.”

Southeast’s biggest selling point, Carrow said, is its drought
resistance and its ability to survive high temperatures. It was
released in 1999 and is now available at Home Depot stores as
Scott’s “Drought Survivor.”

Teancity’s a little greener

Tenacity tall fescue was released last year. It will be
available
in limited supplies this fall through Delta Landscape Supply in
Norcross, which also carries Southeast.

Tenacity is similar to Southeast. It has the same drought and
temperature tolerance with slightly improved color and
density.

Paul Raymer, the current UGA turfgrass breeder, hopes to
continue
to release tall fescue cultivars with improved traits
specifically suited to the challenging environments of the
Southeast.

Plant in the fall

UGA experts say fall is the best time to plant tall fescue
varieties like Southeast or Tenacity. “The best times to plant
tall fescue are from September to the first of October or late
February through March,” Carrow said.

If your lawn is sown in tall fescue, Carrow says you can
overseed
with Southeast or Tenacity. If another turf species is there, you
may need to remove it before seeding with tall fescue. The
exception would be for a centipede lawn where tall fescue can be
interseeded.

“If you like a low-maintenance lawn, Southeast and Tenacity
can
both be mowed at 2 inches instead of the traditional 3 inches,”
Carrow said. “This way you don’t have to mow as often and it’s
easy to care for.”

Who wouldn’t like a grass that will provide good cover and
persistence with very little maintenance?