You are not likely going to accidentally know when is the right time to fertilize your cool season tall fescue lawn without looking it up. The truth is, there isn’t much time left to fertilize before this grass leaves its peak growing season and enters warm spring and summer months.
Tall fescue is a cool season grass that is highly adaptable to heat, which means you will have a minimal dormant periods so long as the weather remains temperate. This makes it a common choice for entire lawns or for overseeding in northern regions of Georgia. It has a deep root system that makes it more resistant to drought conditions, and it is a more resistant to disease than many other species. Lastly, it can hold up to high traffic. Basically, if you want green grass nearly all-year-long, and you have high traffic, tall fescue is a good option in the northern parts of Georgia.
As the name suggests, tall fescue grows during cool seasons. This means early spring and late fall are its peak growing seasons. During the summer, the grass may or may not go dormant depending on how hot the summer is. It may also go dormant in the winter, but it is much more resistant to cold than warm season grasses.
According to the University of Georgia’s extension office, tall fescue should be fertilized during its peak growing season. The best months for fertilization are February, March, October, and November. If you haven’t gotten around to your spring fertilizing, not to worry. They also list April and September as possible months to fertilize. You still have a little bit of time to get that last fertilizer spread.
As always, you should use a soil test to determine how much and what type of fertilizer you need. If you read your soil test, you’ll see exactly what macro and micronutrients your lawn is missing, so you can adequately fertilize in the best interest of your lawn’s needs.
In some cases, it is not possible to keep your grass green year-round. The temperature dictates whether or not your grass will return to dormancy. It is important to understand that if your grass goes into dormancy, fertilizer will not bring it out of it. However, if you fertilize your grass properly, it will be beautiful for all months that it is not dormant.
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