11 Unfortunate Reasons Your Fescue Grass Keeps Dying

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Fescue grass can survive in a range of different conditions. In fact, it is one of the more “durable” types of grass. However, there are several reasons why this grass might not be thriving in your yard. Figuring out why your fescue grass keeps dying can help you fix the problem and grow healthier grass.

Below, we’ll examine some of the most common fescue grass growing problems.

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Any sort of incorrect watering can lead to your fescue grass dying. If you overwater or underwater, your grass is going to struggle.

Overwatering involves giving your grass too much water. Excessive moisture in the soil can lead to several issues. For instance, root rot occurs when the roots are constantly wet and literally begin to rot. This problem will cause the grass to turn brown, wilt, and die.

Too much moisture can also create a favorable environment for fungal diseases, including brown patch, dollar spot, and snow mold. Furthermore, when the top of the soil is always wet, the roots may not be incentivized to grow deep into the soil. Shallow roots may make the grass more susceptible to weathering and drought, though.

Underwatering involves watering your grass too little. Underwatered grass becomes stressed, resulting in wilting and yellowing. If it continues, the grass will die. Without water, the grass also won’t grow at all, and it may be more susceptible to diseases and weed competition.

To water your grass correctly, be sure to water deeply and less frequently. Encourage the grass roots to grow deep into the soil, making it more resilient to fluctuations in moisture level.

We also recommend watering in the morning. This allows the grass to absorb the water before the day’s heat causes excessive evaporation. Watering in the evening can also lead to prolonged periods of moisture on the grass blades, encouraging diseases.

Use a rain gauge to accurately measure how much water your lawn is getting. Checking online estimates often isn’t accurate. Your grass likely needs between 1 and 1.5 inches, though it can depend on your climate.

Check soil moisture before watering if you have any doubts. Water when the soil is dry on the top 4 to 6 inches of the soil. Adjust for the weather as necessary. Colder, rainy climates will need less water. In hotter and drier periods, you might need to water more frequently.

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Soil drainage is water’s ability to move through the soil and drain away from the root zone. While the roots do need to soak up water, you don’t want them sitting in water. Poor soil drainage can lead to several negative effects.

Firstly, if water sits around the roots too much, it can literally suffocate the roots by displacing air in the soil. The lack of oxygen can cause root rot and fungal disease. Excessive water can also wash nutrients from the soil, slowing starving your grass or causing poor growth.

Water can also “squish” soil, making it compact. When soil is compact, plants have a harder time growing their roots through the soil. It can also limit the air and water stored in the soil.

If water isn’t draining properly, soil can be eroded. Over time, this can cause the grass to become less stable and eventually wash away itself.

Excess moisture and poor drainage create an environment conducive to the development and spread of fungal diseases, such as root rot and various lawn diseases like brown patch and dollar spot.

You should plan to regularly aerate your lawn with an aeration tool. Aerating helps prevent compaction and promotes water movement and drainage. You can also incorporate more organic matter into the soil to improve its structure and drainage. Organic matter is very important for a soil’s drainage ability.

We also recommend reshaping your lawn to create gentle slopes and encourage drainage. You may even need to install a drainage system in serious cases, as the soil isn’t always able to deal with tons of excess water.

Of course, proper watering practices can also help with all of these problems. If you don’t want the soil too much, it can reduce the need for drainage.

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As we’ve discussed a little bit, soil compaction can also cause problems. Improper watering and drainage can cause soil compaction, but other underlying reasons can also cause the soil to be too “squished.”

Compacted soil doesn’t have enough “pores” for water, air, and nutrients to sit in. This can have several detrimental effects on your fescue grass. The roots may have less room to grow and expand. If the roots can’t push through the soil, they may grow shallowly.

Water may be unable to move into the soil, either. Instead, it may just sit on top of it and run off. Water can also pool at the surface, causing diseases to spread and funguses to grow. Compacted soil also limits the movement of nutrients in the soil, especially if the roots are having difficulty growing.

Roots also require air for respiration. This air sits in small pockets within the soil. Because compaction eliminates these pockets, it can cause the roots to suffocate.

Fixing the underlying cause of compaction can help eliminate these problems. Often, compaction can be corrected using an aeration tool, which comes in many forms. You can also remove small plugs of soil from the ground, creating extra room in the soil.

You should also avoid compacting the soil. This can be done by overwatering, driving heavy machinery on your lawn, or mowing your lawn at a too-tall height. Reducing traffic in the area can also help reduce compaction, but this is often impractical.

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Mowing is necessary to maintain your lawn. However, it can have a significant effect on the health and appearance of your lawn’s grass. When done incorrectly, mowing can cause a range of problems, too.

Mowing too low can scalp the grass. This can weaken the grass and expose the soil, making it prone to erosion and weeds. Mowing too much can also be problematic, as it can stress the grass. Stress isn’t good for plants, just like it isn’t good for people. It can make the grass more susceptible to diseases and prevent growth.

Mowing too short can also limit photosynthesis, causing poor growth and weakening the grass overall. The grass may allocate energy to growing leaves rather than the roots, leading to a shallow root system. At first, the grass may look healthy, as the leaves may grow quickly. However, this leaves the grass prone to drought and nutritional issues.

You should mow your grass to a height of 2.5 to 3.5 inches. Avoid removing more than one-third of the grass’s blade height at a time, even if this leaves your grass a bit long. Otherwise, you can stress (and even kill) the grass. Gradual trimming is best. Try to mow often enough to avoid cutting the grass too short.

Be sure your mower has sharp blades, as well. Dull blades can tear the grass instead of cutting it cleanly, leading to diseases and slower recovery. Consider mulching the clippings back into the lawn, too. These will decay and add nutrients (and organic matter) back into the soil.

Mow during the cooler parts of the day, such as early morning or late afternoon, to minimize stress on the grass.

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Fertilization provides essential nutrients that fescue grass needs to grow and thrive. When fertilization is inadequate, it can lead to several issues that affect the health and appearance of the grass.

Fescue grass requires a careful balance of nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Inadequate fertilization can lead to nutritional deficiencies, leading to poor growth and discoloration. The grass may become weakened and eventually die.

Nutritional deficiencies lead to reduced root growth, which makes the grass even more prone to nutritional deficiencies. Drought, diseases, and pests can all occur when grass is deficient, too.

Grass won’t grow well above ground when nutritionally deficient, either. Therefore, you may notice sparse growth, such as dead patches or thin grass.

You can tell if your soil is nutritionally deficient by conducting a soil test. These will help you tailor your fertilization to your grasses’ needs instead of using general fertilizer. Once you know what nutrients your grass needs, choose fertilizers with the needed nutrient ratios.

Always follow the application guidelines on your fertilizer package. Appling too much fertilizer can lead to nutritional imbalances, too.

Fertilize your lawn during the growing seasons – typically the spring and fall. Use a slow-release fertilizer to provide a more consistent supply of fertilizer throughout the year.

As we’ve discussed, avoid overwatering, as this can literally wash away nutrients.

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As you might guess, diseases and pests can also kill your grass. It’s important to figure out exactly what is killing your grass and treat the underlying problem. Often, diseases and pests are a symptom of a more serious problem. However, they can sometimes be the problem.

Here is a list of common diseases:

Many pests can literally eat or otherwise harm the grass. It’s important to remove these before they seriously harm your grass.

Consider your grass’s symptoms to diagnose and treat the underlying illness. Proper lawn care can go a long way to preventing these problems, but sometimes issues out of your control can cause them (such as getting a lot of rain). If you commonly have issues with diseases or pests, consider getting disease-resistant varieties.

Inspect your lawn regularly for pests and diseases. Early detection makes treatment much easier. You should also remove fallen leaves from your yard in the fall to prevent diseases from overwintering and affecting your grass.

You should avoid using fungicides and insecticides, as they can harm wildlife. However, sometimes, they are necessary to keep your grass alive.

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The amount of sun your grass is exposed to matters. The growth and overall health of the grass depend a lot on the sunlight it receives. However, grass can receive too much and too little sun. It’s important to strike the right balance.

Fescue grass that doesn’t receive enough sunlight may thin out and become weak. The grass becomes sparser, making it vulnerable to weed invasion. It also won’t be able to photosynthesize properly, leading to slower growth (and stressed grass). Because the grass is weaker, it may be more prone to disease.

Grass in shady areas may also lead to shallow root growth, making it less resilient during dry periods.

Excessive sunlight can lead to other problems. The grass may get too hot and develop heat stress and even sunburn. The sun can also dry the grass and soil, causing localized drought. You may need to water grass in particularly sunny areas more.

It’s important to choose a grass that can grow on your lawn. Observe what your yard’s light conditions are throughout the year, and select a grass variety that can grow in your yard’s natural sunlight exposure. You can plant trees and shrubs to shade excessively sunlite areas, but modulating the light levels of your whole yard is often impossible.

If you have trees that are shading your yard too much, consider thinning the canopy or otherwise pruning trees in the area.

Walking on the grass too much can cause physical stress, leading to thinning and deterioration. While walking on your grass some is fine, high-traffic areas may get worn down.

Frequent foot traffic can also cause compaction, reducing the pore space and limiting air and water movement. We’ve discussed compaction in-depth above.

Foot traffic can also directly damage grass. It can make it thin and expose the bare soil, leading to weed growth. Grass simply cannot grow if it’s getting trampled on all the time. Therefore, you may also see uneven growth, which can lead to a patchy yard.

You can manage traffic in several different ways. Designate clear pathways to guide foot traffic away from sensitive areas. You can create paved or mulched paths for people and pets.

You can also create resting areas for pets to keep them off of the grass. This can help eliminate or concentrate wear in one spot instead of thinning the entire lawn.

Install stepping stones or pavers to protect your grass from wear. You can also aerate more traveled areas, as they may get compacted over time.

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Sometimes, the way you planted the grass is why it’s not doing well. You must plant to grass properly to create a healthy and robust lawn.

Improper planting can lead to uneven grass growth. Some areas may germinate, while others may not. If the seeds are planted too deeply or not deep enough, their roots may not grow correctly. This may lead to them becoming more prone to diseases and pests. Weeds may also be more common in these areas.

Therefore, it’s important to prepare the soil properly. You should remove debris, rocks, and weeds. Loosening the rake and mechanical soil cultivator can help create a level seedbed.

Always follow the recommended seeding rate and other instructions when planting. For fescue grass, you typically need to cover seeds with about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of soil. It’s also important to properly water the seeds. Overwatering can make them wash away, while underwatering may prevent germination altogether.

Be patient, too. This grass can take a couple of weeks to really get going.

Soil aeration is commonly overlooked when taking care of your lawn. However, it’s important to ensure the soil is well-oxygenated and the roots have access to nutrients and water. Otherwise, the grass may become stunted.

A range of different issues can cause poor aeration. For instance, compaction can cause soil aeration problems (as we’ve discussed already above). Compaction can also lead to root growth and nutrient absorption problems. Often, poorly aerated soil leads to shallow roots, which makes the grass more prone to diseases and drought.

Simply put, aeration can kill the grass slowly. The grass may look like its doing fine until it becomes nutritionally deficient or is stuck by a disease.

We highly recommend aerating your soil using a tool that matches your needs. There are many different options. You should aerate your soil in the growing season, typically in the spring and fall. Depending on your lawn’s condition, you might need to aerate once or twice a year. Heavily compacted soils might benefit from more frequent aeration.

Aerate to around two to four inches to effectively break up the soil. Always aerate before seeding your lawn, as this improves soil-to-seed contact.

We’ve mentioned a few chemicals in this article, including herbicides, insecticides, and fertilizers. While these can help you solve specific growing problems, overuse can also cause soil problems. Therefore, it’s important to always follow the directions on the container.

Overfertilizing your plants can cause all sorts of problems. Sometimes, it may lead to overgrowth or uneven growth. Parts of the plant may grow faster than other parts, leading to susceptibility to diseases and nutrient runoff.

Soil pH affects nutrient availability to plants. An imbalanced pH can lead to nutrient lockout, where certain nutrients become inaccessible to the grass. For fescue grass, a slightly acidic to neutral pH is generally preferred. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you may want to make amendments if your soil tests show an “off” pH.

Over time, salts can deposit in the soil, leading to salt buildup. High salt levels can prevent plants from absorbing water, causing brown patches. Heavy metals can also cause problems. Often, these are caused by industrial pollutants or improper soil disposal. They can pose a health risk to both you and your grass.

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