Begin mowing the fine fescue after green-up in spring. It should be mown at 2.5 to 3.5 inches tall as often as needed without removing more than 1/3 of the leaf blade. The mowing frequency will be once a week in the months of April and May. Let the clippings return to the turf surface to supply/recycle nutrients to the soil. Avoid excessive clipping buildup on the lawn surface by following the 1/3 rule and using a mulching mower. Perform routine maintenance on your mower and sharpen the blades based on the amount of usage or at least twice a year. Sharp mower blades provide a clean cut, while dull worn blades will tear the grass which results in greater water loss from the plant and poor health. For more information about mowing see Mowing Your Lawn Extension publication.

The best time to fertilize is in the fall (see below). If you must fertilize in the spring, then apply 0.5 to 1.0 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet in mid-April or early May. Do not apply more than 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet in the spring or excessive growth will occur. Use a nitrogen fertilizer product that contains mostly slow-release nitrogen, such as sulfur- or polymer-coated urea, or a natural organic source. Submit a soil sample to also determine phosphorus and potassium requirements (contact your county Extension Office). Submit soil samples for analysis every 2-3 years to determine your lawn’s nutrient requirements. For more information about fertilization see Fertilizing Your Lawn Extension publication. For more information about soil testing in lawns see Soil Testing For Lawns Extension publication. For more information on calculating the amount of fertilizer you need to apply see Fertilizing Your Lawn Extension publication.

Irrigation is seldom needed during the spring except for newly seeded or sodded areas, which need frequent irrigation in the absence of rain until all seed germinates or rooting of sod is successful. Additional irrigation may only be required for established turf if dry, warm conditions occur for an extended period. A dark, bluish gray color, foot-printing, and wilted, or curled leaves indicate that it is time to water.

Common diseases that occur during the spring are pink snow mold, red thread, pink patch, powdery mildew, dollar spot and leaf spot. If snow mold is present during spring green-up, promptly hand-rake and remove debris from damaged areas to encourage recovery. Reseed damaged areas after raking and when turf growth resumes. Fungicides are rarely necessary in home lawns for most spring diseases, including red thread/pink patch and leaf spot. Proper management of cultural practices will typically help prevent or control most of these diseases (see June through August guidelines). Detailed Extension publications on Gray Snow Mold, Pink Snow Mold, Red Thread, and Leaf Spot/Melting Out are available.

Apply preemergence herbicides if crabgrass has been a problem in the past. Apply from late-March to mid-April. See Crabgrass Control and Other Summer Annual Grasses Extension publication for more weed control information.

For dandelion and other perennial broadleaf control, applications in the fall (October) will provide safer and more efficient dandelion control than an application in the spring. See Broadleaf Weed Control Extension publication for more weed control information.

Insect control is rarely required in spring. Although rare, the most likely culprit would be white grub damage from the European chafer larvae (grubs). Damage from this pest is usually limited to the northeastern part of the state. Scout for insect pests in the spring, particularly where there is a history of insect problems, and determine if a curative or preventive treatment is required. May is a good time to scout for billbug adults as they can be controlled before they lay eggs.

Due to the bunch-type growth habit, there is less potential for Chewings, hard, and sheep fescue to develop excessive thatch problems. If the lawn contains a creeping red fescue, or a fine fescue + Kentucky bluegrass mixture, then thatch removal may be required once every 2-4 years. Thatch removal should be performed when the grass is actively growing. Thatch removal can be conducted in April or May, but the best time of the year is to complete this task is September. Between April and May, thatch removal can be accomplished by core aerification (see below). Core aerification, removes organic matter and alleviates soil compaction making it the preferred thatch removal process. Power raking is an alternative but a less preferred practice because it is more damaging to the turf and does not alleviate soil compaction.

Fine fescue should be mowed every 7 to 14 days during the summer months or less often when the lawn is drought-stressed or slowly growing. During periods of drought stress, mowing should be delayed to prevent traffic associated damage. Set your mower at 3.0 inches or higher during the summer to help reduce stress. Fine fescue on shaded sites should be mowed slightly higher (0.5 to 1.0 inch higher) and less often than a lawn in full sun. Perform routine maintenance on your mower and sharpen the blades based on the amount of usage.

Do not fertilize during summer as fertilization during these months increases the likelihood of intensifying drought stress and damaging diseases.

During the summer, water as needed to prevent drought or allow the lawn to go dormant. If you are irrigating to prevent summer dormancy, a dark bluish-gray color, foot printing, wilting, folded leaves, or curled leaves indicate that it is time to water. For established turfgrass, occasional lawn wilting helps promote deeper rooting of the turfgrass; therefore, water infrequently but deeply during the early morning hours when wilt occurs. During drought periods in the summer, it is OK to let your lawn go dormant (turn brown). It will usually recover with increased rainfall or irrigation and cooler temperatures in the fall. If the drought period continues for an extended time, it is recommended you do not completely discontinue irrigation in midsummer. Water dormant lawns every three weeks if an adequate (0.75 to 1 inch) rainfall event does not occur during this period.

About 1 inch of water from rainfall or irrigation each week is adequate for lawns. Sandy soils often require more moisture as they are well-drained and do not store as much water. Probe with a screwdriver to help determine the irrigation need, the lawn needs watered when the screwdriver will not penetrate more than 1 to 2 inches. When watering, it may be necessary to irrigate an area for more than 1 hour to apply 1 inch of water (1 inch of water to the lawn typically will moisten the top 4 to 6 inches of soil). For example, it requires 620 gallons of water to deliver 1 inch of water per 1,000 square feet. You can use catch cans (trays) to assess the amount of water applied when you use your irrigation system. Because clay or compacted soils accept water slowly, irrigate just until runoff is about to occur, wait 30 minutes until the water has been absorbed, and then continue irrigating until the desired depth or amount is obtained.

For fine fescue lawns, it is important to reduce traffic when the turf is drought stressed, especially during hot weather. Minimize equipment and mowing events as well as reduce foot traffic when drought-stressed or damage will occur (Fig 5).

Common diseases that can damage fine fescue turf in the summer include Rhizoctonia brown patch, summer patch, necrotic ring spot, and dollar spot. Fungicide use to control these diseases is rarely necessary for home lawns, and proper cultural practices will typically prevent or reduce disease damage. These cultural practices include mowing at a higher height of cut, 3 inches or higher, irrigate after dew formation at night or early in the morning, avoid excessive summer fertilizer applications, and maintain a moderate to low amount of thatch. Ultimately, cultural practices that favor deep rooting are the best defense against many of these summer diseases. For more information see Rhizoctonia Brown Patch, Summer Patch, Necrotic Ring Spot, and Dollar Spot Extension publications

If turfgrass diseases are present, contact the Purdue University Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory (www.ppdl.purdue.edu) for assistance with identification.

Contact a professional lawn care company for assistance with control. See Should I Hire a Professional Lawn Care Service? for more information.

f a preemergence herbicide was not applied in the spring, crabgrass plants may be controlled with a postemergence herbicide in June. Avoid applications when temperatures are over 85°F. Chose postemergence herbicides with fluazifop, sethoxydim, or topramezone as the key ingredient; these are effective on crabgrass and safe on 100% fine fescue lawns. If a mixture of fine fescue and Kentucky bluegrass is present, then use products with quinclorac or topramezone.

Sedges and some summer annual broadleaf weeds may also be problematic in the summer. See Yellow Nutsedge Control and Control of Broadleaf Weeds in Home Lawns for more information

Start scouting for white grubs and billbug larvae in early July. If the lawn has a history of white grub or billbug damage, an insecticide may need to be applied as a preventive in early July. Or you can wait until later in the summer; if insect damage does occur, apply a curative treatment. Chinch bug damage typically appears during hot and dry periods during July or August. The insecticide application should be handled by a professional lawn care company. For more information see Integrated Management of Turfgrass Insects: Managing White Grubs in Turfgrass, and Managing Billbugs in Turfgrass Extension publications.

Renovation, dethatching, and aerification practices should not be conducted during the summer due to summer heat stress and competition with weeds.

Mow the lawn about once a week or as needed based on growth rate of the turfgrass to avoid removing more than 1/3 of the leaf blade with each mowing event. Let the clippings return to the turf surface. If you raised your mowing height during the summer, you may gradually lower the mower back to the desired height between 2.5 to 3.5 inches over two or three mowing events. Perform routine maintenance on your mower and sharpen the blades.

This is the best time to fertilize fine fescue. Fertilize with nitrogen at 0.5 to 1.0 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet in early- to mid- September. Use a slow-release fertilizer when applying nitrogen at more than 0.5 lb. per 1,000 square feet. A second application at 0.5 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet may be beneficial from late September to early October if recovery from summer stress damage is not complete.

Supplemental irrigation is seldom needed during the fall on established lawns. The exception is newly seeded or sodded areas, which will likely need irrigation to promote establishment. If dry, hot, windy conditions occur in September on newly established lawns, then irrigate as needed by following the June through August guidelines.

The same turf diseases that occur in the spring can also occur during the fall (see March through May guidelines). If dollar spot is present, it may be an indication of low nitrogen; therefore promptly apply nitrogen fertilizer to alleviate symptoms. If you have a fine fescue + Kentucky bluegrass mixture, powdery mildew may appear as a white to light-gray powder on the leaf surface. This may be an indication of poor air circulation, excessive shade, and low fertility problems. Overseed shaded areas with fine fescues. Improve light penetration and air circulation by pruning trees, shrubs, or bushes. A light (<0.25 pound of N per 1,000 square feet) fertilizer application should also help reduce powdery mildew. Fungicide use on fine fescue home lawns should not be necessary to control most diseases, including powdery mildew. For more information see Powdery Mildew Extension publication.

If needed, this is the best time to apply herbicides for effective control of perennial broadleaf weeds, such as dandelion. Apply postemergence broadleaf herbicides containing 2,4-D, dicamba, or mecoprop. Follow label directions. See Control of Broadleaf Weeds in Home Lawns and Controlling Tough Broadleaves in Lawns for more information.

If white grub damage is found in early September, consult the "Managing White Grubs in Turfgrass" Extension publication.

Overseed thin, bare areas as the turfgrass begins to respond to cooler temperatures in September and early October. Early fall seeding will establish more quickly than when seeding in late fall. Use a blend of new and improved fine fescue cultivars at 4 to 6 pounds per 1,000 square feet. If soil tests indicate, apply a starter-type (high phosphorus) fertilizer at time of seeding. In the absence of rain, keep the seedbed moist with light, frequent watering several times a day to ensure good germination and emergence of seedlings.

If core aerification is needed to alleviate soil compaction and/or thatch removal, then early September is the best time of year to complete this task.

Leaf removal is key to turf maintenance. Remove, or mulch fallen leaves with your mower to decrease shade on growing turfgrass. Installing a mulching blade on your mower will help to thoroughly chop up fallen leaves and return them to the soil, which provide additional fertilizer. Do this promptly to avoid shading/smothering the turf.

Mowing is likely not required.

Do not fertilize.

Irrigation not required except newly laid sod when temperatures are above freezing and soils are dry. Winterize your irrigation system and hoses prior to freezing temperatures.

It is often too late to apply postemergence broadleaf herbicides. If early December is mild, postemergence applications for control of chickweed, henbit, or other weeds can be made.

Leaf removal is key to turfgrass health. Promptly remove or mulch fallen leaves from trees to decrease shade and smothering of the turfgrass lawn.