Content
- 1 Description of fescue with photo
- 2 Fescue varieties
- 3 How to plant fescue
- 4 Can fescue be grown in a pot?
- 5 Care instructions
- 6 Transplanting fescue
- 7 How does fescue reproduce?
- 8 Diseases, pests
- 9 Why does fescue turn yellow?
- 10 What does fescue go with in a flower bed?
- 11 Application in landscape design
- 12 Conclusion
- 13 Reviews from summer residents about fescue
Photos of fescue show that the grass looks very discreet, but is capable of decorating a summer cottage. Before sowing a crop, it is worth studying its characteristics and requirements.
Description of fescue with photo
Fescue (Festuca) is an evergreen plant of the Poaceae family, represented by dozens of species. Varieties may have some differences, but they also have similar features.
What fescue looks like
The plant has a straight stem up to 1.2 m tall. The leaves are simple, pointed, linear, with a rough or hairy surface. The tint of the plates is usually bluish-gray.
The inflorescences are compressed or spreading panicles up to 50 cm long, consisting of loose spikelets. They are not particularly valuable; gardeners often simply remove them immediately after they appear. The fruits of the plant are oblong grains with a convex back, up to 5 mm in length.
The grass forms spherical, slightly flattened bushes and forms dense turf in free areas of soil. Grows well on sandy soil, in the presence of high-quality drainage - on the banks of artificial reservoirs.
Fescue is often used to prevent soil erosion
When does fescue bloom?
The flowering period of fescue depends on the specific species and variety. Most often the plant blooms in July and August. But some varieties bloom in early summer, while others bloom closer to September.
Where does fescue grow?
The ornamental grass is found in equatorial and temperate climates throughout the world. You can see it in meadows and forest-steppe zones, swamps and mountainous areas.
Winter hardiness of fescue
Frost resistance of fescue is quite good. Most varieties can withstand cold temperatures down to -35 °C. With minimal shelter, the crop can overwinter in regions with harsh climates without damaging the root system.
Fescue varieties
Photos of fescue lawn grass show that the crop is represented by numerous species. In particular, several of them can be highlighted:
- Giant (Festula gigantea). The plant reaches 1 m above the ground, has green or grayish narrow leaves. The inflorescences are loose, drooping panicles.
Giant fescue blooms in June and July
- Meadow (Festula pratensis).A herbaceous plant up to 1.2 m above the ground has a powerful root system, blooms in compressed panicles with green or slightly purple spikelets. It blooms in June and produces seeds by early August.
Meadow fescue is used as a forage crop
- Altai (Festula altaica). A perennial herb with stems up to 90 cm above the ground and a short rhizome, it blooms from May to September. The spikelets are purple or brown, collected in spreading panicles.
Altai fescue is found in Siberia, the Far East and Asia
Most types of culture have a rich chemical composition. The plant contains many amino acids and vitamins, which make the grass a useful green manure.
How to plant fescue
Typically, gardeners prefer to plant fescue in open ground - the plant germinates easily at stable positive temperatures. The procedure is carried out in mid-May. It is also allowed to sow seeds in the fall until the third ten days of October.
The immediate landing algorithm is as follows:
- The selected area in the garden is loosened and the soil is leveled with a rake.
- Moisten the soil properly and make small grooves in it.
- Seeds are sown to a depth of about 1 cm.
- Sprinkle the material on top with soil and spray it generously with a spray bottle.
The weather for planting seeds should be warm, but not too hot.
If desired, it is allowed to sow fescue seedlings. In this case, planting is carried out in the middle or at the end of March at home. For the culture, select a wide but shallow box and fill it with nutritious soil, and then lay out the plant material in shallow grooves. For the first time, the container is covered with film, and after the sprouts appear, it is moved to the most illuminated place.
Where to plant fescue
To plant fescue seeds in open ground, you need to choose the right place for the crop. The perennial plant prefers light and dry soils with good breathability. The pH level should be slightly alkaline or neutral, it is desirable that there is more calcium in the soil.
The planting site for fescue should be well-lit and warm. You can place the plant on the south or west side of the site. When sowing tall varieties, you need to take care in advance to create shelter from strong winds.
On fertile nutritious soil, fescue loses the unusual bluish color of the leaves and becomes simply green
Fescue seeding rate
When sowing fescue seeds, it is customary to observe certain application rates. With continuous planting, it is necessary to spend about 17 kg of material per 1 hectare, with wide-row planting - 9 kg per 1 hectare.
At what depth to plant fescue?
When planting fescue for open ground maintenance, you do not need to plant the seeds too deeply. The material is usually placed 1-3 cm deep into the soil. If the soil is light, you can place the seeds a little deeper. In heavy clay soil they are located near the surface.
At what distance should fescue be planted?
When planting grass on a site, it is necessary to maintain small gaps between individual plants. Usually 35-40 cm are left between the bushes, in which case the crop develops without interference and does not get sick.
If you are planting grass as a ground cover, you are allowed to place 10-12 plants per 1 m2. When sowing, to strengthen the slope, leave 25 cm between the bushes.
How many days does it take for fescue to sprout?
The timing of emergence of seedlings after planting depends on many nuances - the type of grass, the place of sowing. But most often, green sprouts form within 10-14 days. In well-lit areas, grass grows faster. If you plant it in the shade, it will germinate no sooner than in two weeks.
Can fescue be grown in a pot?
You can grow fescue from seeds in a closed container without subsequent transplantation into the ground. The grass is grown as an indoor crop or displayed in pots on verandas and terraces.
When grown in a container, the plant does not require frequent watering and constant feeding. But at the same time, it is advisable to trim the grass from time to time so that the bush remains compact. Otherwise, its roots will become too crowded in a closed pot.
Care instructions
Caring for fescue in spring and summer is quite simple. You need to pay attention to periodic watering and fertilizing, as well as trim the plant on time.
Watering
The grass is highly drought-resistant and rarely requires moisture. Typically, watering is carried out only for young seedlings, as well as for adult plants during periods of long absence of precipitation. Even during drought, it is recommended to add moisture no more than once a week.
It is not necessary to use soft water. Watering the grass is allowed with hard well liquid, especially if it contains a lot of calcium. But you still need to make sure that the water is lukewarm.
It is necessary to water fescue strictly at the root, so that the leaves and stems do not rot from excess moisture.
Top dressing
Caring for fescue in the spring and throughout the season is quite easy, since the grass does not need frequent feeding. It is not necessary to add any mineral or organic fertilizers to the soil.It is enough to mulch the soil around the bushes with compost once a year in early spring.
Trimming
The grass grows quickly, so it is necessary to trim the fescue from time to time. It is performed exclusively in early spring. During the procedure, dry shoots and leaves are removed with pruning shears at a distance of approximately 10 cm from the ground. If there are a lot of dead parts, you can trim the grass to 3 cm.
Throughout the summer, you can also trim the fescue stalks regularly. They have no decorative value and most often only cover the beautiful bluish leaves of the grass.
Wintering
Due to its high frost resistance, the crop can easily tolerate cold temperatures down to -30 °C. With the onset of autumn, it is necessary to tie dried shoots and inflorescences into a panicle, and then cover the plant with agrofibre or lutrasil. If the winter is expected to be cold, it is worth additionally covering the grass with coniferous spruce branches.
The crop does not tolerate dense snow cover, under which its stems and roots begin to rot and rot. If the height of the snowdrift exceeds 20 cm, it is necessary to remove the top to provide ventilation to the plant.
Transplanting fescue
Every few years, radical rejuvenation is carried out for the culture. In the process, the plant is not only trimmed, but also divided into several parts along the rhizome and distributed into separate holes. Fescue should be replanted in early spring so that the crop has time to take root properly in its new location before fall.
How does fescue reproduce?
Fescue can be propagated both vegetatively and using seeds. New varieties are usually grown through seedlings, and existing bushes are divided.
Fescue propagation by dividing the bush
Mature grass can be propagated by dividing the bush - it is recommended to carry out the procedure every 3-4 years. If a crop grows in one place for too long, its decorative qualities are reduced.
Division is performed in early spring in March or April. A well-developed bush is carefully removed from the ground using a shovel. The rhizome is divided into several parts, simultaneously removing all dried and darkened areas. The resulting seedlings are immediately distributed into individual holes and watered abundantly.
Growing fescue from seeds at home
To grow from seeds, grass is sown in a moist substrate in a wide container in early or mid-March. The soil selected is loose and light, with the addition of peat. Before planting, seeds are pre-stratified in the refrigerator for several weeks.
The first shoots appear on average after 25-20 days. It is recommended to plant fescue in individual containers at the end of April. In May, after the end of the return frosts, the grass is transferred to open ground for further cultivation.
You can propagate fescue with your own seeds, but varietal plants in this case lose their unique characteristics
Diseases, pests
Ornamental grass rarely suffers from pests and fungi. But the following may pose a danger to her:
- gray rot - the leaves darken and become covered with plaque and spots, the plant quickly dies;
Gray rot usually appears in the spring after an unsuccessful winter in conditions of high humidity.
- red filamentousness - the plates of the culture become slightly pinkish and then turn brown;
Red threadiness develops due to dampness, as well as against a background of potassium and nitrogen deficiency
- spider mite - an insect that feeds on plant leaves, densely entangles bushes and interferes with photosynthesis processes.
Spider mites harm fescue during periods of prolonged drought.
Preventing the development of fungi is quite simple - you need to control the condition of the soil in the area with grass and prevent waterlogging. When symptoms appear, you need to spray the bushes with preparations containing copper.
Simply irrigating the plant with lukewarm water over the leaves works well against spider mites. But the procedure must be carried out in the evening so that the sun does not leave burns on the plates.
Why does fescue turn yellow?
If fescue has turned yellow after winter, the cause is most likely root rot. It is necessary to treat the grass with Fundazol or Topaz, after cutting off all affected shoots and leaves. If the bush is very badly affected, you need to dig it out of the ground, remove the rotten roots and move the healthy part of the plant to a new place.
A severe lack of moisture causes grass to turn yellow in summer. In this case, reviving fescue is very simple - you need to water the plant. In the future, you need to monitor the condition of the soil and periodically moisten it when the top layer dries out.
What does fescue go with in a flower bed?
Ornamental grass in landscape design is combined with low-growing and tall crops. Good neighbors for her are:
- hosts;
- Tradescantia;
- Heuchera;
- lungworts;
- cuffs;
- miscanthus;
- Volzhanka;
- Yucca
Also, grass is often planted next to conifers - thujas, junipers and cypresses. Plants have similar requirements for soil conditions and composition.
Application in landscape design
In landscape design, culture is used very widely.Grass is planted in lighted and semi-shaded areas; it can be placed on dry soil where other plants do not take root.
Fescue often becomes an element of rocky gardens
With the help of a perennial, you can emphasize the brightness and beauty of decorative flowers or shrubs. The grass itself does not produce spectacular buds, but creates an advantageous backdrop for neighboring plants.
Conclusion
Photos of fescue show a discreet, but attractive ground cover plant in landscape design. The grass does not require complex care, does not need frequent watering and abundant fertilizing.
