Cover Story
Turf-Type Tall Fescue in Maryland By Dr. Tom Turner, University of Maryland and Dr. Joe Roberts, University of Maryland
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urf-type tall fescue has become the predominant species recommended and used for lawns in Maryland. It is also commonly used on athletic fields, institutional grounds, roadsides, and golf course roughs. Before the early 1980’s, only one tall fescue, Kentucky 31, was commonly used for turf areas. Its coarse texture, yellowish green color, and lack of dependable seed quality limited its use. Kentucky 31 did not have acceptable quality for most homeowners and is considered primarily a forage grass. However, compared to most other turfgrasses commonly used at that time, Kentucky 31 did exhibit good drought tolerance, had minimal pest problems, and required reduced maintenance inputs. Thus, turfgrass breeders began intensive efforts on improving the quality characteristics of tall fescue while maintaining or improving upon the desirable characteristics of Kentucky 31. The results have been extremely successful, and numerous excellent turf-type tall fescues are available for homeowner and professional use.
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MTC Turf News
Some of the characteristics of turf-type tall fescue include: 1. Excellent in full sun to moderate shade 2. Excellent drought tolerance 3. Excellent tolerance to disease and insect problems 4. Minimal weed problems when maintained properly and mowed at recommended heights 5. Very good wear tolerance 6. Moderate fertility requirements, which become lower as the turf matures 7. Rapid establishment from seed 8. Excellent availability of seed for recommended cultivars 9. Excellent availability of sod certified by the Maryland Department of Agriculture 10. Very good density, which helps maximize water infiltration and minimize runoff 11. Thatch production not a problem
Selecting Cultivars One of the most critical factors in longterm successful turfgrass management is the selection of cultivars that have been shown to persist in this region. Maryland and Virginia cooperate in extensive cultivar testing. Researchers from University of Maryland and Virginia Tech meet annually to review cultivar research data in these states from the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP), Cooperative Breeders Tests, and joint MDVA trials. The list of recommended cultivars is published annually in University of Maryland Turfgrass Technical Update #77 “Recommended Turfgrass Cultivars for Certified Sod Production & Seed Mixtures in Maryland”. The current recommended cultivars are shown in Table 1. Proven cultivars are those that have performed well in research and have had certified seed tested by the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA). Promising cultivars are those that have performed well in more recent cultivar trials, but for which certified seed has