How to get rid of Tall Fescue in Wisconsin

Tall Fescue is a grass. Not a broadleaf weed.

Regular broadleaf weed control applied to the lawn will NOT get rid of Tall Fescue.

Tall Fescue is a coarse, wide-bladed, bunch-type grass that is easily spotted as a "weedy grass" in the lawn. It greens-up quicker than Kentucky Bluegrass in the Spring, and it grows in clumps that are very easy to spot.

How to kill Tall Fescue

Purdue University recommends cutting the Tall Fescue out with a shovel or a knife, while making sure to cut at least a couple inches into the soil to get all of the stems out. Then refill the holes with soil and reseed the areas with your desired turf species. In Wisconsin, your turf species is more than likely Kentucky Bluegrass. This isn't always the case so make sure to check what species your lawn is before buying your new seed to refill the areas you cut out.

Purdue University offers glyphosate as the recommendation for chemical control of Tall Fescue if cutting it out is not feasible. The most commonly known brand of Glyphosate is Round-Up. Pro-Ranger is another option. Warning: This method will kill ALL your surrounding grass in any area that you spray! If you don't mind the desirable grass around the area dying off, then this method is likely the quickest and easiest. When the grass dies, rake it away and reseed the area 14 days after you applied the glyphosate.

There is another chemical option called Chlorsulfuron, but it is only allowed to be sprayed on industrial sites and roadsides according to Purdue University. It is not able to be applied to golf courses, athletic fields, or lawns. So, glyphosate is your main option for chemical control.

When a Weed Wrangler technician performs an application on your lawn, they leave notes each time identifying any undesirable turf species such as Tall Fescue. Give us a call or email today at 920-880-3956 or service@weedwranglerlawns.com

References

Tall Fescue | Purdue University Turfgrass Science at Purdue University. turf.purdue.edu/tall-fescue/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2023.

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