Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.)
Characteristics
- Yield based on 3 harvests/season
- Seeds/pound: 227,000
- Seeding rate: 10-14 lbs pure live seed/acre (18-20 lbs/acre for conservation purposes)
- Seeding date: early spring, or late summer before August 15
- Deep rooted bunch grass, very winter hardy
- Good for stored feed and intensive pasture, need endophyte-free variety
- Used for stabilizing grass waterways, slopes and roadbanks, also food and cover for wildlife
- Good for areas of heavy livestock or machinery traffic
Advantages
- good quality possible
- easy to establish
- high yield, with good summer production
- good stockpiled forage for late season grazing
- adapted to acid and somewhat poorly-drained soils
Concerns
- not adequately tested as lactating dairy cow forage
- not well suited to droughty soils
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