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Its not dead. Mine is quite yellow in some areas, too. Put out some pre-emergent crabgrass control w/ some fertilzer in late-February and it should green up by late-March.
I hoping this is what they do when they go dormant, but mine is really yellow. I hope this doesn't mean its dead!
I haven't seen your lawn, but from how you described it I don't think it is dead. It might just be in need of some nitrogen. Grass can turn yellow when it doesn't get have enough nitrogen. Did you give it a fall fertilization around labor day? If not, just make sure you fertilize next month. According to local NC extension agents and the folks at NC State, a good rule of thumb around here is to fertilize fescue lawns around Labor Day, Thanksgiving and then again around Valentines Day.
After that don't fertilize again until the fall. I like using a 16-4-8 fertilizer and apply about 1 lb of Nitrogen per thousand square feet. Follow that regiment and you should maintain a fairly green looking lawn. Good luck!
Sample fertilizer application Formula from Turf files website:
For a 16-4-8 fertilizer ► Divide 100 by 16 = 6.25 (100/16 = 6.25) pounds of product applied per thousand square feet to deliver 1 pound of nitrogen.
I agree with fertilizing, I did not do this in the fall and mine is yellowing in areas as well. I have had fescue for 8 years, and this is the first year I have yellowed.
ditto what everyone has said about fertilizer -- fescue is a hungry grass. It likes fertilizer, water, and lots of mowing. I usually fertilize when mine goes yellow - though I'll probably wait a couple of weeks til it warms up a bit before doing so. It's like green spray paint!
Mine is also yellowish/white. Along most of the neighborhood. We all have Fescue, Last time I fertilized was in October or November. All the lawns just a bit over one year old. I am due for a treatment, may do it today with the nice temps
It's too early to do anything to Fescue right now. As others have said, wait until the end of the month and put down a combo crabgrass pre-emergent and fertilizer. Then do nothing but water and mow it until early fall.
I have a similar problem but the NC agriculture reports says not to fertilize anymore i.e., lawn has excess P and K. Wondering if I should dose it with N only or chance it and add some P and K to the mix.
Prognosis doesn't look good for the summer... probably the last year with fescue before I realize its a folly to persist with a cool season grass on my lawn.
Yellow fescue needs a dose of lime. You can get a bag at home stores. We put it out every fall now, no more yellow lawn. It's cheap too, and we spread it by hand and old cool whip bowl.
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