Fescue areas of the US

[dun]

Kerens question concerning fescue got me to wondering. What states have fescue as a major part of their forage/hay?
I have always seen it as an area from the missouri river south through arkansas ans east from that area to the coast.

 

[Jogeephus]

I've wondered the same thing but don't know the answer. We don't have it here. Am told we can't grow it cause its too hot. This doesn't exactly settle well with me cause I own a farm in SC that is an old dairy and fescue is the backbone of the grazing. Barring some minor temperature differences I see little difference in the weather. Biggest difference is that the soil there is a clay based soil. Taking this assumption and applying it to Georgia, I can drive an hour or two north and get into more clay type soils and I begin to see fescue growing so I wonder if its not the soil type moreso than the temperature. If this is true, then maybe you could draw a line along the coastal plain and use it for the boundary - in these two states anyway. (just a thought)

 

[kenny thomas]

it is mostly what we have in western Virginia. Limestone based soils.
Jogee, could it be the sandy soils you have?

 

[Jogeephus]

it is mostly what we have in western Virginia. Limestone based soils.
Jogee, could it be the sandy soils you have?

That's kinda what I'm wondering cause once you get out of the coastal plain you begin to see it. Of course I don't know about other states just these two.

 

[Douglas]

Same here in NC. West half of the state has heavier soils and mostly fescue. Eastern half (coastal plain)has fescue in bottom areas that are wet only and bermuda everywhere else.

 

[cfpinz]

If it weren't for fescue my cows would starve. It's the predominant species in this area and will choke out most everything else. Well, other than thistles.

 

[newrancher]

We are about 50/50 here on fescue and bermuda, 15 miles east at dads place, mostly all fescue. I'm trying this year to keep the fescue grazed down so its not overly mature for the first cutting, hope it works. How much difference, if any, are the ntrient requiremets for these grasses. I'm pretty sure bermuda requires more phos, correct if wrong Thanks

 

[ga. prime]

It's commonly grown in the piedmont and North Ga., and it will grow in the coastal plain because I planted a bag of it one time in my lawn and it would green up in the cool months and disappear in the summer. Lasted several years that way. It wasn't under any grazing pressure though, so I don't know how that'd work out.

 

[rowdyred]

In northern Mississippi, fescu and bermuda grass pretty much dominate if you keep the weeds down, must of the time you call someone about hay, thats the first question, "you want fescu or bermuda?"

 

[Douglas]

It's commonly grown in the piedmont and North Ga., and it will grow in the coastal plain because I planted a bag of it one time in my lawn and it would green up in the cool months and disappear in the summer. Lasted several years that way. It wasn't under any grazing pressure though, so I don't know how that'd work out.

In lighter soils you can grow fescue and it is common in water ways and ends or row crop fields all over the south. The problem i have had is that it survives but is not as productive as other grasses. In lawns the other grasses will take over after several years.

 

[Jogeephus]

So would it be safe to assume the range of fescue - growing well fescue - is north of the fall line?

 

[ga. prime]

I think that's a safe assumption. Bahia/bermuda even centipede will wipe it out over time. That's what happened to the fescue I had in the yard. What do you say Douglas?

 

[Copenhagen & Shiner B]

Fescue will grow on my place in the sandy areas with a high water table and also in the loamy areas. My best pasture is bahia during the summer and fescue the rest of the year. You can look at that pasture right now and swear that it is a pure bahia stand, but come back around Thanksgiving after I have fertilized (around October 1) and the first hard frost has hit and you will swear that the stand is pure fescue.

 

[Jogeephus]

Fescue will grow on my place in the sandy areas with a high water table and also in the loamy areas. My best pasture is bahia during the summer and fescue the rest of the year. You can look at that pasture right now and swear that it is a pure bahia stand, but come back around Thanksgiving after I have fertilized (around October 1) and the first hard frost has hit and you will swear that the stand is pure fescue.

Sounds like you are in a perfect location. Wish I could do that.

 

[talldog]

Here, on the eastern coast of NC, it does mighty well !!

 

[Douglas]

You can get fescue to grow in sandy areas with careful management. But just because something will grow does not mean it is productive. In the coastal plain of the south (except for bottom land), I am skeptical fescue is productive over time. In the Piedmont north and west fescue is your best bet.

I live in the transition zone between the piedmont and sandhills. Here fescue work on my heavier land.
I plant fescue in fields testing over 5 for cation exchange capacity (ability to hold nutrients) on my soil samples.

 

[Douglas]

Here, on the eastern coast of NC, it does mighty well !!

I suspect you are close enough to the coast to get significantly more rain the we do.

 

[skyeagle]

In my area Fescue grows best. But Bermudagrass will crowd it out in druoght years.
I'v replanted Fescue because that what the Lade's want. It takes three sprayings too Kill
off the Bermuda. I try too grow more grass per acre.

 

[Copenhagen & Shiner B]

You can get fescue to grow in sandy areas with careful management. But just because something will grow does not mean it is productive. In the coastal plain of the south (except for bottom land), I am skeptical fescue is productive over time. In the Piedmont north and west fescue is your best bet.

I live in the transition zone between the piedmont and sandhills. Here fescue work on my heavier land.
I plant fescue in fields testing over 5 for cation exchange capacity (ability to hold nutrients) on my soil samples.

I live where sandhills and the piedmont meet too.Thanks for telling me about cec on soil samples. I checked the cec's on the soil samples of the pasture that I was talking about and it was 3.6. I am gonna plant my old dove field next week with fescue and the cec on the soil sample that I got 2 weeks ago was 5.2. You taught me something new today.