Fescue in NE Texas?

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You will need a bottom land soil for the fescue in northeast Texas. On upland soils, the fescue will burn up in the summertime. That is my biggest problem with fescue in this area. In the summer when it gets hot and dry, you need the bottomland for grazing as the upland soil has dried out. You need to be off the fescue at that time. It is a good grass for areas further north of us. Learn to use Bermuda and Bahia and overseed with ryegrass and clover.
 
BC, do you have good luck just overseeding clover? The only time I've gotten a good stand of it is if I disc or till the ground first.
 
I've learned the hard way. If grass isn't in your area there's a good reason.
Gulf ryegrass is persistent enough it's almost as good as a perennial. A good mix of rye, Texas winter grass and rescue grass should serve you well.
 
callmefence":ab2xmp79 said:
I've learned the hard way. If grass isn't in your area there's a good reason.
Gulf ryegrass is persistent enough it's almost as good as a perennial. A good mix of rye, Texas winter grass and rescue grass should serve you well.

Exactly right much easier to roll with Ma Nature.
People want lots of different grasses that has nothing to do with what you get.
 
I submit that all Fescue varieties are not all the same.
BC... I know two guys claiming you are the GURU when it comes to Van Zandt county agriculture. I hope to pick your brain even more in the future. I agree with all of your reply with regards to normal Fescue aka Tall Fescue K31; however, Prosper Tall Fescue is a TRUE "summer dormant" variety. It has survived at Vernon, Texas for more than 10 years with 17 inches annual rainfall. We average 45 inches. I know Rye will not survive our summers on upland pastures. We run two thousand acres with Coastal, Jiggs, Tifton 85, Bermuda, Dallisgrass, Bahia, Ryegrass, and assorted Clovers. I have a good grasp of what native pastures God - sometimes referred to as mother nature - has provided us, along with the aforementioned improved varieties. I have a habit of pushing envelopes. If I do as most everyone else does though, I am sure to get the same results most everyone else does.
We no-tilled in a 20 acre test plot last October. So far, so good. We plan to no-till 60 more acres this October. Five years from now, I should know whether it can survive our summers.
 
Even here in Ky if you graze fescue too short for too long....it will die out or at least thin out quite a bit.

that is why many farmers here have to start feeding hay after the first hard freeze, because they are only grazing Bermuda grass and crabgrass.
Let the fescue get established good with a robust root system and it may surprise everyone how far south it could survive.
 
Eugene66":2zj5fix8 said:
I submit that all Fescue varieties are not all the same.
BC... I know two guys claiming you are the GURU when it comes to Van Zandt county agriculture. I hope to pick your brain even more in the future. I agree with all of your reply with regards to normal Fescue aka Tall Fescue K31; however, Prosper Tall Fescue is a TRUE "summer dormant" variety. It has survived at Vernon, Texas for more than 10 years with 17 inches annual rainfall. We average 45 inches. I know Rye will not survive our summers on upland pastures. We run two thousand acres with Coastal, Jiggs, Tifton 85, Bermuda, Dallisgrass, Bahia, Ryegrass, and assorted Clovers. I have a good grasp of what native pastures God - sometimes referred to as mother nature - has provided us, along with the aforementioned improved varieties. I have a habit of pushing envelopes. If I do as most everyone else does though, I am sure to get the same results most everyone else does.
We no-tilled in a 20 acre test plot last October. So far, so good. We plan to no-till 60 more acres this October. Five years from now, I should know whether it can survive our summers.

I hope it works for you. As you know, 31 probably won't. Since your post, I have a read a little about the more heat tolerant varieties. Sounds promising. Ive always wanted to get to the right blend of warm season, and cool season grasses. Yo may have better luck in your area, than I have here.
 
BF, what is your average annual rainfall? Is your soil sandy? Prosper Tall Fescue is not recommended for sandy soils. Our acreage (mostly rented) is all loamy except about 150 acres. I plan to avoid planting any Prosper on the sandy acreage.
 
I originally planned to plant Texoma II Tall Fescue, which was designed for Texas/Oklahoma area; however, after extensive research, I realized that the key is to have the grass dormant in the summer so that it does not attempt growing every time you get a little rain. That attempted grpwth taxes the root system too much to stay alive throughout June, July and August where I live. Texoma II is not TRUE summer dormant as Prosper is advertised to be. I only had 15 inches rain fall in 2011 during our 100 hundred year drought... not sure if Prosper would have survived then or not.
 
Eugene66":2l4cltej said:
BF, what is your average annual rainfall? Is your soil sandy? Prosper Tall Fescue is not recommended for sandy soils. Our acreage (mostly rented) is all loamy except about 150 acres. I plan to avoid planting any Prosper on the sandy acreage.

I also get 45" a year. Unfortunately, my soil is a crider. There's Pembrook A and B not 5 miles from me. I'm not that blessed though.
 
I have perennial (I guess) long stem Fescue. Just went to the local feed store and bought what they stocked years ago. I got it started on a pool bank after a new one was dug. Now it's everywhere and stays green most of the year except July and August. It turns brown and quits growing but when the weather cools off in September and get some water on it back it comes. I'm NE of Dallas in Houston Black Clay. Really I hate it because it clumps and I don't have it 100% so mowing over it is a PIB....not PIA, well yes a PIA too.
 
greybeard":21zpvi4r said:
BC, do you have good luck just overseeding clover? The only time I've gotten a good stand of it is if I disc or till the ground first.
GB, I usually light disk or use a HayVan no-till drill to put in my ryegrass/clover. I do not manage it to reseed because I want the grazing it provides before Bermuda and Bahia put out. Just add a 1/2 rate of clover every year.

One thing I would suggest to anyone growing clovers is to test for minor elements. I have seen a good response to adding a lb of Boron per acre to fertilizer mix on legumes.
 
Interesting.
Thanks. I would never have considered boron deficiency.
I just use clover for early grazing too. Deer probably get nearly as much as the cows do here.
 
Texasmark":3qusx5mt said:
I have perennial (I guess) long stem Fescue. Just went to the local feed store and bought what they stocked years ago. I got it started on a pool bank after a new one was dug. Now it's everywhere and stays green most of the year except July and August. It turns brown and quits growing but when the weather cools off in September and get some water on it back it comes. I'm NE of Dallas in Houston Black Clay. Really I hate it because it clumps and I don't have it 100% so mowing over it is a PIB....not PIA, well yes a PIA too.
Did it survive 2011 or did you plant later?
 
BC":1m7kupy2 said:
greybeard":1m7kupy2 said:
BC, do you have good luck just overseeding clover? The only time I've gotten a good stand of it is if I disc or till the ground first.
GB, I usually light disk or use a HayVan no-till drill to put in my ryegrass/clover. I do not manage it to reseed because I want the grazing it provides before Bermuda and Bahia put out. Just add a 1/2 rate of clover every year.

One thing I would suggest to anyone growing clovers is to test for minor elements. I have seen a good response to adding a lb of Boron per acre to fertilizer mix on legumes.
My recent soil testing revealed exactly that = Boron deficiency. Plan to correct it when we fertilize next time.
 
Eugene66, I am interested in how your fescue performs. It could fill a gap in forage production. Most producers here in East Texas won't manage it right. Need to stay off and give it a rest in the summer to build its reserves.

I have mostly sandy soils so the fescue is not as applicable in my situation.
 

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