Slender Creeping Red Fescue

This densely tufted or mat forming species has a creeping growth habit, sending out rhizomes. It can form a close turf with bristle like, dark green, glossy leaves. It has uses in agricultural and amenity situations.

Uses

Normally used in lawn mixtures in the amenity market and traditional grassland or wild flower mixtures.

Persistence

This is a long lived perennial species.

Strengths

It has a creeping growth habit, allowing it to form a mat or a turf, it is more useful than other fescue species like strong creeping red fescue because it has a finer bristle like leaf and less aggressive growth. This means that it can be used for creating a finer quality lawn finish. This species also shows reasonable salt tolerance for coastal areas.

Frost Tolerance

Good frost tolerance

Sowing Rate Advice

80kgs per acre / 200kgs per ha

Amenity rates may be significantly higher than agricultural rates to ensure a dense turf is created. Grams per metre squared are normally the preferred units for amenity situations.

Ideal Sowing Time

Sowing in warm soils from May to September is advisable.

Management

Slender creeping red fescue will tolerate close mowing, the more it is cut in lawn situations the finer and more uniform the finish. A lack of regular cutting may allow it to become coarse, the creeping growth habit may also cause it to dominate in some swards.

Distinguishing characteristics

Seed
This is a narrow, angularly shaped seed. It varies in colour from beige to light brown, and is 6mm in length.

Flowering Plant
This is a densely tufted, mat forming species, but finer and less aggressive than strong creeping red fescue. The leaves are dark green and bristle like, as well as slightly curved. It has an array of closely packed tillers or culms. The outer sheaths towards the base of the plant are glabourous (smooth and free from hair). It has characteristic slender rhizomes. The plant will grow between 15 and 50 cm in height.

Additional Info

Flowering from June - July Average seeds per kg - 1,400,000.

Works well with

Combining it with dwarf perennial ryegrass and highland bentgrass is a turf growers favourite for good quality lawn mixtures. It may also be used with other red fescue in shade tolerant mixtures. Being less aggressive than creeping red fescue allows it to be used in traditional grass mixtures or shade tolerant wild flowers mixes.

Buy Slender Creeping Red Fescue Straight

You can find Slender Creeping Red Fescue in the following mixtures

• Ornamental Lawn without ryegrass
• Pathways Mixture
• Shady Lawn without ryegrass
• Hard Wearing Lawn with ryegrass
• Golf Greens without ryegrass
• Golf Course Tees Mixture with dwarf ryegrass
• Golf Fairway & Cricket Outfield
• Grass Tennis Court & Cricket Wicket
• Orchard Mixture
• Quality Finish Arena
• Polo Pitch Mixture
• Woodland Edge and Shady Area Mixture

History

Some commercial varieties were originally selected from tidal areas and salt marshes, the species has some salt tolerance.