Q: The fescue at our subdivision entryway has suffered greatly, even though the sprinkler system waters every Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, for 10 minutes and fertilize it. I see similar damage to fescue lawns throughout our area. Have you any thoughts about what’s going on with the fescue, and what the plan should be for the fall?

A: Improper watering is the problem.

Watering that often (3 times per week) never allows the soil and foliage to dry out. This weakens the grass and makes it more susceptible to fungi. The idea is to let the soil dry between waterings. This will make the grass healthier so it can fight disease fungi successfully.

If you water correctly (once per week, one inch at a time) and if the soil is loose and well-drained, fescue can do fine in your environment.

Grass disease fungi is always present in soil. There is no way to eliminate it. Fungicides only stop disease symptoms, they don’t fix the original problem.

Fescue damaged