Old Cobblers Farm™ Leigh Creeping Red Fescue
$100.00
Leigh Creeping Red Fescue (Festuca rubra) is a premium cool-season grass seed renowned for its fine texture, exceptional shade tolerance, and ability to form a dense, vibrant green lawn. Its creeping growth habit via rhizomes allows it to fill bare spots, creating a uniform, carpet-like turf. Ideal for lawns, parks, and landscapes in cooler climates, it offers drought resistance, low maintenance, and disease resistance for sustainable landscaping.
Seed Type & Composition
Seed Type: Cool-season, fine-leafed creeping red fescue.
Key Features:
Exceptional shade tolerance for areas with limited sunlight.
Rapid establishment with rhizomatous spread.
Moderate drought resistance and low maintenance.
Disease-resistant, reducing chemical treatments.
Label Information (varies by supplier):
Purity %: Typically >90% Leigh Creeping Red Fescue seeds.
Germination Rate %: Often >85% under optimal conditions.
Weed Seed %: Low, ideally <0.5%.
Other Crop Seed %: Minimal, typically <1%.
Inert Matter %: Low, often <2% (e.g., chaff, soil).
Lot Number: For batch tracking.
Origin: Region of seed production.
Test Date: Recent germination/purity test date.
Net Weight: Package weight.
Manufacturer: Contact details.
Geographic & USDA Zone Suitability
Geographic Areas: Northern U.S. (e.g., Pacific Northwest, New England, Great Lakes), Canada, and cool, temperate regions globally.
USDA Zones: 2–7; thrives in cooler climates with moderate summers.
Sunlight: Partial shade to full sun; excels in shaded areas with 4–6 hours of daily sunlight.
Soil Compatibility
Soil Texture:
Loam: Ideal for balanced drainage, fertility, and moisture retention.
Clay: Tolerable with amendments for drainage and aeration.
Sandy: Suitable with irrigation and organic matter for moisture retention.
pH Range: 5.5–7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral); adjust with lime or sulfur if needed.
Drainage: Good drainage essential; tolerates occasional wet conditions but not prolonged waterlogging.
Watering & Drought Requirements
Establishment Phase: Light, frequent watering to keep soil moist; avoid waterlogging.
Post-Establishment: Deep, infrequent watering; ~1–1.5 inches/week (including rainfall).
Drought Tolerance: Moderate; withstands short droughts but may go dormant in prolonged dry periods; recovers with moisture.
Tips: Water early morning; mulch to retain moisture in dry conditions.
Germination & Growth Pattern
Germination Time: 7–12 days at soil temperatures of 50°F–65°F (10°C–18°C); up to 14 days in cooler conditions.
Growth Pattern:
Creeping via rhizomes, forming a dense, uniform turf.
Moderate growth rate; most active in spring/fall.
Maintains green color in cooler seasons; slows in hot summers.
Ideal for low to moderate traffic areas and shaded landscapes.
Mowing & Maintenance
Mowing:
Height: 1.5–2.5 inches for lawns; 2–3 inches for parks/meadows.
Frequency: Every 7–10 days during growing season; avoid removing >1/3 of blade height.
Equipment: Use sharp blades for clean cuts to prevent disease.
Maintenance:
Watering: ~1 inch/week; adjust for rainfall.
Fertilization: Balanced fertilizer in spring/fall; avoid excess nitrogen to prevent thatch.
Aeration: Annually in fall to reduce compaction.
Thatch Management: Dethatch every 2–3 years if layer exceeds 0.5 inches.
Weed Control: Dense turf suppresses weeds; use selective herbicides if needed.
Pest/Disease: Monitor for sod webworms, billbugs, red thread, dollar spot; treat as needed.
Overseeding: Fall to maintain density and repair bare spots.
Quantity