MOWING OF 3 FESCUE SPECIES FOR LOW-MAINTENANCE TURF SITES

While Festuca spp. are suited to low management, there is little infor mation regarding their performance with little or no inputs of irrigat ion, fertilizer, or herbicides. In this 3-yr field study, the quality of 'Bighorn' blue fescue [Festuca ovina L. spp. glauca (Lam.) W.D.J. K och], 'Aurora' hard fescue (F. longifolia Thuill.), and 'Silverado' an d 'Rebel II' tall fescue (F. arundinacea Schreber) were compared under three mowing regimes. Turf received no :supplemental Irrigation or fe rtilizer following seedling emergence. The three mowing regimes were m owing as needed to a height of 5.5 cm (Regime I); monthly mowing to a height of 8.0 cm (Regime II); and monthly mowing initiated following s eedhead senescence to a height of 8.0 cm (Regime III). Initially, both tall fescue (TF) cultivars exhibited very good quality. Within 1 yr o f seeding, however, Bighorn and Aurora quality surpassed that of both TF cultivars. Both TF cultivars were more rapidly and extensively inva ded by smooth crabgrass [Digitaria ischaemum (Schreber) Schreber ex Mu hlenb.] and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) than either Bighorn or Aurora following a spring drought in the second year of study. By the second summer and thereafter, Bighorn generally received the highest q uality ratings followed by Aurora. Turf maintained in Regime I was gen erally of higher quality, but seasonal quality ratings during the latt er 2 yr of the study were similar for Regimes I and II. Lowest turf qu ality was most often associated with Regime III, particularly during s pring and summer. Herbicide use in the final study year was important in improving the quality and cover of the TF cultivars but only slight ly improved Bighorn or Aurora quality. Hence, in a 3-yr absence of irr igation or fertilizer inputs, Bighorn and Aurora maintained better qua lity and better resisted weed invasion compared with the TF cultivars evaluated.