This is a high heat lawn alert. We are experiencing unprecedented conditions, with a heat index upwards of 110-112 degrees. As these temperatures continue above 90 degrees, all lawns will show signs of struggle.
Warm season grasses like Bermuda and Zoysia may discolor slightly but will quickly bounce back once the heat drops below 90. For more information on the maintenance of warm season grasses during the high heat of summer, see Warm Season Grasses & Summer Heat.
Fescue, on the other hand, is a cool season turf. It is tough and versatile, and an established fescue lawn can push its roots down some 3 feet into the ground, making it drought and to some extent heat tolerant. But it will nevertheless start to die every day that exceeds 90 degrees.
Mowing techniques can maximize resistance to the effects of high heat on your lawns, and proper irrigation can also help, but both lose much of their effectiveness in such extreme conditions. Not to mention that “proper” irrigation is difficult to gauge. Under-watering is an obvious problem. But counter-intuitively, there is also a danger of over-watering your fescue, which can encourage insect infestations and the growth of lawn diseases like brown patch and the like.
The bottom line is that to a greater or lesser extent, a fescue die-off may occur no matter what lawn care strategies are employed.
In summary, your lawns will not look their best in conditions like these and there is not much that can be done except to employ best practices in lawn care and hope for the best. For best practices in fescue grass maintenance, see NC Extension: Fescue Lawn Maintenance.
If you have any questions about summer heat, fescue, or lawn maintenance in general, contact us!
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