perennial ryegrass

Choosing fine fescues for summer patch and snow mold resistance

Research plot with turfgrass starting to grow in after winter. Plots to the left are much greener than those on right.

By Paul Koch, University of Wisconsin – Madison

Fine fescues are thought to be more disease resistant than other turf species, and in general that’s true. However, a closer look reveals that not all fine fescue species are equally resistant to all turf diseases. Even more confusing, those fine fescue species that are more resistant to certain diseases are often more susceptible to other diseases.