Tall fescue has come a long way over the past decade. Originally considered a weed, it now rivals bluegrass in attractiveness. Its original coarse, very rough-textured light green blades and clumpy growth habit have evolved into a finer-textured, deep-green blades and more uniform growth habit. It is so tough it is often used as the primary grass in athletic fields. While it withstands heavy use it does not repair itself as well as Kentucky bluegrass does when divots or chunks are pulled out. Its other major asset is drought resistance.
Though it needs just as much water as Kentucky bluegrass does, tall fescue roots grow almost twice as deep, so it has twice the volume of soil from which to extract its water. So, it seldom needs watering. Pythium fungus is common in tall fescue lawns during periods of high temperatures and humidity. This grass is also generally susceptible to brown patch. Plant turftype tall fescue in the fall for best results.