Getting rid of Tall Fescue

[tnedator]

I originally posted this under the Trimec thread, but didn't get any responses. Since I figured people not being familiar with Trimec, passed over this second question, I figured I would post it seperately:

I had a shady area where the El Toro didn't take very well, and I had the brainstorm to throw down some seed suggested for shady areas from home depot. (subsequently, I have removed most of the trees/branches causing the problem). While over the last couple years, the El Toro has covered most of the area, I have clumps of Tall Fescue popping up througout the area, which grow at almost twice the rate of the El Toro. I have tried treating it with image, and it comes back (should I have used a pre-emergent?). Is my best bet to hit it with Roundup now, while the El Toro is still dormant (or at least mostly dormant), even if it means risking a little of my El Toro in the area (if it is not completely dormant)? Or, is there another product that will get rid of this stuff once and for all?

Thanks

Billy

[SOMM]

Pre-emergent & Trimec have zero effect on established fescue, and they prevent reseeding ANYTHING for up to 6-8 weeks with Trimec and at least 7-8 months with pre-emergent. Round-up burns down the good with the bad, but you can reseed a week thereafter nolo prollem. Try the turf-type fine bladed fescue that blends well with bluegrass and rye, instead of tall fescue.

[NickN]

MSMA mixed hot will kill the tall fescue.Wait till temps are warmer,mix 4-6 ounces of MSMA in a 1 gallon pump sprayer.Spot spray the fescue.The Zoysia will be stunned,but will come back.It won't kill the Zoysia like Round-Up will.:D

[tnedator]

MSMA mixed hot will kill the tall fescue.Wait till temps are warmer,mix 4-6 ounces of MSMA in a 1 gallon pump sprayer.Spot spray the fescue.The Zoysia will be stunned,but will come back.It won't kill the Zoysia like Round-Up will.:D


What do you mean by 'hot'? Are you referring to the 4-6 ounces to a gallon of water (more MSMA than normal?)? Or, literally, mixing it with hot water?

Sorry if this seems like a dumb question.

Thanks

[NickN]

Sorry.Hot as in a good bit of MSMA per gallon of water.The water can be cold.:D

[tnedator]

Sorry.Hot as in a good bit of MSMA per gallon of water.The water can be cold.:D

Ok, I thought that's what you meant, but wanted to be sure. :) How warm should it be outside?

[NickN]

I'd wait till the temps hit the 80's.On another note,you can kill it in the winter,when the Zoysia is dormant,with RoundUp.The warmer the weather,the more damage the MSMA will do to the fescue.I've completely burned off my bermuda with a high dose of MSMA,to kill the fescue.In 3 weeks,the bermuda never looked better.(I did this to a 10 x 15 foot area with 1 gallon of MSMA/Water mixed.)It was in the 90's.If you simply spot spray the fescue,you won't damage the Zoysia very much at all.

[TScapes]

Depending on how much fescue you have, there are several ways to get rid of it while not damaging the zoysia. There are other products that will remove the fescue in dormant zoysia, but Nick's idea works well too. Plan on this winter doing some additional applications to eliminate the fescue that you can't seem to get rid of this year. That is the advantage of having warm season grass, once it goes dormant, it shows everything that is out of place!