![8 Best Weed And Feed Options For Fescue of 2021 [Reviews]](https://i0.wp.com/thewisehandyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Scotts-Turf-Builder-Starter-Food-e1584840419266.jpg?resize=500%2C368&ssl=1)
Fescue is a particularly tolerant strain of grass, with excellent resistance to heat, drought, disease, and even insects when compared to many other kinds of grass. However, its limited capacity for self-repair means that any damage will stick around for some time. To help address that, here are the eight best weed and feed options for Fescue on the market today.
See Also: The Best Fertilizers for Lush Green Grass
At a Glance – Our Top Picks.
1) GreenView Fairway Formula
GreenView’s Fairway Formula is easily one of the best products on the market for nurturing fine and tall Fescue strains. In fact, its ability to work on different varieties is part of the reason we made it our top choice. Many people blend fescue strains to create a thicker and more uniform lawn, so weed and feed that helps all of the strains is inherently better for the average buyer.
GreenView sells this product in bags that cover 5,000 and 10,000 square feed.
Why We Like It
- Excellent against many types of weeds
- High nitrogen percentage
- Available in most northern areas
Our Verdict
The Fairway Formula is an impressively potent weed and feed mix. It kills crabgrass for up to four weeks, which is about all Fescue needs thanks to its natural herbicide, while the controlled nutrient delivery helps support its long, slow-growing seasons.
The main drawback of this product is its price. GreenView’s Fairway Formula is significantly more expensive than most of its competitors, so you may want to invest in another product if your gardening budget is too tight.
Editor’s Rating: 5/5
2) BioAdvanced All In One Weed & Feed
BioAdvanced isn’t as popular as large brands like Scotts, but they make some of the most effective weed and feed products on the market. This particular mix is highly effective on crabgrass, which makes it a useful fertilizer when you’re trying to help a Fescue lawn spread and fill out. Fescue does take longer to cover an area completely, so you’ll want to limit competitors as much as possible.
Do not confuse this product with BioAdvanced’s Southern Strategy mix, which has similar packaging and may be sold under a similar name. The southern blend is actively harmful to Fescue and is more likely to harm your lawn than help it.
Why We Like It
- A science-based blend of ingredients
- Helps strengthen root systems
- Works in both Spring and Fall
Our Verdict
This product was a strong contender for our #1 spot, and it’s certainly worth taking a look at if you want something more affordable than our #1 pick. The fact that it’s good in both Spring and Fall is particularly useful because Fescue often grows in both seasons, and fertilizing it then can help it reach its full coverage sooner.
Editor’s Rating: 5/5
3) Preen One LawnCare Weed & Feed
Preen’s LawnCare mix is a highly effective blend that kills crabgrass throughout its growing season, as well as 250 other common weeds. This is about the highest you’ll ever see on weed and feed packages, making this a good choice if you need to kill many different types of weeds.
Notably, Preen’s mix can be applied as long as four weeks after crabgrass first emerges. This is a broader timeframe than many of its competitors and can help you deal with uncooperative weather or other issues that prevent you from fertilizing at the start of the season.
Why We Like It
- Kills most types of weeds
- No phosphorus
- A long window for use
Our Verdict
This isn’t quite the best weed and feed on the market, but it’s worth a look if you need to control weeds better. Preen recommends applying it after the second or third mowing in Spring, but since you can apply it later, this is a suggestion instead of a requirement.
However, this product is more about weed control than fertilizing. If you want to nurture your lawn more, consider some of the other options on this list.
Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5
4) Sta-Green Weed and Feed
Sta-Green’s Weed and Feed is a winterizer that helps grass lay down stronger roots in Fall. This is extremely useful for northern grasses like Fescue, which are more likely to experience the occasional harsh winter than any grass strains that thrive in southern areas. Sta-Green’s mix is also highly effective on weeds, with demonstrated effectiveness on more than 250 harmful invaders.
Unfortunately, this product does not provide insect control, but that’s relatively rare in weed and feed products to begin with. Even without that particular feature, it’s still one of the best options currently on the market.
Why We Like It
- Excellent formula
- Competitive pricing
- Fall fertilizers are rarer
Our Verdict
You should apply this product in Fall, and that means you can use it alongside many of the other options on this list. Caring for a northern lawn requires fertilizer and support in all seasons, so a Fall product is just as important as the more well-known Spring and Summer feeding times. As a bonus, Sta-Green sells this at a competitive price despite the overall quality of the product, making it an easy pick.
Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5
5) Scotts Turf Builder Starter Food
Scotts sells many products under its Turf Builder brand, but the Starter Food is a better choice for Fescue than most other options. The main reason for this is Fescue’s slow rate of spread and self-repair. This grass remains in a starter form far longer than most other grass varieties, so fertilizers that encourage spreading are particularly useful years after you first put down your lawn.
However, this product is relatively expensive and contains phosphorus, so don’t be afraid to consider other options if you have a large yard.
Why We Like It
- Great for helping Fescue establish itself
- Supports reseeding efforts
- Actively prevents dandelions
Our Verdict
This product is ideal when you want to help your Fescue establish itself. The phosphorus is an issue if you want to use this product long-term, so consider limiting your use of this product to the first few growing seasons, then switching over to another product. It’s certainly not a bad choice, but it is trickier than many of the other options currently on the market.
Editor’s Rating: 4/5
6) Scotts Snap Pac Weed and Feed
Scotts makes a lot of lawn-care products, but few recent choices stand out more than their Snap Pac system. Snap bags have a special interface designed to work with one of their proprietary spreaders. While this does mean you’ll need to buy that spreader, the fact that each bag automatically sets the spreader to the correct setting can take some of the guesswork out of fertilizing.
The mix itself has no phosphorus, but it does contain some potassium, which is necessary for healthy lawns. Each bag covers about 4000 square feet, and the fact that you can attach an entire bag to your spreader means no risk of breathing in fertilizer dust while refilling the spreader.
Why We Like It
- Easy for beginners to use
- Performance-oriented formula
- No phosphorus
Our Verdict
This is a relatively expensive weed and feed, but its ease of use and generally high performance help justify the price tag. We’re particularly fond of the automatic spreader setting components because many modern fertilizers don’t list settings for older spreader models. Overall, this is a robust product that deserves serious consideration if you want to minimize the guesswork of fertilizing.
Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5
7) Spectracide Weed & Feed
Up to this point, we’ve focused on effective, but expensive, weed and feed products. However, we believe a list needs balance, and that’s where Spectracide’s bottle comes in. This weed and feed is a ready-to-spray liquid product that covers up to 7,500 square feet when applied directly.
Liquid fertilizers, in general, aren’t quite as effective as solid granules, but they’re far less expensive and work well on established lawns that don’t need as much weed control. This is particularly true for Fescue, thanks to the natural herbicide killing off most competitors. In short, this isn’t a good product for new Fescue, but it’s an excellent choice for established lawns.
Why We Like It
- Extremely affordable
- Does not require a spreader
- Easy to apply
Our Verdict
This product helps control some common weeds, but it doesn’t work on nearly as many garden threats as our top options. That’s fairly normal for liquid formulas, but it’s also one of the most important factors to keep in mind when making a decision. In effect, this product provides minor weed control while fertilizing, and that’s what you should keep in mind when deciding whether or not to use it.
Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5
8) Sta-Green Ready-to-Spray Weed and Feed
This liquid fertilizer isn’t quite as good as Sta-Green’s winterizer mix (described above), but it’s an excellent choice for nurturing established Fescue in Spring and Summer. Like most liquid fertilizers, each bottle covers about 7,500 square feet when appropriately applied, which means most homeowners only need to use one or two bottles each year.
This mix contains 20% nitrogen, which is moderately high for liquid fertilizer. You can start planting seeds as soon as four weeks after applying this, which is helpful if you want to nudge your lawn along. Fescue spreads slowly, so planting new seeds is often better than waiting for Fescue to grow into new areas.
Why We Like It
- Effective on most broadleaf weeds
- Easy to use
- Large coverage area
Our Verdict
Liquid weed and feed products are never as good as solid granules, especially because of the risk that unexpected rain will wash things away. However, if you have an established Fescue lawn and want to provide it with minor support, the low cost and general effectiveness of this product make it a viable alternative to traditional fertilizing programs.
You may find it harder to apply liquid fertilizer correctly until you get used to the pace, so consider practicing on a discreet area of your lawn before applying this everywhere.
Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5
About the Grass Type
Fescue is a tall grass that grows best in colder northern climates, with its primary growing occurring in Spring and Fall. Most homeowners plant turf-type tall Fescue, which requires far less water and maintenance than many other lawn grasses.
This grass variety grows well in poor soil conditions like clay or sand and has relatively low nitrogen needs. It also produces a natural herbicide known as meta-tyrosine, which makes it surprisingly good at eliminating weeds, crabgrass, and other competitors.
Buyer’s Guide Questions
What Should I Buy To Help My Fescue Fill In Open Areas?
Grass seed. Unlike many other types of lawn grass, Fescue prefers to grow in clumps and expands slowly. Planting new seed is often better than waiting for it to spread out.
When Should I Weed And Feed If I’m Planting New Fescue?
This varies by product. Most weed and feed products recommend waiting 4-12 weeks before you plant new seeds. Mid-Spring is usually a good time.
Should I Get Solid Or Liquid Weed n Feed?
Solid fertilizer is more effective, but it’s also more expensive. Liquid fertilizer is significantly cheaper and quite easy to apply, but not as effective.
Top Pick
The GreenView Fairway Formula is our top choice for Fescue lawns. It’s moderately expensive, but it’s also extremely effective on all varieties when you apply it correctly.
Premium Choice
The Scotts Snap Pac Weed and Feed is a premium choice for Fescue lawns. It costs more per square foot than most other options, and it requires buying a special spreader, but it also has a number of user-friendly features that no other weed and feed products can match.
Great Value
The Sta-Green Ready-to-Spray Weed and Feed is an affordable alternative to most solid weed and feed choices. You will need a garden hose long enough to reach anywhere in your yard, but since you should have that anyway, that’s not a higher barrier to using this product.
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