Fescue can be planted in single stands or with other grasses like orchard or perennial and clovers or alfalfa to add extra nutrients and minerals. Growing three to four feet high , tall fescue can produce an abundance of hay or silage material when well managed. This time can also be used to fertilize the pasture while the animals are not grazing and helps reduce plant stress. This gives the grass time to thicken between rotations especially in drought conditions and recover from hoof damage from larger herds. Fescue is used to overseed warmer grass pastures in areas of adaptation and fill in while the warm season forage is in dormancy.
Full time pasturing can greatly reduce the cost of feeding animals through the winter.
With over 200 varieties to choose from and the ease of establishment there are thousands of acres planted every year in some type of tall fescue for pastures. This grass is also used in erosion control areas that can t be mown or simply grown for a beautiful meadow affect with wildflowers. Many older types of tall fescue are already established in fields or pastures and have many problems that have arose overtime. These problems are due to the infection of the fescue with a fungus called Endophyte. Through research and development there are now many new varieties that are fungus free and these should be considered when planting new pastures or renovating older ones.