They are very fine textured and will produce an attractive turf cover if properly installed and maintained. Fine fescues are quite tolerant of shade. Use fine fescues alone or in mixtures with shade-tolerant bluegrasses for shaded lawns. Fine fescues have a few disease problems such as red thread and dollar spot. It does well under low fertility and moisture, and has few disease problems.
Tall fescue is much coarser textured than the other cool-season lawn grass species.
Tall fescue does not survive harsh winters very well. Therefore it is not recommended for lawns north of Westchester and Orange Counties, except in areas close to Lakes Erie and Ontario. Also, tall fescue is not compatible with other grasses. Therefore, it should be seeded only as a monostand, that is, with no other grass species. A properly fertilized lawn will need fewer pesticides.