Although primarily grown in the southern third of the state, almost every county has some fescue production. Tall fescue is used mainly as a forage for livestock, but is also used as turf and for erosion control. Tall fescue was introduced into North America from Europe in the late 1800's. In 1943 the University of Kentucky released the variety, Kentucky 31 and fescue establishment rapidly spread throughout the eastern United States.
Varieties are available with greatly improved palatability and animal performance.
Plant Description and Uses Strictly speaking, tall fescue is a bunch-type grass, but will spread slowly to form a dense sod. It does best on heavier soils, and is able to survive on fragipans. Fescue begins spring growth when average daily temperatures remain above 40 F for several days. Tall fescue is generally considered too low in quality to be used extensively by dairy farmers. It is more appropriate for beef and sheep operations, and is a good species to use in areas that receive heavy livestock traffic.