A Certain Garden Grass Produces Its Own Herbicide

[M.D. Holloway]

Researchers at Cornell U have discovered that at least one strain of common or garden grass, fescue grass to be precise, produces its own herbicide to prevent weeds growing in your lawn.

Frank Schroeder of the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research at Cornell has identified an amino acid, meta-tyrosine, or m-tyrosine, produced by these lawn grasses and exuded from their roots in large quantities, which act as natural herbicides. It was colleague Cecile Bertin now research director for PharmAfrican, a Montreal-based biopharmaceuticals company, who made the initial discovery that fescue grasses inhibit plants from growing around them. The identification of m-tyrosine could lead to novel natural product garden herbicides. While m-tyrosine itself is too water soluble to be applied directly as a herbicide a less hydrophilic analog might be developed that could keep your lawn weed free, naturally.

The sad thing is, in Tejas, Fescue would last about a month.

[Hugh R]

then how come I've got a ton of wild grasses in my creeping red fescue?

[M.D. Holloway]

California Red Fescue is not really a Fescue but a cheaper version of an Asian Rye which was genetically modified by the Chinese to look, feel and even taste like a Fescue. The Chinese importers knew that the folks in California would fall for their marketing spin and claims of lusher lawns for less money. Looks like your landscaper got one over on ya!

[kstar]

"This is a hybrid ... of bluegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, featherbed bent and northern California sensimilla . . . "

[M.D. Holloway]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

then how come I've got a ton of wild grasses in my creeping red fescue?

Hugh - I jest, actually the creeping Red does belong to the genus Festuca

Species: rubra
Genus: Festuca
Family: Poaceae
Order: Cyperales
Subclass: Commelinidae
Class: Liliopsida
Division: Magnoliophyta
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta
Kingdom: Plantae

Qualities: Red fescue is a cool-season grass used in cool, shaded, mountain sites, such as camps, resorts, and cabins where low-input of mowing, fertilization, and irrigation is desired. It does not do well in hot climates, except in shady, dry situations. In areas where Kentucky bluegrass does well, red fescue forms an excellent companion grass to increase shade tolerance. Red fescue germinates and establishes slowly. It is moderately wear resistant.

Identifying tips: A very fine-bladed grass with a deep green color. The leaves are folded in the bud, there are no auricles, and there is a short membranous ligule present. Red fescue has two distinct growing habits: creeping red fescue spreads very slow by very short rhizomes and Chewings fescue is a bunchgrass with an upright growth habit.

Maintenance: Very low maintenance. It does not require much fertilizer and does not need excessive amounts of water. A high mowing cut is recommended. Red fescue has a high tolerance for cold temperatures and shade, moderate tolerance for drought and wear, and low tolerance for heat.