When to fertilize tall fescue in Virginia?
By LawnYear editorial team · Published · Updated Windows are read from the extension publications listed under Sources; the dates are approximate.
The answer
The fertilizing windows for tall fescue in Virginia are Aug 15 to Oct 31 and Mar 1 to May 31, per Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech), 2025. Preferred nitrogen timing is fall: up to 0.7 lb water-soluble N per 1,000 sq ft every 3 to 4 weeks. Months are read from the chart mark and are approximate; test the soil every 3 to 4 years. Second-best nitrogen timing, March to May: 0.25 to 0.5 lb water-soluble N per 1,000 sq ft every 4 to 8 weeks.
Full calendar: Virginia lawn care calendar · Tall fescue in other states · Lawn schedule by ZIP
Approximate dates for your state. Check with your local cooperative extension office before you act.
All Virginia windows for tall fescue
The Virginia calendar on this site lists seeding Aug 15 to Oct 15 and Mar 1 to May 31, fertilizing Aug 15 to Oct 31 and Mar 1 to May 31 and weed control Mar 1 to Apr 30 and Aug 15 to Sep 15 for tall fescue.
Where the dates come from
Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech): Publication 430-523, Maintenance Calendar for Cool-Season Turfgrasses in Virginia (2025). Preferred and second-best months are marked on a chart. Read on 2026-10-29.
What to check for Virginia
The fertilizing dates for tall fescue above (Aug 15 to Oct 31 and Mar 1 to May 31) apply to Virginia as a whole, so the north and south of the state are not told apart.
Other grasses in Virginia
For Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and fine fescue, the Virginia calendar gives Aug 15 to Oct 31 and Mar 1 to May 31 for fertilizing.
Fertilizing tall fescue in other states
- North Carolina: Sep 15 to Nov 30 and Feb 1 to Feb 28, per NC State Extension (2021).
- Georgia: Feb 1 to Mar 31 and Oct 1 to Nov 30, per University of Georgia Cooperative Extension (2023).
- Pennsylvania: Apr 15 to May 31 and Aug 15 to Oct 15, per Penn State Extension.
- Ohio: Apr 1 to May 31 and Oct 1 to Nov 30, per Ohio State University Extension, Lake County (2007).
- Missouri: Apr 1 to Apr 30 and Sep 1 to Oct 31, per University of Missouri (Integrated Pest Management), 2015.
- Kentucky: Oct 1 to Nov 30, per University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (2014).
- Indiana: May 1 to May 31, Sep 1 to Sep 30 and Nov 1 to Nov 30, per Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service (1998).
- Maryland: Aug 15 to Oct 31, Nov 1 to Nov 15 and Apr 1 to May 15, per University of Maryland Extension (2026).
- Tennessee: Mar 15 to Apr 15 and Sep 1 to Nov 15, per University of Tennessee Extension (2010).
- Alabama: Feb 1 to Apr 30 and Sep 1 to Sep 30, per Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Auburn University), 2023.
- Wisconsin: Sep 1 to Sep 15 and May 20 to Jun 10, per University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension (2022 and 2025).
- New Jersey: Aug 15 to Sep 30 and Nov 1 to Nov 30, per Rutgers Cooperative Extension (NJAES), 2023.