Is it possible to have a beautiful yard in the shade?

Trees add beauty to your yard and can lower your utility bill in the heat of summer by shading your house. Unfortunately trees can also cause your lawn to become patchy and bare.

Trees compete with grass for water and sunlight. Without proper attention, trees can kill large areas of your lawn. Some trees actually give off chemical toxins that kill competing plants. Trees like sugar maples that have shallow, fibrous root systems prevent grasses from being able to establish themselves.

If you have nearly given up on having a beautiful shade dappled yard, don’t despair. You can have a beautiful lawn in the shade!

The first step to a shady lawn is to consider how much shade you have. It is entirely possible that you can raise the level of the canopy of your trees through pruning and still have enough shade to cool your home. A good tree service will evaluate your trees and remove or shorten those branches that block too much sun. The ground will receive more light and your trees will benefit from greater air movement between the branches.

Once you have improved the amount of light coming into your lawn you must examine the soil. Are there lots of tree roots poking through? Is the soil acidic from tree leaves rotting and adding acid to the ground? You can correct these faults by adding topsoil or sweetening the soil with lime.

Once you have prepared the area for your lawn, you need to choose the right grass. Not only do trees shade a lawn, but the ground tends to remain cooler during the day and warmer at night than if it were in full sun. One side effect of this microenvironment is that the air under trees will retain more moisture, so the grass you choose must be humidity tolerant.

Most of the fescue grasses are suited for this type of environment. Red fescue is one of the best choices as it is shade and humidity tolerant and is not susceptible to the toxins given off by sugar maples. Zoyosiagrass and St. Augustine grass are also suited to this kind of environment.

New grass should be seeded in the fall. Not only are temperatures cooler and rainfall more frequent, but grasses seeded in the fall enter the next growing season with an established root system and reserves of food.

Be sure to water frequently and thoroughly during the initial germination and establishment period. Remove any fallen leaves promptly as they will add acid to the soil and cause enough shade to prevent your seed from sprouting.

Shady lawns should be fed once or twice a season, with a nitrogen-based fertilizer or finely mulched grass clippings. They do not need as heavy an application of nitrogen as lawns in full sun since they do not photosynthesize at the same rate. In fact, too high an application of fertilizer is harmful and will result in thinner cell walls and plants that are susceptible to disease.

The key to a successful lawn is patience and persistence. It may take several years for a lawn to grow in as thickly as you desire but with time and attention you will be able to enjoy thick beautiful grass where you once had bare ground.


About the Author:

Kyndra Ferguson is a freelance writer and gardening expert from Richmond, Virginia. She grew up on 26 acres in Charles City County where she grew organic vegetables and herbs for sale and home use.

Her website www.GardeningGirl.com is dedicated to promoting healthy living, organic gardening practices and Plant A Row for the Hungry.


Happy Gardening!


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