Terry Skirko wrote in message ... > >Anybody have any tips for growing grass in a shady area? I need to >reseed an area with grass but I fear that there might not be enough >sun. Is there any technique or grass strain that I can buy in order to >encourage growth in this shady area? > >Cheers, >Terry
A reputable garden center can recommend shady seed blends for your area.
Your biggest issue may be moisture. Either it's too wet in the shade, or
too dry in the shade due to trees competing for water. If too dry, you'll
need to add organic matter to help retain moisture. Try Milorganite,
Nutri-Green, Compro, Leaf-Gro, or plenty of some other compost.
Other lawn care tips:
- Keep your lawnmower blades sharp. Dull blades can damage grass and make
it more prone to disease.
- Don't mow too low. To help control weeds, mow tall fescue and bluegrass
to a height of 2 ½ to 3 inches. The turf will develop a strong root system
and shade out some weeds.
- Moles tunneling in your lawn means you have a grub problem. Apply Milky
Spore powder. It is a biological control, harmless to people, which kills
the Japanese Beetle grubs that the moles are after. One application can
provide 10 years of control.
- Mix clover seed into low-maintenance areas of your lawn. Clover "fixes"
nitrogen from the air and returns it to the soil, like a natural
fertilizer.
Terry, please do consider another angle: planting native plants instead of
a monoculture of resource intensive, non-native turf. You can benefit by
decreasing required labor, protecting water quality, and attracting birds
with native plants. There are numerous ground covers as well as shrubs to
choose from.