Growing Grass in the Shade
By: Sandy Feather
©2007
Penn State
Cooperative Extension
Q. I have a
question about the effect of large trees on my lawn. In the
northeast corner of my yard, two large privet hedges meet to form a
corner. My neighbor has a 60-foot-tall tree (not sure what kind) at
that corner. The grass in that area is thin and brown in spots. Are
the tree and hedges taking nutrients out of the soil so that the
grass struggles? What can I do to help the grass grow better in this
area?
A.
Trees and shrubs definitely compete with the grass for water and
nutrients, but the shade they cast in the area is equally important.
While some varieties of grass are more shade-tolerant than others,
grass usually grows best with at least six to eight hours of sun a
day.
If the area is
as shady as it sounds, make sure that you grow varieties of grass
that tolerate shade well. Fine fescues such as creeping red fescue,
hard fescue and Chewings fescue are well adapted to shade,
particularly dry shade that occurs in situations like this.
Turf-type tall fescues also tolerate shade well. Rough bluegrass
tolerates damp shade.
Although most
Kentucky bluegrass varieties prefer sun, there are some that
tolerate shade, such as 'Bristol,' 'Eclipse,' 'Georgetown,' 'Glade,'
'Midnight' and 'Sydsport.' The best shade mixtures are roughly 60
percent fine fescue and 40 percent shade-tolerant Kentucky bluegrass
varieties.
Properly maintained grass can
do well in shady lawn areas
Even though
these grasses are adapted to shade, there are other steps you can
take to ensure that they perform their best. Besides casting shade,
established trees and shrubs compete with the grass for water and
nutrients. It is helpful to water deeply once or twice a week if we
have no rain.
To water
deeply, apply at least 1 inch of water at one time. This means
setting up your sprinkler to apply about one-half inch of water an
hour, because that is what our clay soils are able to absorb without
runoff. If the area is sloped, you may have to apply the water more
slowly to avoid runoff.
You should also
fertilize shaded turf at a slightly higher rate than you would
otherwise. Fine fescues ordinarily require 1 to 2 pounds of nitrogen
per 1,000 square feet over the growing season. To make up for the
competition from the tree and hedges, apply 2 to 21/2
pounds per 1,000 square feet. This should be split into at least two
applications in late spring (mid-May) and late fall (mid-November).
If you prefer three applications, divide the 2 to 21/2
pounds of nitrogen into three applications, adding one in late
summer (early to mid-September).
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