Grass in shade areas

Anonymous Poster · Jan 13, 2001

My property 5+ acres has 300 plus trees. All this is mowed. There are several large areas with bare ground below trees without grass. How do others handle large bare areas for grass growth without the heavy watering for new grass? Do not want to cut the trees down and will use shade grass.
Any suggestions.

TWINKLE_TOES · Jan 13, 2001

Irgram,

We have similar property. The biggest light blockers I have are Western Red Maple and they all had bare ground around them out to the drip line. I tried a lot of different grasses that were supposed to like shade but no cigar. I started mowing underneath them in the fall to remove the tons of leaves that would fall. I use a side discharge mower, start at the base and circle the tree so that the leaves are cut and blown again and again. This becomes a once a week job until all the leaves have fallen. I now have native grass underneath all that I mow. I have a set of climbers and I limb the fir trees up about 20 to 30 ft depending on the tree and how brave I feel that day. This works for the fir and it's a one time deal. Maybe this would work for you.

Thomas · Jan 13, 2001

Irgram,
What kind of trees which are covering the bare area..pines..evergreens etc...if so the acid level maybe to high and you'll have to sweeten the ground w/ lime & fertilizer etc..

I heard once Kentucky Blue Grass can with stand just about any type of soil but the cost is high.

Another good way would be to rough up the ground ,than purchase some baled hay and sweep the floor where the hay has been stored,than spread the sweeping and cover w/ hay.
Cut the new grass high until the root system has been establish.

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

jyoutz · Jan 13, 2001

Creeping red fescue grows well in shade, if you're not in a real hot climate.

TomG · Jan 14, 2001

I used creeping red fescue with pretty good luck. I believe it tolerates shade as well as dry conditions reasonably well. However, there were places where the shade was so dense that even the fescue with a lot of watering wouldn't grow. I gave up on grass and put in periwinkle, which did just fine.

Bird · Jan 14, 2001

Irgram, what part of the country are you in? Seems to me that would make a big difference in what kind of grass you could use. There are several varieties that are used, with limited success, in my area, but in Central Texas the only one I've found to be consistently successful in the shade is St. Augustine.

Bird

TomG · Jan 14, 2001

As an after thought, if you're in an area that gets frequent light rains, then tree roots tend to stay near the surface. The surface stays dry and gives the grass a hard time. I believe there are garden hose-end gadgets sold that inject water some feet beneath the surface. Consistent use is supposed to keep a tree's root system deeper. Such an idea might work for one or two trees near a house.

cowboydoc · Jan 14, 2001

Just remember on the creeping red fescue if you are going to pasture it it isn't the best for animals. In pregnant mares it causes abortion. It's being linked to some growth problems in calves but not proved yet at Colorado State University.
Richard

RJohnson · Jan 15, 2001

Depending upon where you live, you will have to determine the type of grasses that will live in your area. No true grass will tolerate dense shade, you will need 4 to 5 hours of direct sunlight as a minimum for grass to grow. Some times you can trim a few limbs to let in more sunlight. If that is not possible then you need to look at the ground covers and try to stay with something that will not crawl up in you trees.