Shaded Areas

While trees are a beautiful and valuable part of any landscape, they do compete with our lawns for sunlight, moisture and nutrients. Lawns grow best when they get four to six hours of sunlight per day. If heavy shade under trees is causing problems for parts of your lawn, it might make sense to consider some turf alternatives in those areas. Ground covers or ornamental beds work well under many trees when foot traffic isn't a concern. In cases where foot traffic is heavy, rock beds, stone pavers, and mulch beds can work. In shady areas of your property where turfgrass is essential, there are steps that can be taken to help it along. • A regular fertility program combined with proper mowing and watering will promote a healthy turf stand in shade. • Selective pruning and thinning of tree limbs will allow better penetration of sunlight to the turf below. • Minimizing foot traffic will help turf in areas with decreased sunlight. • Over-seeding with a more shade tolerant species to improve turf density. • Start improving shade areas for grass growth by pruning vegetation (trees and large shrubs), as much as feasible, to allow the maximum amount of light to reach the soil surface.