Most turf grasses require a minimum of 6 hours of light per day. Some shade
tolerant varieties can survive with 4 hours of direct light per day along with
indirect light throughout the rest of the day. However, shade specific
varieties of grass are not always a part of residential lawns.
The most common reason why grass will not grow in a certain area is due to
shade. Rye, Fine and Tall Fescues are the most shade tolerant grasses for our
climate (especially creeping red fescue). These seed varieties are the basis of
what we use in our over-seeding mixture.
If you have moss growing in an area of your lawn it is also likely due to too
much shade and also excessive moisture. Excess shade and moisture lead to
root rot which will terminate any plant that becomes infected withone of
many fungal pathogens that thrives in this environment. Poor soil drainage
and soil compaction can further increase the devastation that these fungi can
cause.
If you are interested in attempting to grow grass in areas that seem to be
dying due to shade, you can over-seed with a shade tolerant mixture in these
patches. Be sure to lightly rake the seed into the soil to make sure there is
optimal “seed to soil” contact. Keep new seed moist (but not soggy) for a
minimum of 2 weeks. New grass plants are very susceptible to stress so be
sure the soil does not get too dry for the first 4-6 weeks of growth. Pruning
and/or removal of trees may be necessary to ensure light reaches the soil.
If you are interested in having Keyman Aerate and Over-Seed your lawn, give
us a call! We would be more than happy to help. We do not guarantee
success of grass grown in areas that are showing die-back due to excess
shade, but we can give your lawn its best chance at growing shade tolerant
grass varieties.
Keyman Fertilization & Weed Control, LLC