How to Grow Grass in the Shade

If your lawn receives less than four hours of sunlight a day, the grass there will have a lower tolerance to heat, cold, disease and drought. There are several things you can do to overcome the problem. Follow these steps.

Things You'll Need

• Shade tolerant grass seed
• Low nitrogen fertilizer

Instructions

1. Choose a cool-season grass like a fine fescue which is more tolerant of shade than a tall fescue. There are many different types like Raleigh, Palmetto or Bitterblue, but some grow better than others in certain climates. Pick one suitable to your area.

2. Sew seed or sod in the early fall so there is enough time for the grass to mature before leaves cover the ground. During the fall season, remove leaves by raking or blowing to prevent them from smothering the new grass. The grass will continue to grow long after the trees have dropped their leaves, so it's important to keep them free of debris that will inhibit growth.

3. Mow the grass an inch higher than normal and remove the clippings. Grass growing in shade needs a larger leaf surface to take advantage of what light it does. Leaving the cuttings on top will block the light.

4. Fertilize shady areas of the lawn at the same time as the sunny areas, but don't use as much nitrogen. Grasses in shaded areas only need about half as much nitrogen as grasses growing in full sunlight, and reducing the amount of nitrogen reduces the likelihood of disease.

5. Water only when absolutely necessary but when you do, water deeply. Light, infrequent watering encourages shallow roots and leaves grass vulnerable to disease.

6. Remove the lower branches of trees and shrubs that form the canopy over your grass. Taking out branches that are less than six feet from the ground will help improve air circulation and light penetration, which will aid the photosynthesis process.

Tips & Warnings

• If all else fails, consider removing the trees and shrubs shading the grass, or replace the grass with shade tolerant ground cover like English ivy.