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In older neighborhoods,
residents complain about not being able to grow grass because of the shade caused by their
large trees. As much as we love shade for the summer cooling, occasionally gardeners
anguish over the fact that shade can make it difficult to have a lawn. How can we get
grass to grow in the shade? Let’s look at some facts about grass. Did you know:
- Grass prefers full sun. At the best, we can say grass tolerates
shade to different degrees depending on the type of grass. Fescue tolerates shade
the most, followed by bluegrass,
zoysia, then Bermuda grass. (There are some exceptions to these tolerance guidelines).
- Grass will out compete tree roots for nutrients in the soil.
- Grass is so competitive, it can slow the growth of new trees.
- Only when trees get big enough to cast dense shade, do they win
the battle with turf.
- Grass and trees both do better when separated.
A problem in designing landscapes is most of us look at the
landscape as a still picture. We fail to visualize trees getting bigger each year. I
regularly have people tell me, “I don’t know what is wrong with my lawn. It has
never been a problem before”. Given enough time, slow gradual changes become very
significant.
To deal with the problem of shade, learn to work with it. Think about these suggestions:
- Do not grow grass up to the trunk of trees. Mulch around the
trunk. Increase the size of
the mulched bed as the tree grows.
- Plant ground cover such as English ivy in the mulch. Many ground
covers both tolerate
and actually enjoy shade.
- Think of your lawn as a meadow. Plant trees and shrubs around, not
across the meadow. Meadows are usually surrounded by trees in nature. Imitate
this design concept.
- Raise lower limbs on trees to allow morning and evening light to
get below.
- You can thin certain types of trees to allow more light to get
through the branches.
- Use shade tolerant plants under trees where the light levels are
too low for grass.
- In the shade, grass needs less, not more fertilizer.
Final Tip: when you plant a new tree, keep a
three foot circle around the base of the tree either bare or mulched. Do not allow grass
to grow up to the trunk of this tree. The tree will grow about 50% more each year if you
keep grass away from the trunk, than if you allow grass to grow up to the trunk. This rule
of thumb is true for about the first five years after a new tree is planted. This also
tells us how competitive grass is. |
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