Shade Advice

Do you have a grass that will grow in full shade and underneath pine trees? Is there a miracle grass that will grow as well as the moss does?
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I would suggest our Tradition Fine Fescue.

A few other suggestions that may help:

  • If you don't have to mow, don't do it.
    • Mowing puts stress on grass that is competing with trees for sunlight, moisture, and nutrients. If you have to mow, do so at raised heights and infrequently.
  • Extra moisture and fertilizer ahead of periods of heat and drought will help - watering in morning can reduce fungal issues as well!
  • Restricting pet or foot traffic during establishment.

Shady areas are tough spots and sometimes no matter what you do, they require some amount of reseeding!

What perennial grasses or forbs can you recommend that would provide a prairie-look in a shaded area?
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Some varieties of native grass that have more shade tolerance are: Canada Wildrye (cool season), Virginia Wildrye (cool season), Sideoats Grama (warm season), and Blue Grama (warm season). We also cary a Shadow Wildflower Mix that contains flower species that do well in partial sun. These could be planted together or separately. 

You could also try our Roadside Mix for a more Prairie-meadow look!

 

My backyard has mature oak trees that create a canopy that lets in only filtered sunlight through the day. I do have some grass cover but it needs reinforcement, what would you suggest?
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Another idea would be to use our Tadition Fine Fescue Blend that tolerates deep shade or the Shady Grass Mixture. Both mixes contain Creeping Red Fescue as well as other fine-bladed, shade-tolerant species.