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CHANGING THE GROWING ENVIRONMENT
IN SHADY AREAS

Changing the environment of your shaded area can often lead to a healthier grass turf.  A few of the things you can do to help make your shade area more likely to grow grasses are listed below. 

Remember grasses in your "mini forest" shade areas are a man-made thing.  In general you never find the "lawn type" grasses growing within a natural forest EXCEPT in open clearing areas.

• Removing limbs by pruning in the crown (center) of the tree and result in increased light intensity reaching the ground area.
• Trimming tree limbs that are lower than 10 feet also increases dramatically the light that can reach a turf lawn.
• Keep leaves, excess clippings removed from the grass to allow the leaves to receive and utilize available light. --- Leaves themselves can shade.
• Allow for proper wind movement across your grass.  Removing or trimming shrubs, underbrush and man made objects so that the wind can move across your shaded lawn, results in a change in the humidity of the shaded area and thus less problems with diseases.
• Remove shallow tree roots so that there is adequate soil for your grass to grow in... and an additional benefit is that competition for nutrients and soil moisture is reduced.  A shortage of adequate water in shaded areas is often a critical factor in hotter, dryer climates.
• Practice good cultural practices on your shady lawn areas. Read more  on these aspects needed to allow a grass a chance to grow.

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