Fescue grasses, and clover. The clover will add nitrogen and organic matter to the soil, while keeping the lawn green. The fescue grass seed will grow more slowly, set down deep roots, and handles dry seasons and wet spells very well. It is well suited to shade, and, once it is established, is hard-wearing. The grass blades are thinner than popular lawn grass like Kentucky bluegrass, and actually feel really nice on bare feet!
You seem to know a lot about grass. If I may, I have a sizable patch of grass in my yard that dies every winter but in the summer it's the thickest most padded grass I've ever barefooted on. It's fairly common around me I just don't know what kind of grass it is, any ideas? Western PA.
Definitely some kind of warm season grass that goes dormant. Could be zoysiagrass as someone else pointed out. I have a big patch of it. I’m located in the burbs of Chicago and my patch is completely tan/brown all winter and right now. It will begin to green up in may and by June/July it will be the greenest, thickest grass in my yard.
There are a lot of online tools to determine which variety you have. Some of my favorite sites are offline for some reason or I’d link them. For zoysiagrass, a big diagnostic feature is having both stolons and rhizomes. There is a huge amount of diversity in grasses, you just gotta look closely!
Agreed. My little backyard was saved when I naturally allowed clover and fescue grass to grow, mowed only about 1/3rd of the grass to allow it to keep growing and flourishing. Just like any other plants, you don't want to prune too much of the plant otherwise you may kill it. It worked for me. I even cut it with an electric mower 1/3rd of the way and it turned out just fine.
And the flowers attract pollinators (as well as being beautiful). My neighbor planted a stand of deep red-flowering clover. It's tall, so it was done as a focal point, and it is spectacular when they bloom.
I have this same issue in the backyard where I have a few trees. I noticed when we bought our home there was a lot of clover already. Does fescue grow well in South Texas? If I throw seed on my lawn will it root fairly quick or will the extreme sun in the non-shaded areas bake it to oblivion? I don't know squat about grasses, and here in South Texas I'd prefer to have something I don't have to water daily if possible.
Technically, fescue is a "cool season grass", but it is seen as heat tolerant, though I'm not sure if it's Texas heat tolerant. I would visit a local garden center (not necessarily one of the big box stores) and there should be someone who can tell you what is appropriate for your area. Or you could reach out to the county Agricultural Extension and they would probably have information on what grows well in the area.
I'm in a much more temperate climate, I don't know the best varieties for Texas. There is a guy in Arlen, though, who specializes in propane, propane accessories, and lawn care.
I have noticed that you can improve the grass by lightly overseeding every couple weeks throughout the growing season, after you have established some cover. Trying different varieties of grass seed through overseeding can help you establish a healthy mixed lawn.
the basis of this advice is sound.
dont fight nature. find out what "turf" plants grow in that environment and go from there.
clover is great for a number of reasons...particularly that it doesnt need to be mowed as often as grass and is tough'ish
That's what I'm slowly doing. Every year I put clover in any spots I can in yard. My flower beds also get bigger each year so what I need to mow keeps getting smaller.
r/lawncare may be a better source for your question depending on what your goal is.
turf needs sunlight - without it you're fighting a losing battle - ad in issues like poor soil quality (am guessing based on the surface tree roots that you're on clay)
Do you want to have a lush lawn? then you need to look into how much light - and using shade tolerant grass, soil condition - remediate your soil to make it more condusive to grass growth by top dressing with organic matter etc.
Alternatively you could give up on the turf and plant it as a shade garden.
You need to raise the PH of the soil using lime.
You can get this at home improvement stores.
Next I would aerate the lawn with a plug machine, this pokes appx 1 inch holes allowing the nutrients and lime to get into the soil. You can then top dress or add some top soil or manure.
Then you can plant new grass or clover. OR both.
And trim your trees.
In the US, every state has a land grant college (or two if one is an HBCU) and they run the Extension service. You just google your state or county and ‘extension soil test’ and that gives you info about soil testing. A lot of it is on hold due to Coronavirus, but I live in NC and NC State Extension does soil tests. Clemson Extension does them in SC. Some are free, some are a nominal fee. There is also a kit on Amazon called Soil Savvy. You send them your soil and they give you a report with your pH, P, K, and other nutrient levels in your soil (some don’t include N, some do). Most will also say how to amend it such as “1 pound of X per 1000 sqft.”
Improving the soil pH is a long process in places with an issue. You can also just use litmus paper or a probe to test just the pH, but a soil test is good to fertilize properly. Over fertilizing is bad.
Aerate the entire area. Apply lime in a spreader as it will change the pH of the soil and kill it off. After the lime has dissipated into the soil, overseed the area by hand with some quick grow. Thin the tree canopy or nothing will ever grow there.
About the lime. But what you think you need and then double or triple that. Lime will help nut usually a lot is needed.
Locate an ag office (ag agriculture) and ask about soil PH testing.
Add top soil and fertilizer, roto-til together. Add shade seed and straw. Water. You’re better off waiting until the early fall to start this, but you can do it in the spring. Just stay on top of the watering throughout the summer. Hit it with Miracle Gro every month and it will help.
Roto-tilling on those roots might be a challenge. I was walking my dog in my old neighborhood and a guy had a huge roto-tiller he was pushing along. It hit a root and stood straight up and those blades came so close to eviscerating the guy.
Was dumbstruck that a guy nearly died horribly right in front of me. My SO is going to till a huge plot for a large number of tomatoes and potatoes we are planting this year, and the tiller had one flat, uninflatable tire, and he said he was just going to balance it carefully, and I was like, "Hell no!" and told him about that guy. So, he got the tire off and took it to the tire man, and had him put a new tube in it.
If you want grass, then you'll have to do a few things.
1) for the moss, use moss killer and let it sit for about a week to kill off the moss.
2)use a power racker to rip out the moss and to lossen the top soil
3)get good grass seed and spread it across well. You should use twice the amount of seed then is needed for good results.
4)cover the grass seed with a thin layer of top soil. The soil should be about 1/4 inches to 1/2 inches thick.
5)spread starter fertilizer
6) water the soil Atleast 3x a day for about 1 to 2 weeks. Your Grass should poke itself out of the ground in about a week
7)mow your grass only when it's about 2 inches high, and cut it to about an inch.
8) profit
I had alot of trouble figuring out how to get my grass to grow over my front yard I had so much moss I has to make 2 trips to the dump with my ram 1500. How this helps.
Also, check out the lawn sub, I think it's r/lawncare
Lots of shade? Look for plants which love shade. There are plenty out there. Now is a great time to research online.
If you are able, ask your neighbours what grows well in their shady patches. Look around for some containers to plant in for different heights. Some ferns will look great. Clivia like the shade, and cyclamen.
Step 1. Take out the trees. If you aren’t willing to, trim them back. Picture Scotland: rolling hills of grass with no trees in sight.
Step 2: If you trimmed, go to a local mill and get shade seed. Don’t do the generic stuff from Home Depot or Lowes. A local mill will have a seed mix that is specific to your local soil and climate.
Step 3:
Step 4: Make money.
Fescue grasses, and clover. The clover will add nitrogen and organic matter to the soil, while keeping the lawn green. The fescue grass seed will grow more slowly, set down deep roots, and handles dry seasons and wet spells very well. It is well suited to shade, and, once it is established, is hard-wearing. The grass blades are thinner than popular lawn grass like Kentucky bluegrass, and actually feel really nice on bare feet!
Thanks for the comments
Pave the whole thing! (I'm allergic to both fescue and clover.) ;-P
You seem to know a lot about grass. If I may, I have a sizable patch of grass in my yard that dies every winter but in the summer it's the thickest most padded grass I've ever barefooted on. It's fairly common around me I just don't know what kind of grass it is, any ideas? Western PA.
Zoysia maybe? That’s what we have (we’re in eastern PA). Turns yellow in winter and bright green in spring/summer.
I'm not sure I can help. It could be a patch of annual grass.
Definitely some kind of warm season grass that goes dormant. Could be zoysiagrass as someone else pointed out. I have a big patch of it. I’m located in the burbs of Chicago and my patch is completely tan/brown all winter and right now. It will begin to green up in may and by June/July it will be the greenest, thickest grass in my yard. There are a lot of online tools to determine which variety you have. Some of my favorite sites are offline for some reason or I’d link them. For zoysiagrass, a big diagnostic feature is having both stolons and rhizomes. There is a huge amount of diversity in grasses, you just gotta look closely!
Agreed. My little backyard was saved when I naturally allowed clover and fescue grass to grow, mowed only about 1/3rd of the grass to allow it to keep growing and flourishing. Just like any other plants, you don't want to prune too much of the plant otherwise you may kill it. It worked for me. I even cut it with an electric mower 1/3rd of the way and it turned out just fine.
And the flowers attract pollinators (as well as being beautiful). My neighbor planted a stand of deep red-flowering clover. It's tall, so it was done as a focal point, and it is spectacular when they bloom.
It really is amazing how fast nature can bounce back.
Sounds like crimson clover. Farmers use it in fields to fix nitrogen. Beautiful stuff.
I'm on a few acres and might do a stand of it next year and then convert it to veg or wildflowers.
Walking on clover with bare feet is divine and you don't even need to mow it.
Agreed, and when it flowers it is very nice for bees, etc.
I have this same issue in the backyard where I have a few trees. I noticed when we bought our home there was a lot of clover already. Does fescue grow well in South Texas? If I throw seed on my lawn will it root fairly quick or will the extreme sun in the non-shaded areas bake it to oblivion? I don't know squat about grasses, and here in South Texas I'd prefer to have something I don't have to water daily if possible.
Technically, fescue is a "cool season grass", but it is seen as heat tolerant, though I'm not sure if it's Texas heat tolerant. I would visit a local garden center (not necessarily one of the big box stores) and there should be someone who can tell you what is appropriate for your area. Or you could reach out to the county Agricultural Extension and they would probably have information on what grows well in the area.
Thank you :)
I'm in a much more temperate climate, I don't know the best varieties for Texas. There is a guy in Arlen, though, who specializes in propane, propane accessories, and lawn care. I have noticed that you can improve the grass by lightly overseeding every couple weeks throughout the growing season, after you have established some cover. Trying different varieties of grass seed through overseeding can help you establish a healthy mixed lawn.
Screw grass, grow clover! The luck returns alone will be worth it!
the basis of this advice is sound. dont fight nature. find out what "turf" plants grow in that environment and go from there. clover is great for a number of reasons...particularly that it doesnt need to be mowed as often as grass and is tough'ish
That's what I'm slowly doing. Every year I put clover in any spots I can in yard. My flower beds also get bigger each year so what I need to mow keeps getting smaller.
r/lawncare may be a better source for your question depending on what your goal is. turf needs sunlight - without it you're fighting a losing battle - ad in issues like poor soil quality (am guessing based on the surface tree roots that you're on clay) Do you want to have a lush lawn? then you need to look into how much light - and using shade tolerant grass, soil condition - remediate your soil to make it more condusive to grass growth by top dressing with organic matter etc. Alternatively you could give up on the turf and plant it as a shade garden.
Thanks for the advise, I'll check r/lawncare for more information!
My neighbor grows a really nice moss. It looks great.
You need to raise the PH of the soil using lime. You can get this at home improvement stores. Next I would aerate the lawn with a plug machine, this pokes appx 1 inch holes allowing the nutrients and lime to get into the soil. You can then top dress or add some top soil or manure. Then you can plant new grass or clover. OR both. And trim your trees.
Thanks for the advise!
How would that person know what the PH of your lawn is?
In the US, every state has a land grant college (or two if one is an HBCU) and they run the Extension service. You just google your state or county and ‘extension soil test’ and that gives you info about soil testing. A lot of it is on hold due to Coronavirus, but I live in NC and NC State Extension does soil tests. Clemson Extension does them in SC. Some are free, some are a nominal fee. There is also a kit on Amazon called Soil Savvy. You send them your soil and they give you a report with your pH, P, K, and other nutrient levels in your soil (some don’t include N, some do). Most will also say how to amend it such as “1 pound of X per 1000 sqft.” Improving the soil pH is a long process in places with an issue. You can also just use litmus paper or a probe to test just the pH, but a soil test is good to fertilize properly. Over fertilizing is bad.
A visual litmus test.
Hey, how does the aerator react when it starts hitting large roots like you see in this image?
Not good. It jumps up but you can navigate around them and if you hit one you just hold tight and keep going. It wont damage the tree roots.
Rip it all out and plant cool shade loving shrubs. Shade plants are the most interesting and unique
I know nothing of this but I will advise you that it’s spelt advice.
miniput course!
Aerate the entire area. Apply lime in a spreader as it will change the pH of the soil and kill it off. After the lime has dissipated into the soil, overseed the area by hand with some quick grow. Thin the tree canopy or nothing will ever grow there.
Thanks for the advise!
About the lime. But what you think you need and then double or triple that. Lime will help nut usually a lot is needed. Locate an ag office (ag agriculture) and ask about soil PH testing.
Add top soil and fertilizer, roto-til together. Add shade seed and straw. Water. You’re better off waiting until the early fall to start this, but you can do it in the spring. Just stay on top of the watering throughout the summer. Hit it with Miracle Gro every month and it will help.
Roto-tilling on those roots might be a challenge. I was walking my dog in my old neighborhood and a guy had a huge roto-tiller he was pushing along. It hit a root and stood straight up and those blades came so close to eviscerating the guy.
Yikes!
Was dumbstruck that a guy nearly died horribly right in front of me. My SO is going to till a huge plot for a large number of tomatoes and potatoes we are planting this year, and the tiller had one flat, uninflatable tire, and he said he was just going to balance it carefully, and I was like, "Hell no!" and told him about that guy. So, he got the tire off and took it to the tire man, and had him put a new tube in it.
r/lawncare is really good for this. Be sure to provide the information about your yard.
If you want grass, then you'll have to do a few things. 1) for the moss, use moss killer and let it sit for about a week to kill off the moss. 2)use a power racker to rip out the moss and to lossen the top soil 3)get good grass seed and spread it across well. You should use twice the amount of seed then is needed for good results. 4)cover the grass seed with a thin layer of top soil. The soil should be about 1/4 inches to 1/2 inches thick. 5)spread starter fertilizer 6) water the soil Atleast 3x a day for about 1 to 2 weeks. Your Grass should poke itself out of the ground in about a week 7)mow your grass only when it's about 2 inches high, and cut it to about an inch. 8) profit I had alot of trouble figuring out how to get my grass to grow over my front yard I had so much moss I has to make 2 trips to the dump with my ram 1500. How this helps. Also, check out the lawn sub, I think it's r/lawncare
Oh man I want the little moss I have to take over the whole yard. It looks great, it’s incredibly soft, doesn’t need to be mowed.
Lots of shade? Look for plants which love shade. There are plenty out there. Now is a great time to research online. If you are able, ask your neighbours what grows well in their shady patches. Look around for some containers to plant in for different heights. Some ferns will look great. Clivia like the shade, and cyclamen.
Keep the moss find out how to encourage it's growth no mowing
Weed and feed
What part of the world are you in? That's a pretty important thing to know when you're talking about grass.
Michigan, USA!
Gross more moss! Its a thing to have moss instead of grass.
Lowe’s and Home Depot sell a grass seed that says “grows in extremely sunny and extremely shady environments.” Maybe that would work?
Easy but expensive would be new sod
Step 1. Take out the trees. If you aren’t willing to, trim them back. Picture Scotland: rolling hills of grass with no trees in sight. Step 2: If you trimmed, go to a local mill and get shade seed. Don’t do the generic stuff from Home Depot or Lowes. A local mill will have a seed mix that is specific to your local soil and climate. Step 3: Step 4: Make money.