Why cant I grow grass?
 

Know that rec.gardens exists.

On Thu, 14 Aug 2003 17:25:35 GMT, "Frankenberry"
wrote:

I have a small lawn that is shaded on one end. Since I have owned the house
the shaded part was mostly dirt.

Why cant I grow grass?
 

I have a small lawn that is shaded on one end. Since I have owned the house
the shaded part was mostly dirt.

I dug up and turned the soil over and layed sod in this area. I also turned
over the soil and planted shady grass seed in the area between the existing
grass and the new sod. I also patched up areas one the grassy side to fill
it in. Within a week or so the grass and sod looked beautiful almost golf
course like.

But now 3 weeks-4 weeks later all the new areas have thinned quite a bit
(sod, patches, seeded areas). The original grassy area looks the same.

I tried fertilizing the lawn 4-5 days ago and so far no difference, everyday
the lawn looks worse. More dirt less grass.

I have watered it quite a bit and it has rained quite a bit too.

Does anyone have any sugestions why this might be happening and how to fix
it?

Also no one has been on the grass as its a fairly unused lawn.

Why cant I grow grass?
 

Don't bother trying to grow good looking grass in shade, grass is a sun
loving plant.

Consider alternatives for ground cover. Trying to make something grow
where it does not do well is just asking for a lot of work and little
return.

Sorry.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math


"Frankenberry" wrote in message
...
I have a small lawn that is shaded on one end. Since I have owned the
house
the shaded part was mostly dirt.

I dug up and turned the soil over and layed sod in this area. I also
turned
over the soil and planted shady grass seed in the area between the
existing
grass and the new sod. I also patched up areas one the grassy side to fill
it in. Within a week or so the grass and sod looked beautiful almost golf
course like.

But now 3 weeks-4 weeks later all the new areas have thinned quite a bit
(sod, patches, seeded areas). The original grassy area looks the same.

I tried fertilizing the lawn 4-5 days ago and so far no difference,
everyday
the lawn looks worse. More dirt less grass.

I have watered it quite a bit and it has rained quite a bit too.

Does anyone have any sugestions why this might be happening and how to fix
it?

Also no one has been on the grass as its a fairly unused lawn.

Why cant I grow grass?
 

Contact you local extension office and get a soil test. Mine was about
$8.00.
They sent me a nice printout telling me exactly what my soil needed to grow
grass.
Weight to area ratio's for fertalizer for example. I was very happy with
the response and have had much better success with my grass. My lawn is
rather shady and amending the soil properly really worked. (properly being
the key word, my yard was very scarcein some of the much needed nutrients)
Hope this helps.
kraM



"Frankenberry" wrote in message
...
I have a small lawn that is shaded on one end. Since I have owned the
house
the shaded part was mostly dirt.

I dug up and turned the soil over and layed sod in this area. I also
turned
over the soil and planted shady grass seed in the area between the
existing
grass and the new sod. I also patched up areas one the grassy side to fill
it in. Within a week or so the grass and sod looked beautiful almost golf
course like.

But now 3 weeks-4 weeks later all the new areas have thinned quite a bit
(sod, patches, seeded areas). The original grassy area looks the same.

I tried fertilizing the lawn 4-5 days ago and so far no difference,
everyday
the lawn looks worse. More dirt less grass.

I have watered it quite a bit and it has rained quite a bit too.

Does anyone have any sugestions why this might be happening and how to fix
it?

Also no one has been on the grass as its a fairly unused lawn.

Why cant I grow grass?
 

In article "Joseph Meehan" writes:
Don't bother trying to grow good looking grass in shade, grass is a sun
loving plant.

Depends on where you live and what kind of grass. My lawn is half
shade and half sun. It's also half grass and half dead grass/dirt.
The living, healthy, gorgeous grass is in the shade.

--

Andrew L. Duane (JOT-7)
HP/Compaq Corporation
110 Spit Brook Road
M/S ZKO3-3/U14
Nashua, NH 03062-2698 (603)-884-1294

Why cant I grow grass?
 

"Frankenberry" wrote in message
...
I have a small lawn that is shaded on one end. Since I have owned the
house
the shaded part was mostly dirt.

I dug up and turned the soil over and layed sod in this area. I also
turned
over the soil and planted shady grass seed in the area between the
existing
grass and the new sod. I also patched up areas one the grassy side to fill
it in. Within a week or so the grass and sod looked beautiful almost golf
course like.

But now 3 weeks-4 weeks later all the new areas have thinned quite a bit
(sod, patches, seeded areas). The original grassy area looks the same.

I tried fertilizing the lawn 4-5 days ago and so far no difference,
everyday
the lawn looks worse. More dirt less grass.

I have watered it quite a bit and it has rained quite a bit too.

Does anyone have any sugestions why this might be happening and how to fix
it?

Also no one has been on the grass as its a fairly unused lawn.


It sounds like you tried to put a lawn in in mid-July. Not the best time of
year to try this.

It's not unusual for new seed to come in very lush and thick initially and
then thin out a bit, but when it's very young and then goes into the heat of
July and August as well the results are predictable.

Try overseeding the seeded area again later this month. You don't mention
where you are located, but in the northern US and Canada you can use
creeping red fescue seed for a shade seed. I've had great results w/ this
seed even on poor soils and very shady areas. You must be patient though. It
may take a couple of years to really fill in.

btw. you don't want to fertilize your lawn in the summer. Spring and fall
are the times when you stimulate it.

Peter H

Why cant I grow grass?
 

In article , sligojoeSPAM2
@hotmail.com said...
Don't bother trying to grow good looking grass in shade, grass is a sun
loving plant.

Consider alternatives for ground cover. Trying to make something grow
where it does not do well is just asking for a lot of work and little
return.

Sorry.

Nothing like advice from an ignorant person. Isn't that what usenet is
all about?

Why cant I grow grass?
 

Why not ask your neighbors?
They have the same soil, weather, etc.

FWIW, the half of my lawn thats in the shade needs to be mowed every couple
days in the summer, while I don't mow the sunny parts for weeks at a time.

Why cant I grow grass?
 

Just about all grass needs *some* sun to grow well. Be extra careful
with the fertilizer--it can burn especially if the ground is dry
during the summer months. One way to give your grass more light is to
remove trees or branches. If your grass dies anyway, you may want to
consider another more shade-tolerant ground cover that grows well in
your climate.

On Thu, 14 Aug 2003 17:25:35 GMT, "Frankenberry"
wrote:

I have a small lawn that is shaded on one end. Since I have owned the house
the shaded part was mostly dirt.

I dug up and turned the soil over and layed sod in this area. I also turned
over the soil and planted shady grass seed in the area between the existing
grass and the new sod. I also patched up areas one the grassy side to fill
it in. Within a week or so the grass and sod looked beautiful almost golf
course like.

But now 3 weeks-4 weeks later all the new areas have thinned quite a bit
(sod, patches, seeded areas). The original grassy area looks the same.

I tried fertilizing the lawn 4-5 days ago and so far no difference, everyday
the lawn looks worse. More dirt less grass.

I have watered it quite a bit and it has rained quite a bit too.

Does anyone have any sugestions why this might be happening and how to fix
it?

Also no one has been on the grass as its a fairly unused lawn.

Why cant I grow grass?
 

I hired a landscaper to sod my small back yard. There was a
huge bare spot under one of the trees all the way to the house.
This is the north side of the house. The landscaper said (we
heard this from more than one) he would be happy to sell me more
sod, however, in 2 years it would be back the way it was when he
first looked at it. Therefore we planted paver bricks and a
planting birm for all kinds of ornamentals that like shade.
Also, if you plant things that would normally take off in the
sun (weedy things), in the shade, they stay nicely under control.

Phisherman wrote:

Just about all grass needs *some* sun to grow well. Be extra careful
with the fertilizer--it can burn especially if the ground is dry
during the summer months. One way to give your grass more light is to
remove trees or branches. If your grass dies anyway, you may want to
consider another more shade-tolerant ground cover that grows well in
your climate.

On Thu, 14 Aug 2003 17:25:35 GMT, "Frankenberry"
wrote:


I have a small lawn that is shaded on one end. Since I have owned the house
the shaded part was mostly dirt.

I dug up and turned the soil over and layed sod in this area. I also turned
over the soil and planted shady grass seed in the area between the existing
grass and the new sod. I also patched up areas one the grassy side to fill
it in. Within a week or so the grass and sod looked beautiful almost golf
course like.

But now 3 weeks-4 weeks later all the new areas have thinned quite a bit
(sod, patches, seeded areas). The original grassy area looks the same.

I tried fertilizing the lawn 4-5 days ago and so far no difference, everyday
the lawn looks worse. More dirt less grass.

I have watered it quite a bit and it has rained quite a bit too.

Does anyone have any sugestions why this might be happening and how to fix
it?

Also no one has been on the grass as its a fairly unused lawn.

Why cant I grow grass?
 

Frankenberry wrote:

I have a small lawn that is shaded on one end. Since I have owned the house
the shaded part was mostly dirt.

I dug up and turned the soil over and layed sod in this area. I also turned
over the soil and planted shady grass seed in the area between the existing
grass and the new sod. I also patched up areas one the grassy side to fill
it in. Within a week or so the grass and sod looked beautiful almost golf
course like.

But now 3 weeks-4 weeks later all the new areas have thinned quite a bit
(sod, patches, seeded areas). The original grassy area looks the same.

I tried fertilizing the lawn 4-5 days ago and so far no difference, everyday
the lawn looks worse. More dirt less grass.

I have watered it quite a bit and it has rained quite a bit too.

Does anyone have any sugestions why this might be happening and how to fix
it?

Also no one has been on the grass as its a fairly unused lawn.

Shady mix grasses need some minimum amount of sun each day - depending
on the variety. If the grass is in dense, full shade the entire day, it
likely will die. If shade is such that you can trim/lift trees to bring
more light it may improve the situation. If not, then a different
ground cover may work much better. Under trees, the ground can dry
faster because the trees take up a lot of water. When you water, do you
water deep or just surface? There can be pests involved, such as fungus
or grubs, but you can't diagnose those on the internet. Try taking a
couple of plugs of grass from the problem area, along with a scoop of
soil from 4-5 spots to your county extension service if they do soil
testing. They should be able to tell you whether the soil is the
problem. No sun = no grass. All grass has to have some sun.

Why cant I grow grass?
 

I hired a landscaper to sod my small back yard. There was a
huge bare spot under one of the trees all the way to the house.
This is the north side of the house. The landscaper said (we
heard this from more than one) he would be happy to sell me more
sod, however, in 2 years it would be back the way it was when he
first looked at it. Therefore we planted paver bricks and a
planting birm for all kinds of ornamentals that like shade.
Also, if you plant things that would normally take off in the
sun (weedy things), in the shade, they stay nicely under control.

Phisherman wrote:

Just about all grass needs *some* sun to grow well. Be extra careful
with the fertilizer--it can burn especially if the ground is dry
during the summer months. One way to give your grass more light is to
remove trees or branches. If your grass dies anyway, you may want to
consider another more shade-tolerant ground cover that grows well in
your climate.

On Thu, 14 Aug 2003 17:25:35 GMT, "Frankenberry"
wrote:


I have a small lawn that is shaded on one end. Since I have owned the house
the shaded part was mostly dirt.

I dug up and turned the soil over and layed sod in this area. I also turned
over the soil and planted shady grass seed in the area between the existing
grass and the new sod. I also patched up areas one the grassy side to fill
it in. Within a week or so the grass and sod looked beautiful almost golf
course like.

But now 3 weeks-4 weeks later all the new areas have thinned quite a bit
(sod, patches, seeded areas). The original grassy area looks the same.

I tried fertilizing the lawn 4-5 days ago and so far no difference, everyday
the lawn looks worse. More dirt less grass.

I have watered it quite a bit and it has rained quite a bit too.

Does anyone have any sugestions why this might be happening and how to fix
it?

Also no one has been on the grass as its a fairly unused lawn.

Why cant I grow grass?
 

Frankenberry wrote:

I have a small lawn that is shaded on one end. Since I have owned the house
the shaded part was mostly dirt.

I dug up and turned the soil over and layed sod in this area. I also turned
over the soil and planted shady grass seed in the area between the existing
grass and the new sod. I also patched up areas one the grassy side to fill
it in. Within a week or so the grass and sod looked beautiful almost golf
course like.

But now 3 weeks-4 weeks later all the new areas have thinned quite a bit
(sod, patches, seeded areas). The original grassy area looks the same.

I tried fertilizing the lawn 4-5 days ago and so far no difference, everyday
the lawn looks worse. More dirt less grass.

I have watered it quite a bit and it has rained quite a bit too.

Does anyone have any sugestions why this might be happening and how to fix
it?

Also no one has been on the grass as its a fairly unused lawn.

Shady mix grasses need some minimum amount of sun each day - depending
on the variety. If the grass is in dense, full shade the entire day, it
likely will die. If shade is such that you can trim/lift trees to bring
more light it may improve the situation. If not, then a different
ground cover may work much better. Under trees, the ground can dry
faster because the trees take up a lot of water. When you water, do you
water deep or just surface? There can be pests involved, such as fungus
or grubs, but you can't diagnose those on the internet. Try taking a
couple of plugs of grass from the problem area, along with a scoop of
soil from 4-5 spots to your county extension service if they do soil
testing. They should be able to tell you whether the soil is the
problem. No sun = no grass. All grass has to have some sun.

Why cant I grow grass?
 

The original writer indicated that the grass in the non-shade areas was
ok and the grass in the shade was not. Not said by inferred was that it was
an established situation.

Now it is possible that the soil conditions and or type of grass might
be wrong and could be fixed, but most of the time when these conditions
exist they exist because of the excessive shade. Even a change in type of
grass and soil improvement will not eliminate the shade which caused the
condition in the first place.

That is why I suggest it would be a lot of work and little return. I
stand by that statement. base on the information provided. While it may be
your opinion that I am ignorant, you are free to make that mistake. I doubt
if your opinion will make much difference to either of us.

Sometimes the best advice is to admit defeat.

It may be that my reading of the original message was wrong and one or
more of the ideas suggested may be helpful, but in the end, grass in shade
is seldom successful.

I noticed that neither you nor Andrew had any ideas to offer.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math


"Brad" wrote in message
news:MPG.19a59c2961c7e8d998b598@news...
In article , sligojoeSPAM2
@hotmail.com said...
Don't bother trying to grow good looking grass in shade, grass is a
sun
loving plant.

Consider alternatives for ground cover. Trying to make something
grow
where it does not do well is just asking for a lot of work and little
return.

Sorry.

Nothing like advice from an ignorant person. Isn't that what usenet is
all about?

Why cant I grow grass?
 

The original writer indicated that the grass in the non-shade areas was
ok and the grass in the shade was not. Not said by inferred was that it was
an established situation.

Now it is possible that the soil conditions and or type of grass might
be wrong and could be fixed, but most of the time when these conditions
exist they exist because of the excessive shade. Even a change in type of
grass and soil improvement will not eliminate the shade which caused the
condition in the first place.

That is why I suggest it would be a lot of work and little return. I
stand by that statement. base on the information provided. While it may be
your opinion that I am ignorant, you are free to make that mistake. I doubt
if your opinion will make much difference to either of us.

Sometimes the best advice is to admit defeat.

It may be that my reading of the original message was wrong and one or
more of the ideas suggested may be helpful, but in the end, grass in shade
is seldom successful.

I noticed that neither you nor Andrew had any ideas to offer.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math


"Brad" wrote in message
news:MPG.19a59c2961c7e8d998b598@news...
In article , sligojoeSPAM2
@hotmail.com said...
Don't bother trying to grow good looking grass in shade, grass is a
sun
loving plant.

Consider alternatives for ground cover. Trying to make something
grow
where it does not do well is just asking for a lot of work and little
return.

Sorry.

Nothing like advice from an ignorant person. Isn't that what usenet is
all about?

Why cant I grow grass?
 

On Thu, 14 Aug 2003 17:25:35 +0000, Frankenberry wrote:

I have a small lawn that is shaded on one end. Since I have owned
the house the shaded part was mostly dirt.

Is it a tree causing the shade? What kind of tree? Some trees,
black walnuts among them, give of a toxin to better allow them to
compete. I have a magnolia that manages to kill anything out to the
leaves drip line. If this is your problem, there are some
solutions. Do a search on allelopathic.

Why cant I grow grass?
 

On Thu, 14 Aug 2003 17:25:35 +0000, Frankenberry wrote:

I have a small lawn that is shaded on one end. Since I have owned
the house the shaded part was mostly dirt.

Is it a tree causing the shade? What kind of tree? Some trees,
black walnuts among them, give of a toxin to better allow them to
compete. I have a magnolia that manages to kill anything out to the
leaves drip line. If this is your problem, there are some
solutions. Do a search on allelopathic.

Why cant I grow grass?
 

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
The original writer indicated that the grass in the non-shade areas was
ok and the grass in the shade was not. Not said by inferred was that it was
an established situation.

Now it is possible that the soil conditions and or type of grass might
be wrong and could be fixed, but most of the time when these conditions
exist they exist because of the excessive shade. Even a change in type of
grass and soil improvement will not eliminate the shade which caused the
condition in the first place.

And the answer is--sod or plant St.Augustine grass in shaded areas, since no
other grass is as shade tolerant. Kentuck blue grass and Bermuda grass just will
not grow in shade so homes with fully shaded areas have to rely on St. Augustine
or ground covers (Asiatic jasmine, English Ivy).

Regards,

John

Why cant I grow grass?
 

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
...
The original writer indicated that the grass in the non-shade areas was
ok and the grass in the shade was not. Not said by inferred was that it was
an established situation.

Now it is possible that the soil conditions and or type of grass might
be wrong and could be fixed, but most of the time when these conditions
exist they exist because of the excessive shade. Even a change in type of
grass and soil improvement will not eliminate the shade which caused the
condition in the first place.

And the answer is--sod or plant St.Augustine grass in shaded areas, since no
other grass is as shade tolerant. Kentuck blue grass and Bermuda grass just will
not grow in shade so homes with fully shaded areas have to rely on St. Augustine
or ground covers (Asiatic jasmine, English Ivy).

Regards,

John