Can You Grow Grass Under A Tree?

Our Tips for Growing Grass Under a Tree

A home does not feel complete without at least one tree in the yard. In fact, growing trees on your property can help increase the property value, lower your air conditioning bills (by providing shade), provide seasonal interest as they change color, muffle the sounds of the neighborhood, provide a natural screen to hide eye sores, slow evaporation of lawn moisture, prevent erosion, as well as providing us with a breathable atmosphere.

However, they do not make it easy to grow a lawn.

Many homeowners have resigned themselves to just having bare soil in a ring around their trees. This does not have to be your fate. With just a few simple steps, you could have a lush blanket of grass beneath that canopy.

Four Steps for Growing Grass:

1. Use a shade tolerant seed mix;  Kentucky Bluegrass and Creeping Bentgrass are two of the best options for our region.
2. Prune the lower branches of the tree. Make sure the lowest branch is at least six feet off of the ground.
3. Water in the early morning. Do not water the shaded areas excessively, just enough to ensure that the soil is moist enough to keep the grass growing.
4. When the leaves begin to fall, remove them immediately. The weight of the leaf litter, as well as the acids from decomposing leaves will weaken the lawn in an already sensitive area.

Sometimes, besides our best efforts, the lawn will just not grow in these shady areas.

That does not mean you have to live with the bare areas around your trees; it just means that you need to change your strategy.

There are a variety of decorative ground covers and flowering perennials that can take those bare areas and turn them into a beautiful focal point, rather than an eye sore. And if you would like to keep it simple, a mulch ring will do the job.  For all of these services (and much more!) – contact RLM today and we will help you with all of your lawn care and landscape needs.