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Managing A Shady Lawn

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Trees offer incredible value to a property, providing shade and beauty while symbolizing life and deep-rooted strength that comes with age. The problem that green thumb homeowners will likely encounter is how this shade affects the other plants growing in their lawn and landscapes. Your lawn has its own ecosystem, and everything interacts with each other. As we discuss issues with shade, we’ll be prioritizing turf health which may not line up with your aesthetic goals, but understanding the role shade plays can help you better design your landscape and outdoor living space.

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The Science Aspect

Flash back to middle school science and photosynthesis. All plants undergo this process, and some degree of sunlight is required because it provides energy. We also know that visible light is a spectrum from deep blue to dark red. Studies show that red light and blue light are the main parts absorbed by plants. Green light in the middle of the spectrum can fuel photosynthesis, but the light level needs to be much higher which doesn’t occur when it must filter through a tree canopy. As it filters through, most of the red light and blue light are taken in by the tree leaves, leaving a minimal amount of inferior quality light for the turf. This is part of why under heavy tree shade, growth is slower, blades are thinner, root systems are weaker, or the area is just completely bare.

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Additional Considerations

With tree shade, there are other issues presented. Feeder roots for trees are usually in the top six inches of soil, which is also where the roots of the turf are. Now, we have competition for nutrients and water in the soil. Believe it or not, studies done on trees have shown that tree growth can be inhibited when grown closely alongside turf, especially with higher maintenance species like Kentucky bluegrass. Other turf issues presented with tree shade include air stagnation and increased humidity which increases potential for disease. Certain trees like black walnuts can be phytotoxic, meaning they exude chemicals that naturally impede the growth of plants around them. Then, we have the issue of seeds, nuts, and leaves, dropping and
smothering areas, blocking even more sunlight and air.

The Options

Now that we understand the issues presented with tree shade, what can we do to optimize our lawn and landscape while having a variety of trees, shrubs, and grass? For optimal health of your trees and your lawn, trees should have mulch rings properly installed underneath the canopy. If this isn’t an option, we need to choose an appropriate grass species and prune the trees as much as possible without harming the tree.

Blue/Rye Mix

Full Sun to Partial Shade
At Least 6-8 Hours of Sunlight per Day

Turf Type Tall Fescue

Full Sun to Dense Shade
At Least 4-6 Hours of Sunlight per Day

Fine Fescue

Tolerates Dense Shade and Heavy Filtered Light
At Least 3-4 Hours of Sunlight per Day

While turf type tall fescue and fine fescues can tolerate dense shade, growth still won’t be as optimal, and you may still need to regularly reseed to maintain adequate density. As noted above, heavy shade increases potential for disease which can also cause stress and thinning. Fine fescues are weaker and very susceptible to disease, so we often recommend alternative landscaping rather than grass when considering using them. You also should consider other options if you don’t want to routinely overseed. Can the landscape beds that border the lawn be extended out to minimize turf in dense shade? Would a decorative ground cover look better here? Shade tolerant ground cover and decorative plants like pachysandra or hostas have better
shade tolerance than shade tolerant turf species. Would river rock or pebbles fit in the area? The possibilities are seemingly endless and it’s a matter of finding a path that matches the amount of work you want to put into it along with matching the theme of your landscaping.

If you are struggling with a shady part of your lawn and still are unsure how to manage it, give LawnWorks a call at (815) 723-8760. We are happy to suggest ideas that you can utilize to keep your outdoor living space looking great while optimizing the health of your desirable plants!