Why Grass Doesn’t Grow Under Trees

One of the hardest areas to grow grass is under trees. There are a number of factors involved and each needs to be addressed. Depending on the trees involved, often the best option is to forget the area as a lawn and consider alternatives. Some factors to consider with grass around trees include:

• The amount of shade and/or filtered light that can get through. Can the tree’s foliage be thinned to provide more light?

• How close to the surface are the tree roots? One reason for poor performing grass under trees is that the tree itself is robbing the grass of any water and nutrients.

• Too damp. You could also be suffering from the opposite to the above – too much water. These areas are always damp and in these situations, many grasses not only fail to thrive, they can suffer from disease.

If you can identify any of these problems then you have a decision - do you spend more time and money on the area or convert it to something else? For example, do you put in better drainage and add sand or fine material to the soil for drainage? An alternative that is attractive in damp areas is to let moss develop – you retain the green color yet save on mowing and maintenance cost.

If you can improve the area then prepare the area using the Grass Stitcher and sow the appropriate grass seed for your climate and those conditions. There are grasses that will grow well in full shade – you may need to keep the water and fertilizer up during the growing season to compensate for the hungry tree.