Growing grass in dense shade?
rubybaby43
19 years ago
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creatrix
19 years agoIna Plassa_travis
19 years agoRelated Discussions
Dense shade grass dying - not sure why
Comments (15)Hi there - thanks all for the feedback - I have kept the grass pretty high based on some advice from my neighbor - he mentioned the same thing AgroCoders stated: that the tall fescues are meant to grow pretty tall (hence the name I guess :) ) maybe 3-4 inches and can lay flat, which is sort of why I was inquiring as to why it was dying...I did cut the grass again since posting keeping it at about 3 or 4 inches. Actually, the grass has gotten worse now too...the parts in the middle that were yellow are now pretty much dead...The grass does look like it was matted - it could have been because of the rain too. I mean the too much water theory could be true, but I would be surprised - I couldn't really control the storms and rain that rolled through for about a week straight :). Regarding the fertilizer - yeah, that could have been some misleading information from both the seed (Pennington) and fertilizer (Scotts) manufacturers - they both stated the conditions for spreading and I followed those accurately. I actually just lightly spread on fertilizer to this newly grassed area, but perhaps I didn't give enough time from my previous fertilizer application and also I am sure the weed/feed itself didn't help. I would think all the water we got would actually help wash out the fertilizer though if that were the culprit. I don't know if it will rebound at this point or not - even though it's dense shade I am starting to wonder if just the total lack of sun, minus a few tiny parts, is the culprit after all...Or just a perfect storm of my misconceptions of fescue (letting it get too high, getting wet, spreading an ill-advised fertilizer, and lack of sun). Oh, and to the comment on the shade mixtures: Dense Shade mix: Virtue II Tall Fescue Rebel Xtreme Tall Fescue Razor Red Fescue Survivor Chewings Fescue Tall Fescue Mix: Justice Tall Fescue Rebel XLR Tall Fesuce Rebel Xtreme Tall Fescue Virtue II Tall Fescue Note: I only spread the Dense shade mix at the bottom of the land (where there is the most dense shade) and the tall fescue mix is pretty much covering all the rest. The grass seems to be dying right in the middle - it does run down hill, so maybe all the rain we got matted the grass -it stayed wet for several days and then just died...too many theories. Attached is a picture today - we had another storm last night, after about 2-3 days of really hot 80-90 degree weather (without rain), but I did water when it seemed dry (one day). Thanks All! Any advice on helping it rebound? Usually light rain + sun helps, but I will be missing that whole sun component in dense shade so it could be bon voyage for my grass....See MoreVery fine, dense, dark grass... What is it?
Comments (3)I agree that it's probably fine fescue. There's a mix of fine fescues that I've heard about called Bonny Dunes that is supposed to be pretty good. I think it's a mixture of Chewings, hard and creeping red. I think the wider bladed grass may be tall fescue. The picture where you have three blades, I think the middle one may be KBG. If you look closely at it, is it somewhat boat shaped? Fine fescues are pretty low input. They don't need much as much water or as much fertilizer as KBG or tall fescue. In fact, watering and fertilizing them as much as KBG would probably result in a fair amount of thatch. Some fine fescues would suffer and possibly die off with too much water and/or fertilizer. I think fine fescues are more sensitive to dull mower blades, though (leaf tearing), so make sure you keep the blade sharp....See Moreemerald green arborvitaes, dense shade, replacment shrub.
Comments (8)I forgot to mention that we are in central Pennsylvania, about an hour directly north of Harrisburg. We have had what seems like a fairly average summer, possibly a little dryer than normal. When we have a dry spell I do go out and water the shrubs. Here are few more pictures taken last night. The original that I posted was from right after the shrubs were planted. Close up of the dying arb. - http://i.imgbox.com/2OyAmbIA.jpg rear of the arbs., note the tree coverage. - http://i.imgbox.com/3TPLIqjB.jpg Two more pictures showing the tree coverage and shrubs. http://i.imgbox.com/tFiUHZgv.jpg http://i.imgbox.com/iXUjxdB0.jpg You will notice only one very browned arb, the two directly next to this one have been replaced in the last 4-6 weeks as they were in the same state. Lowes offered a 1 year warranty so I was credited for the purchased amount. My thought about bugs is that it is unlikely as the three shrubs I have had the problem with are all right next to each other. I could be wrong in this assumption. About applying a mulch, noted and I plan to take care of this immediately. I am happy with the layout of my yard/fence line and I do not require a additional shed as we have a sizable shed/single horse barn already for storage. I did not put fertilizer in the holes when planting. The ground in that area is extremely hard and compacted (compared to just a few feet over). Would it be beneficial to till up all of the ground in the general area down to maybe 12" or so? Will this help with my problem at all? When I replace the dying arb, should I break up the compacted soil (clay) that the root ball comes from the store in? Thank you again for all of your help....See MoreNeed dense shade fast growing rhododendron
Comments (1)Rhododendron maximum will grow and bloom in quite dense shade. There is also a variety named Independence or sometimes Independence Day that is either a selection of r. maximum or a hybrid with a maximum parent. Both are late bloomers with the usual drawback of the flowers being somewhat hidden among the leaves. Both will also grow to 10 feet. FAST is more of a problem. Few rhododendrons could really be described as fast growers, especially in an area where they may have to compete with hemlocks for moisture and nutrients. If you're willing to spend the money, maximum can usually be found for sale in pretty large sizes. Check with any of the larger nurseries such as Weston, Russell's, Mahoney's in your area. They may also be able to suggest other possibilities....See Moresandykk
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