On Feb 14, 11:49*pm, Lawn Guy wrote:
wrote:
Having read the "dead grass" thread, I'm afraid I'm in for bad
news. Writing from SE Michigan, zone 6.

I'm in the same zone as you, probably 100 or 150 miles to your east.

The front lawn has a maple tree - red maple, I think - at least
in the fall the leaves turn red. *It casts a deep shade, but worse
is that the ground around it has lots of thin roots. *Needless to
say, no grass grows there. *I was thinking of using a slit seeder,
thinking that would cut the roots. *But, well -- is there any type
of grass that will grow there?

Bingo. Exactly the problem I described in the other post. Some
species of trees, some maples in particular, have these thin, dense
roots that stay close to the surface. The Norway maple is well know
for this problem and is a big planting mistake for areas where you
want to grow grass. The roots are dense enough that a slit seeder
will not cut them, only bounce around and run over the top of them and
NOT penetrate the soil. I have a maple here in my yard and have been
through this experience. I don't know of any grass solution that will
work, because you have a dense root system at the surface that crowds
out any grass and sucks up the water and nutrients.




Put down a layer of good black soil under the tree. *Not the shit they
call compost or peat moss. *1 or 2 inches is all you need. *Mix in some
24-24-24 lawn-starter fertilizer.

If you want instant grass - buy some sod and lay it down. *If you seed,
you want a deep-shade grass seed (Supranova Poa Supina / Supranova
Supina Bluegrass).

Soil and roots WILL NOT BE your problem (unless you have clay soil). *It
will be the shade. *What is the diameter of the tree trunk? *Can you
walk under the tree when it's fully leafed-out in the summer without
hitting your head on leaves or branches?


Go ahead and try that approach. Been there, done that. Bluegrass
may be an even worse choice because it has higher nitrogen
requirements than other grasses. So, to try to make it grow, you'll
be applying fertilizer. Guess what else wants that fertilizer and
other nutrients? Those pesky thin, dense, tree roots from your
Maple. So, they will start extending up into that nice new topsoil
too. And in a year or two, you'll be back where you started.