Hi all! I would like to plant grass in our back yard that has several
trees. It gets some sun, but not much, it's usually shady during the
day. I would like your expert advice on the following issues:

1. When to plant grass? Note: According to city ordinance, I MUST
plant grass between now and May 15, which leaves me a little over a
month. I don't know if it's the best time for planting or not but I
have no choice. So I wonder if it's wrong time to plant, what will the
consequences be (i.e. will the grass grow this summer, will I have to
use some special care, etc.)?

2. What type of grass should I plant that grows best in the shade?
Should I use seeds or "roll-out grass"?

3. What are the tips for caring for the newly planted grass? Should I
buy a sprinkler system? How often do I need to fertilize it?

I live in St. Louis, MO. Thanks for all responses!

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi all! I would like to plant grass in our back yard that has several
trees. It gets some sun, but not much, it's usually shady during the
day. I would like your expert advice on the following issues:

1. When to plant grass? Note: According to city ordinance, I MUST
plant grass between now and May 15, which leaves me a little over a
month. I don't know if it's the best time for planting or not but I
have no choice. So I wonder if it's wrong time to plant, what will the
consequences be (i.e. will the grass grow this summer, will I have to
use some special care, etc.)?

2. What type of grass should I plant that grows best in the shade?
Should I use seeds or "roll-out grass"?

3. What are the tips for caring for the newly planted grass? Should I
buy a sprinkler system? How often do I need to fertilize it?

I live in St. Louis, MO. Thanks for all responses!


In addition to what info you get here, you should also contact your state's
cooperative extension service. You can find it via a google search using the
words:
missouri cooperative extension service

On Apr 3, 2:31 am, wrote:
Hi all! I would like to plant grass in our back yard that has several
trees. It gets some sun, but not much, it's usually shady during the
day. I would like your expert advice on the following issues:

1. When to plant grass? Note: According to city ordinance, I MUST
plant grass between now and May 15, which leaves me a little over a
month. I don't know if it's the best time for planting or not but I
have no choice. So I wonder if it's wrong time to plant, what will the
consequences be (i.e. will the grass grow this summer, will I have to
use some special care, etc.)?


I think that you are in for a world of disappointment. Growing grass
under trees where it gets little or no sun is not likely to give you
good results even if you use shade-tolerant grasses. I don't know the
climate of St Louis but if you are in an area subject to heavy frost
or snow in the winter your grass will be struggling that much harder.
Aside from shading the grass trees often steal all the water and
nutrients too.

Unless you need it to provide a playing area for sports or for small
children grass is a highly over rated ground cover that is very
resource intensive. I would be looking for alternatives despite what
the authorities say. Surely a living ground cover that suits your
climate and situation or a well made non-living material (eg pavers)
is better for the amenity of the area than a dust bowl / mud puddle.
If they complain tell them to make it grow in shade by legislation.

2. What type of grass should I plant that grows best in the shade?

Select a specifically shade tolerant variety if you must.

David

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi all! I would like to plant grass in our back yard that has several
trees. It gets some sun, but not much, it's usually shady during the
day. I would like your expert advice on the following issues:

1. When to plant grass? Note: According to city ordinance, I MUST
plant grass between now and May 15, which leaves me a little over a
month. I don't know if it's the best time for planting or not but I
have no choice. So I wonder if it's wrong time to plant, what will the
consequences be (i.e. will the grass grow this summer, will I have to
use some special care, etc.)?

2. What type of grass should I plant that grows best in the shade?
Should I use seeds or "roll-out grass"?

3. What are the tips for caring for the newly planted grass? Should I
buy a sprinkler system? How often do I need to fertilize it?

I live in St. Louis, MO. Thanks for all responses!


Grass does not grow well if at all in the shade. Look for shade loving
ground covers and as Joe said ask you Extension Agent.

--
Travis in Shoreline Washington

"Travis M." wrote in message
newsOhQh.3448$jZ3.89@trnddc06...
wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi all! I would like to plant grass in our back yard that has several
trees. It gets some sun, but not much, it's usually shady during the
day. I would like your expert advice on the following issues:

1. When to plant grass? Note: According to city ordinance, I MUST
plant grass between now and May 15, which leaves me a little over a
month. I don't know if it's the best time for planting or not but I
have no choice. So I wonder if it's wrong time to plant, what will the
consequences be (i.e. will the grass grow this summer, will I have to
use some special care, etc.)?

2. What type of grass should I plant that grows best in the shade?
Should I use seeds or "roll-out grass"?

3. What are the tips for caring for the newly planted grass? Should I
buy a sprinkler system? How often do I need to fertilize it?

I live in St. Louis, MO. Thanks for all responses!


Grass does not grow well if at all in the shade. Look for shade loving
ground covers and as Joe said ask you Extension Agent.

--
Travis in Shoreline Washington

I'm in upstate NY, and under two 25' high bronze-leaf maples in my yard,
there's some kind of grass growing luxuriantly. In addition to the shade
from these two, the neighbor's sycamore adds more shade, so there's only
direct sun for maybe 2 hours a day. I didn't seed it - I just moved into
the house two years ago, so I have no idea what variety it is. But it *is*
possible to grow decent grass in a certain level of shade.

HELP THE TREE!

Keep the turf away from your trees. Why see article.
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/shigo/RHIZO.html
Properly mulch your trees - see he
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman/sub3.html

Thus turf will reduce the vitality of your trees.

Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi all! I would like to plant grass in our back yard that has several
trees. It gets some sun, but not much, it's usually shady during the
day. I would like your expert advice on the following issues:

1. When to plant grass? Note: According to city ordinance, I MUST
plant grass between now and May 15, which leaves me a little over a
month. I don't know if it's the best time for planting or not but I
have no choice. So I wonder if it's wrong time to plant, what will the
consequences be (i.e. will the grass grow this summer, will I have to
use some special care, etc.)?

2. What type of grass should I plant that grows best in the shade?
Should I use seeds or "roll-out grass"?

3. What are the tips for caring for the newly planted grass? Should I
buy a sprinkler system? How often do I need to fertilize it?

I live in St. Louis, MO. Thanks for all responses!

Hi all! I would like to plant grass in our back yard that has several
trees. It gets some sun, but not much, it's usually shady during the
day. I would like your expert advice on the following issues:

Some sun but not much leaves you with fescues if you're going to stick to
true grasses. You've got a lot more latitude if you choose another
groundcover. See what the code actually says.

http://agebb.missouri.edu/hort/meg/a...v11n8/meg1.htm
http://extension.missouri.edu/explor...ort/g06725.htm
http://extension.missouri.edu/explor...ort/g06835.htm

Fall is actually the best time to plant grass, either seed or sod.
How wierd do they get? I'd be inclined to toss out some cheap
covercrop like buckwheat now, plead crop failure, and replant with
what you actually want in the fall. There's a fair chance you'll
be replanting then anyhow if you're not meticulous in watering.

Yes, you'll need a sprinkler of some sort, either for seed or sod.
If you want to put in a sprinkler system, you won't have to drag around
hose and sprinklers every day or two until the grass is established.