# grass that performs in shade?



## Trogdor (Jan 13, 2019)

Going back and forth between sod and seed.

Sod (bluegrass blend from the farm)means the kids can get out and play right away, but I'm thinking it may not survive in the long run because of the shade I've now got.

New behemoth build beside me has taken away the 5-6 hours of light I previously had in the mornings. Currently not wanting to take down the trees we have that give some privacy.

Bottom line is I've got about 4-5 hours of sun on the lawn(which is mostly weeds), it never grows rapidly, and looking for advice on what you might recommend to grow that I can eventually go low (~1")?

Fescues or Bluegrass?


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## Scagfreedom48z+ (Oct 6, 2018)

I'd look at Superseedstore.com. They have great KBG cultivators like Mazama and TTTF blends that do well in shade


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## tgreen (Oct 20, 2018)

Trogdor said:


> Going back and forth between sod and seed.
> 
> Sod (bluegrass blend from the farm)means the kids can get out and play right away, but I'm thinking it may not survive in the long run because of the shade I've now got.
> 
> ...


4 to 5 hours of sun is still a good amt of sun, especially if it's unfiltered. Tall fescue is safest bet for shade. Rowdy, Essential, 4th millenium are all good tall fescue shade cultivars. Bewitched, Mazama and Keeneland are shade tolerant bluegrass. I got Keeneland 3 years ago but have been told there is no more production? You can't go low with tall fescue. I'd never go below 3 and even that is too low. Good to have longer grass in shade for more surface area to catch sunlight.


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## ksturfguy (Sep 25, 2018)

A fine fescue is most shade tolerant so if you get a mix I'd make sure it includes some fine fescue


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## llO0DQLE (Dec 4, 2017)

Trogdor said:


> Bottom line is I've got about 4-5 hours of sun on the lawn(which is mostly weeds), it never grows rapidly, and looking for advice on what you might recommend to grow that I can eventually go low (~1")?
> 
> Fescues or Bluegrass?


KBG should be able to thrive in 4-5 hrs. Maybe not as nice looking as full sun exposure but it should be okay. Pick shade tolerant cultivars. Bewitched and Mazama are probably your best bet. I have a section in the back of my front lawn, which is north facing, that only gets 1-2 hrs direct sun esp in the fall. Bewitched is thriving there. Get a Sunclac and if it reads at least "Part Shade" you should be fine. If it's full shade then go with the cultivars "mulch" or "gravel" or "pavers". If KBG doesn't thrive or is too thin for your taste even with "Part Shade", then you could also try Fine Fescues down the road.


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

^+1 on the posts from
@Scagfreedom48z+ 
@tgreen 
@ksturfguy

I would combine all three of their ideas. SSS has a good shade mix SS6000 with a good amount of kbg and FF.

If you're really concerned about shade, that's one avenue. With 4-5 hours of sun you have a good chance of growing all kbg. I've recently added Mazama/Beyond to my straight Bewitched, which I have been using for a few years. SSS has replaced Bewitched in the SSS6000 with Mazama, because it has become the best shade tolerant kbg.

If you want to hedge your bets, you can make a custom mix using the SS6000 as a component (say 30-50%) and make the remainder Bewitched and Mazama (or any other kbgs that you desire).

Cut on the lower side, elite KBGs have very good density. Check out @wardconnor and @NoslracNevok for their lawns. You don't have to go "reel low", especially with shade concerns, but might get away with 2-2.5"


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## Chris LI (Oct 26, 2018)

+1 on the post from @llO0DQLE. I was a slow poster and saw his after posting.


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## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Agree with what's been posted here. You'll be able to grow bluegrass with 4-5 hours of sun.


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## NELawn (May 7, 2019)

I have used SSS Shade blend a few years now, even bought some this year for one last attempt.

I find germination with it so/so. I know PR germinates much faster, but the SSS shade blend germinates much slower and I did a full KBG in my backyard so I am used to slow germination times. The SSS shade mix is very slow to establish, but grows OK once it gets going, even better the following year.

Also be warned I have read; and experienced, that you can expect more red thread with fine fescue. Thats been my experience with it, I really hate the read thread ever year. It grows out of it a little, but its always there.

I think if I did it again in my front I would to TTTF, TTTF has gotten more popular, and some local sod farmers advertise black beauty TTTF sod.

My front gets plenty of sun in the spring, but when the sun changes angles in the fall, its mostly shade. Over-seeding in the fall hasn't worked well, I think putting down sod might give it a head start for when the front gets baked from teh sun in August and only gets 2-3 hours of sun in the morning when the angle of the sun changes in the fall.


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## NELawn (May 7, 2019)

tgreen said:


> Tall fescue is safest bet for shade. Rowdy, Essential, 4th millenium are all good tall fescue shade cultivars. Bewitched, Mazama and Keeneland are shade tolerant bluegrass. I got Keeneland 3 years ago but have been told there is no more production? You can't go low with tall fescue. I'd never go below 3 and even that is too low. Good to have longer grass in shade for more surface area to catch sunlight.


Thanks for the TTTF recommendations, I am thinking of using TTTF for a front hell strip. Watering it all the time is a pain and despite getting baked all summer, it gets a ton of shade every fall. A TTTF blend may be a hardier grass for that area.


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## hogmaster (Dec 29, 2021)

tgreen said:


> Trogdor said:
> 
> 
> > Going back and forth between sod and seed.
> ...


I have found Keeneland at Hogan Company. I was thinking about it, but in NTEP trials the thatch was off the charts (bad). Does anyone have experience with Keeneland that they can report?


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