Grass Blend That Grows in the Sun & Shade
- Consider the elevation of your yard since higher elevations usually mean cooler temperatures and less oxygen; conversely, lower elevations tend to mean higher heat. Choose cool season grasses that will tolerate shade, like a creeping red fescue for the higher elevations and St. Augustine and zoysiagrass seed for the lower elevations in warmer climates.
- Know your soil type before planting your seed since different soil types provide different nutrients for the grass. Sandy soil provides good drainage but poor nutrition unless you enhance the soil with organic materials. Rye grasses tend to grow well in sandy soils, while the common Kentucky bluegrass seed does better in damp soil with more decomposing plant matter in the soil.
- Account for the actual amount of shade in your yard. Just because a patch of lawn extends under a tree's canopy does not mean it receives no sunlight. Look to see if the area gets a couple of hours of sunlight at some point in the day. Save areas in total shade for walkways or a type of ground covering like crushed stone or wood chips, since grass needs at least some sunlight to grow. Choose a fine fescue for very shady areas that only get a couple hours of light per day or a Kentucky bluegrass for areas that get more sunlight. Make a mixture of both grasses for the whole lawn since all types will grow in sunlight.
- Add some perennial rye grass to any grass mixture for a fast-growing grass that will fill in bare areas in either shade or sun. Expect the grass to grow quickly but only for one season while the other more permanent grasses take hold.
