06Honda
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Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:01 am
Location: Kingston Ontario

Growing Grass In Shady Area

I have an area that gets 100% total shade for the entire summer once the leaves grow in. I am looking for some ideas as to what I can plant ie: some other type of ground cover; grass type etc to fill in the area with something green. See pic of area in question, looks this way all the time with some grass being able to grow.

Note: Lots of birds/squirrels around so I would guess seeds won't work as they would be quickly eaten.

Thanks very much for taking the time to read this post and helping with any ideas. Its really appreciated.

[img]https://i40.tinypic.com/b7nv9s.jpg[/img]

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rainbowgardener
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Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

I would give up on growing grass there. But there's lots of great ground covers for shade:

hosta, ajuga/ carpet bugle, wild ginger, ferns, liriope, wintercreeper, wintergreen, plumbago, tiarella/ foamflower, bunchberry. If you don't mind them being hideously invasive and taking over your yard, there's periwinkle, pachysandra, ivy.

All of these are cold hardy where I am, but you are in the frozen north. You would have to check which ones would be cold hardy for you. And some have special needs... the bunchberry is gorgeous, but it absolutely will curl up and die if your soil isn't pretty acid. But hopefully this will give you a place to start looking thing up.

06Honda
Full Member
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:01 am
Location: Kingston Ontario

Awesome info and will help for sure. I will check out which ones will grow in our zone and take it from there. Thanks.

Paul

Yellowsnow
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Posts: 60
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2012 11:52 am
Location: SC PA 6b

There are some lawn grasses that are tolerant of shade if the soil is in good shape. Is this spot under a tree? If so then the soil is probably acidic and the moisture is sucked out of the soil away from the grass. The pic is not showing up to see what it looks like.

Seed can be protected from birds with straw.

Vinca is a nice ground cover that is cold hardy and dark green. Has purple flowers in the spring and thrives in shady acidic soil.

06Honda
Full Member
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:01 am
Location: Kingston Ontario

I think the free hosting site for the pic must be short term until you join. The area is under a large tree and gets total shadecall summer. Good info about the soil, now I know its acidic I will check out some options. Thanks for posting back, appreciate that.

Yellowsnow
Cool Member
Posts: 60
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2012 11:52 am
Location: SC PA 6b

No problem. For tree grass, garden/dolomite lime, fertilizer, water. I'm not sure if Canada has Extension offices or not but, take a soil sample and have it tested. This will tell you how much lime and fertilizer would be needed.

getting grass to grow will not happen overnight. Patience and a couple years are needed in most cases.

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rainbowgardener
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Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

yeah, tinypic is temporary. Use photobucket. You have to register, but that's just give them a small amount of info. It's free to register and always free to post your photos and it is permanent.



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