Growing Grass under trees

Growing grass under trees can be quite difficult not only due to the limited sunlight but also because there is competition for water and nutrients. The tree canopy can also contribute to decreased rainfall reaching your lawn. Then, there is the issue of whatever the tree sheds (leaves, flowers, seed pods) fall down and again prevent sunlight filtering through.

Thankfully there are a few things you can do to help out…

• Select a shade tolerant grass.
• Observe you lawn and work out how much sunlight the area is getting
• Clear leaves, flowers and seed pods when they fall
• When mowing, never take more than a third of the leaf off the lawn
• If possible, prune the trees lower branches to increase the amount of sunlight available to lawn if tree canopy is overly thick
• And remember: Grass under trees requires more watering especially in dry weather and more fertiliser due to competition with the tree