Lawns under trees

[basher]

I recently moved to a rental home with almost complete coverage by oak trees. Hardly any sunlight, if any at all, touches the front lawn. Does anyone have the same problem, and know how to have a nice lawn with no sunlight? Right now it is patchy, mossy, and full of acorns, twigs and leaves I've been trying to rake up. I've lived in apartments most of my life, this is new to me...lawn care. It's gonna be nice and cool under all the shade, but the lawn really suffers for it.....any suggestions? TIA

 

[aps45819]

dig it up with a rotor tiller, dump a ton of lime on it, seed with the expensive "shady lawn" seed. repeat the seed and lime every year, always rake the leaves in the fall and after a few years you might have some grass.

 

[aps45819]

or get a big hunk of green indoor/outdoor carpet and spread it out in the yard

 

[basher]

thanks for the suggestions....esp the second one
I dunno.....I don't own the house, so I don't think I want to spend all my money fixing up someone else's lawn....doesn't look like the landlord or previous tenants cared for it much by the looks of it, I was hoping to make it a little bit better so I can stand the sight of it.....maybe spray some weed killer, aerate/till the soil, sprinkle some grass seed and water.....but because of the lack of sunlight, I'm not sure if all that will help it :shrug:
maybe if i get bunch of mirrors and shine the light on the lawn......hmmmmmm

 

[kom526]

Aerate only, do not till the yard especially since you are renting. If you do till wait until the fall then till lime, fertilize, seed and cover and you'll see results come spring. For now I would just punch and fertilize, you could seed but you'd go crazy trying to keep everything moist and with all the shade you'd be setting yourself up for mold and fungual growth.

 

[Geek]

http://www.seenontvexpress.com/product-5811.htm

this stuff will grow grass on your baldy ass

 

[basher]

http://www.seenontvexpress.com/product-5811.htm

this stuff will grow grass on your baldy ass

have u actually tried it? sounds too good to be true.....
also is it really express if it take 4-6 weeks to deliver??

 

[aps45819]

have u actually tried it? sounds too good to be true.....
also is it really express if it take 4-6 weeks to deliver??

That's the crap they spray on the road sides. Seed, fertilizer and ground news paper for mulch and binder. you can spray it on concrete and grass will grow. for a while

 

[Dutch6]

dig it up with a rotor tiller, dump a ton of lime on it, seed with the expensive "shady lawn" seed. repeat the seed and lime every year, always rake the leaves in the fall and after a few years you might have some grass.

You should sample the soil before putting so much lime on. I got my yard way too alkaline. Grass won't grow then either. Optimum ph level is 6.2 to 6.7.

 

[Lilypad]

I recently moved to a rental home with almost complete coverage by oak trees. Hardly any sunlight, if any at all, touches the front lawn. Does anyone have the same problem, and know how to have a nice lawn with no sunlight? Right now it is patchy, mossy, and full of acorns, twigs and leaves I've been trying to rake up. I've lived in apartments most of my life, this is new to me...lawn care. It's gonna be nice and cool under all the shade, but the lawn really suffers for it.....any suggestions? TIA

I have a patch similar to what you have described-personally I love the mossy area! I have 15 acres, I let nature do it's thing-no chemicals or weed killers.
Make the most of it after you rake, might want to ask the landlord what he/she would suggest.
Welcome to the wide world of lawncare.

 

[Cowgirl]

You should sample the soil before putting so much lime on. I got my yard way too alkaline. Grass won't grow then either. Optimum ph level is 6.2 to 6.7.

If moss is growing, there's a good chance the soil is acidic. I really wouldn't recommend doing anything to a rented lawn though. Even if you seed, you shouldn't seed for another 2 months....and if the lawn is so shady, you're going to have a hard time getting grass to grow. The only grass that might grow is creeping red fescue...if that doesn't grow you might as well mulch it.

Talk to your landlord....maybe they'll pay for it or give you a break on rent for lawn improvements.

 

[basher]

thanks for all the advice. I think I'm only gonna do just the regular maintenance like mowing and raking. If it's mossy, let it be, if it's patchy let it be. I will at least try to get rid of the weeds. I doubt the landlord will reimburse me for anything, it looks like no one cared for it in the first place.