How to grow grass with zero sunlight

[Jenna37]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but hoping some people can help out! I've been trying to grow grass in my backyard for years now. The problem is I have a giant tree that blocks out all sunlight in this area. I planted grass seeds before but with no sunlight ever getting through they end up just dying. Is there any specific brand of grass that can grow with no sunlight or am I out of luck with this area here?

 

[Jenna37]

Picture of the area

 

[oneeye]

Grass has to have Sunlight to live. You can use a ground cover to fill in around the tree but not grass. Asian jasmine or vinca miner or something that stays green would work but not grass.

 

[Tetters]

We have an area under a tree that looks like that. The tree needs to take up any moisture there is, and we thought the best thing to do was put down some wood chippings as a mulch and use the lovely shady area as a seating place when it's hot. I have tried planting some plants under this tree, but they didn't exactly thrive. The ones that oneeye mentioned are about the best bet.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Mondo grass can live there. It is a form lilly and has a bulb so its water needs are reduced.

 

[big rockpile]

I live in the woods and our place at the lake is in the woods.

We was told grass wouldn't grow but we got some seed for shade areas but dang I can't remember what it is but it has done well.

big rockpile

 

[oneeye]

I live in the woods and our place at the lake is in the woods.

We was told grass wouldn't grow but we got some seed for shade areas but dang I can't remember what it is but it has done well.

big rockpile

When Summer brings shady conditions the grass always dies.

 

[oneeye]

Mondo grass can live there. It is a form lilly and has a bulb so its water needs are reduced.

The good thing about mondo is you can do a division every year and harvest new plants.

 

[Megalodon5]

I've got a very similar area behind my shed which is covered by a very heavy canopy of two very mature oak trees. This means that there is almost no sunlight reaching the ground. I would do a couple of things.

1. Get some shade-resisitant grass seed. Just a quick google search will find you the best one you can find. It may be a bit expensive, but it should work.

2. Plant the grass in spring. As soon as the frost is gone, but before the leaves start to come on the trees. This means that even in summer when the area will be in shade from the canopy of leaves, it should have a base of biomass underneath that it can feed off of.

3. When summer comes around (so summer 2024), try and thin the canopy out a bit. This should let more light through and help the grass to grow.


Just remember to manually water the new grass seeds in at all times, even in wet weather as water may struggle to get through the leaves of the tree.

I hope this helps!

 

[Oliver Buckle]

My guess is a combination of shade and moisture, as Megalodon says there are grasses that will grow in shady conditions, but those tree roots look very near the surface, and the slope will mean any moisture will tend to run off as well. I would be tempted to put down a couple of inches of a good moisture retentive mix, work into the top half inch or so of the ground so you don't disturb the tree roots too much, then sow your grass in that and water regularly so it stays moist. Sprinkle or mist to be careful not to wash the top layer away at first, when the grass grows it should bind it in place.
Around the base of the large oak in my garden are cyclamen, another alternative that is attractive, scented, and stays green.