Growing Grass in shaded areas
Growing Grass In Shaded Areas
By Dominic Hooghuis - DVH Property Maintenance - www.dvh-maintenance.com
DVH Property Maintenance maintains many of Melbourne’s gardens both residential and commercial and we’re often faced with the tough task of getting lawns to grow under trees within the landscape. While this can seem impossible (in some situations it is) there are some handy tips to know which will keep your grass looking lush and green under the shade of a tree,
Here they are:
Choosing there correct grass variety – If you’re putting in a new lawn or replacing an existing lawn choosing the most shade tolerant grass is the first and best step to having a lawn look great in the shade of a tree. The variety that DVH use and recommend is called ‘Sapphire’ Soft Leaf Buffalo. Avoid using sun-loving varieties such as Kikuyu or Couch.
Cut your grass long – The general rule for cutting your grass is only ever cut one third of the leaf blade of at any given time, but we recommend cutting the grass on the highest setting of your mower. Leaving more leaf blade on the grass increases its surface area therefor it collects more sun to photosynthesize and turn into much needed energy.
Remove all leaves and debris from the lawn – At DVH we often blow the leaves and debris off of lawns as it not only looks neat but they can block much needed sunlight from reaching the leaf blades especially under deciduous trees in Autumn!
Choose a deciduous tree - If you’re planting the tree that’s going in or near your lawn choose a deciduous variety of tree, this means that when the lawn is needing the sunlight the most in the colder months (Autumn and Winter) the leaves will fall from the tree allowing more light onto the lawn.
For more handy gardening tips or a quote for garden maintenance and/or landscaping please visit our website at: www.dvh-maintenance.com