There are some areas in the garden that require some creativity. If tall buildings, groves or other structures shade the ground, there is not much scope for greening the area. Nevertheless, there are variants for planting. Shade lawns, despite their adaptability, require some attention.

Lawn can also be created in the shade

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. growth in the shade
  3. Buy shaded lawn
  4. Create shaded lawn
  5. maintenance
  6. frequently asked Questions

    7. the essentials in brief

    • Low-light conditions cause deficiency symptoms in many plants. Some grass species do well with less light. The Lägerrispe is a species that tolerates the most shade of all grasses.
    • Mixtures with shadow lawn seeds should carry the RSM seal. The winner of the test is Wolf's shadow lawn. Discount offers also perform well in terms of germination.
    • The ideal time to sow a shaded lawn is spring. Thorough soil preparation and care of the area after sowing is important. As an alternative to sowing, shaded lawns can be laid as rolled turf.
    • Care includes fertilizing four times and regular watering during the summer. A shaded lawn is generally mowed monthly.

    Growth in the shadow

    Shade is not a good condition for lawn growth

    When light conditions are reduced, most plants suffer from deficiencies. Only a few are adapted to low-light conditions in the shade. Grasses also strive towards the light, form fewer runners and put their energy into the lengthening of the stalks. The high humidity in the air and soil, which is favored in shady corners of the garden, increases the susceptibility of grasses to fungal diseases.

    Other influencing factors:

    • competition from trees
    • limited supply of water and nutrients
    • Leaf fall prevents air circulation

    Where shadow begins

    The light compensation point indicates the amount of light at which photosynthesis takes place ideally. According to scientific findings, this is between 1,000 and 2,000 lux for lawn grass. For your orientation: in Würzburg, a strength of 11,000 lux was measured at midday on a full sunny February day. After the extensive spread of a shading fabric, the amount of light has dropped by 70 percent to 3,500 lux, which is still sufficient for a healthy metabolism.

    Which types of grass are suitable for the shade?

    The key factor in grass growth is the amount of sunlight available. In order for the species to thrive and grow healthily, the area should not be completely in the shade. Even if the shady lawn is intended for low-light locations, the species often cannot develop in full shade. In these extreme habitats, consider alternative plant species such as ivy or moss. The following grasses are suitable for shady areas:

    Latin name Expectations particularities
    Common bluegrass Poa trivialis moist and nutrient-rich soil very compatible with cuts, closes gaps quickly
    red fescue Festuca rubra low demands on soil, nutrients and light displaces weeds, ensures vital turf
    German ryegrass Lolium perenne normal garden soil with good nutrient and water supply very fast germination
    storage panicle Poa supina loose, fresh and nutrient-rich soil unrivaled high shade tolerance
    meadow grass Poa pratensis high nutrient requirements forms a dense and hard-wearing turf with runners

    What you should pay attention to when buying

    As with everything, there are big differences in quality when it comes to lawn seed

    To ensure that the shaded lawn thrives and does not show any signs of deficiency, you should pay attention to quality. Choose tested lawn mixtures that are adapted to the special conditions. For a lawn to thrive in shady locations, the grasses should be shade tolerant or resistant. Products with 100 percent natural ingredients prevent unnecessary stress on domestic and wild animals.

    digression

    What is behind the designation RSM

    The abbreviation stands for regular seed mixture and designates a total of eight different mixtures, each of which is divided into subcategories. Grass mixtures that have been tested and are officially suitable for shady locations carry the designation RSM 8.1.4. Such lawn mixtures follow certain standards because they were produced according to the specifications of the Research Society for Landscape Development and Landscaping (FLL for short).

    These criteria are evaluated:

    • Scar formation ability and scar density
    • Competitiveness compared to other grass species
    • Resistance to disease and drought
    • Ability to regenerate and growth rate

    companies and products

    Various gardening magazines have compared the different mixtures for shady lawns in tests. Again and again, a test winner emerges that can convince in various categories. But if you place a greater focus on the price, you will get a high-quality product with good germination results with the Gardenline Schattenrasen from Aldi, for example. These are the most common products on the market:

    product crowd benefits disadvantage Available at
    wolf Premium Lawn "Shadow and Sun" 2kg RSM quality high water demand obi
    Compo Seed (R) Shadow Lawn 2kg natural growth stimulators many negative experiences regarding germination stretcher
    box guy shade lawn 10kg Shaded lawn also suitable for the sun no seal of approval Hornbach
    Greenfield shadow lawn 0.5kg low maintenance contains additives Hornbach

    The Wolf Schattenrasen proves to be the test winner and thus the best shaded lawn. The mixture is characterized by good shade and sun tolerance and effectively suppresses weeds. The turf is very resilient. The only disadvantage is the lack of drought resistance of the grasses.

    tips

    Shade-tolerant grasses are also available as rolled turf. With this variant you benefit from a fast growth time, so that the lawn can be walked on after a short time.

    How to create a shaded lawn

    Shade lawn can be sown from spring to autumn

    Areas that don't get much light need a little more creative freedom. There are various perennials and ferns that grow in poorly lit locations. If you want to create a shady lawn on such areas, you have to consider a few aspects. A good preparation of the soil is of great importance before you sow the shade lawn.

    Of all grasses that grow in poorly lit locations, the Lägerrispe has the highest tolerance for shade. Even with a light reduction of 50 to 75 percent, their degree of coverage is 80 percent after three years.

    timing and preparations

    You can spread the lawn seeds in the garden from April to October, with spring being ideal. During this time of year, trees and shrubs have little foliage, so that enough light falls on the ground. In the hot summer months you should not scatter the lawn seeds in the bed, as there is a high risk of drying out. As soon as the hot autumn temperatures have subsided, you can also start laying out a shaded lawn. In order for the seeds to germinate ideally, the temperature should not fall below twelve degrees, even at night.

    To prepare the soil:

    1. Chop flat and fluff thoroughly
    2. Remove weeds, root remains and stones
    3. Work organic long-term fertilizer into the substrate
    4. Improve barren soils with peat-free lawn soil
    5. Apply a five centimeter thick layer of hummus
    6. Level the substrate and compact with a lawn roller

    sow seed

    Ideally, you spread the grass seed with a spreader. First work the surface lengthwise and then crosswise. A quantity of 25 grams of seed is distributed per square meter. Then cover the surface thinly with garden soil and carefully press down the substrate with a board. Water the freshly sown lawn every day for the first few weeks and avoid drought.

    tips

    Due to a lack of light, the ability of shaded lawns to regenerate is generally lower than that of commercial lawns under better light conditions. Therefore, wait until a continuous turf has developed before stepping on it.

    maintain shaded lawn

    Shaded lawns should not be mowed too often

    Although shaded lawns prove to be easy to care for, you should pay enough attention to the area. There are a few aspects to consider, as these special growth conditions can quickly lead to a species shift.

    Basic care tips:

    • annual scarifying between April and May combats moss and weeds
    • Apply some lime every year to prevent moss growth
    • Remove foliage in fall to allow air circulation

    Fertilize

    The nutrient supply with a long-term lawn fertilizer should take place as early as possible in the year, even before the leaves of the trees sprout and shade the area. You can use the forsythia blossom to orientate yourself in terms of time. It is fertilized a maximum of four times a year in March, May, July and September. In autumn you can use a fertilizer with a high potash content that improves the winter hardiness of the grass.

    Water

    Shaded areas retain condensation and rainwater longer than sunny areas. Therefore, you should only water the shaded lawn when the substrate dries out. In the summer months, you should check the soil moisture regularly, as it can dry out quickly even under trees and shrubs on hot days. The right amount is of great importance, as the combination of a lack of light and high humidity can encourage undesirable accompanying flora or diseases.

    How to water correctly:

    • once or twice a week in summer
    • Irrigate deeply and root-deep
    • 10 to 15 liters of water per square meter are ideal

    mowing

    The lawn is mowed regularly but not too often. A distance of three to four weeks between mowing dates, at which you cut about a third of the leaf mass, is ideal. You should not fall below a cutting height of six to eight centimeters. The grasses benefit from a larger photosynthetic surface, which means they can better hold their own against weeds and moss. Remove clippings directly from the surface to allow it to breathe.

    overseeding

    If, despite good care, algae and moss settle in the lawn, you can scarify the area from May next spring. In this way you comb the moss growth out of the turf. Since this method often creates gaps in the lawn, you should immediately sow fast-germinating shade lawn seeds.

    frequently asked Questions

    What do I have to consider to ensure that shaded lawns thrive?

    Every lawn seed needs light to germinate

    Even shade-tolerant grasses need a certain amount of light to germinate. If the seeds do not get sunlight at any time of the day, a layer of moss will develop over time. As a result, the grass seeds have even less chance of germinating. Shade grasses also have limited growth opportunities near conifers. The shallow-rooted shrubs compete with the grasses for water and nutrients in the upper soil layers.

    Which shade lawn mixtures are cheap and good?

    Discounters like Aldi or Toom have seasonal offers for lawn mixtures for shady areas, mostly in spring. Despite the low price, you should pay attention to the composition of species and their quality. Not all mixes work equally well in shady areas. The shade lawn mixture from Grandiol, which is occasionally offered by Lidl, has positive reviews in terms of germination success.

    Inexpensive mixtures with good experiences:

    • lord: 10 kg shade lawn mixture for about 50 euros
    • Pegasus: 1 kg lawn mixture shade lawn for around 10 euros
    • Cheese: 10 kg seed mix shadow lawn for just under 40 euros

    How does shaded lawn grow in the sun and in the shade?

    There are grasses that get along much better with darker locations. This includes the Lägerrispe, which, however, is only contained to a small extent in mixtures for shaded lawns. Shade lawn mixtures thrive very well in light shade. However, these areas are less resilient than a lawn in the sun. In full shade, the vitality of the grass decreases and moss prevails. There are also differences in care. Shady lawns should not be cut deeper than two to three centimeters so that the grasses still have sufficient photosynthetic surface available.

    What do I have to consider before laying out a new shaded lawn?

    It is important that the air circulation in the soil pores can take place optimally. The substrate should not be too compacted. Loosen up the area thoroughly and remove coarse particles that negatively affect the root growth of the grass. By adding sand, you can loosen up heavy soil so that waterlogging does not form. A balanced supply of water and nutrients ensures healthy grass growth. The substrate should not be too acidic. Measure with a pH meter whether the value is in the neutral range between 6.0 and 7.0.

    Under what conditions do shade grasses germinate optimally?

    When sowing, make sure the weather conditions are favorable for growth. If the weather is too cold or too hot, the seed will not germinate, or the seedlings will die quickly. Soil temperatures between eight and ten degrees that last over a longer period of time are ideal. Drought is a major stressor during the first two weeks after germination. The substrate should be moist but not wet during the rooting phase. To support root growth, a phosphorus starter fertilizer is suitable.

    Is maintaining a shaded lawn easy?

    A well-established lawn in the shade proves to be relatively easy to maintain. A balanced supply of nutrients and the right watering are important. Since grasses in the shade do not tolerate deep cutting, certain cutting heights should not be undercut when mowing.

    For regular mixtures, a cutting depth of six centimeters is recommended. Shady lawns with Poa supina can be shortened to three centimeters. Under low-light conditions, the degree of coverage of the grasses can fall below 80 percent if not cared for properly. Light spots should be resown in spring so that the lawn area remains visually appealing.

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Garden design