Greeting fellow garden fans,
What's the best type of grass seed and method to get some grass on this section of the yard?
I've got a 300 sq ft section of yard that is partially under a pine tree and partly under a cherry tree. At this time of the year, it gets direct sunlight from 7-10am and from 12n-2pm. The ground was covered with pine needles until a month ago when I raked it clean. Good soil, but just water has not produced any new grass.
Thanks.
Snuffy
"Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com... Greeting fellow garden fans,
What's the best type of grass seed and method to get some grass on this section of the yard?
I've got a 300 sq ft section of yard that is partially under a pine tree and partly under a cherry tree. At this time of the year, it gets direct sunlight from 7-10am and from 12n-2pm. The ground was covered with pine needles until a month ago when I raked it clean. Good soil, but just water has not produced any new grass.
Rough sketch of the area
"Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com... "Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com... Greeting fellow garden fans,
What's the best type of grass seed and method to get some grass on this section of the yard?
I've got a 300 sq ft section of yard that is partially under a pine tree and partly under a cherry tree. At this time of the year, it gets direct sunlight from 7-10am and from 12n-2pm. The ground was covered with pine needles until a month ago when I raked it clean. Good soil, but just water has not produced any new grass.
Rough sketch of the area
Don't know technical zone name. Meditteraneans climate, San Diego County, Calif, inland about 15 miles, 500 ft about sea level. Soil tested and all is within recommendations.
You are likely in Sunset's zone 23: Favored for growing subtropicals; best zone for avocados. Frosts negligible. Not enough winter chill and summer heat for apples, pears, and peaches. Good for gardenias. Winter lows generally range from 38F down to 23F. Buy a copy of Sunset's "Western Garden Book" or see it at a local public library to get details about your climate.
It is doubtful whether you will ever get a good growth of turf grass under the pine. You might try red fescue (Festuca rubra). This is not a turf grass on which children can play, but it does withstand light foot traffic. It grows about 1-2 feet tall and flops over. It does well in part shade. Mine has survived the water restrictions imposed during the drought. I have mine mowed about once each year, in the late fall. It needs to be mowed to about 3 inches if I am going to rake leaves off the lawn; otherwise, the accumulation of leaves from my ash tree will leave dead patches of grass.
Alternatively, consider a ground cover if there will be no foot traffic in the area. Dwarf English ivy (Hedera helix 'Hahn's'), cinquefoil (Potentilla neumanniana), pink clover (Persicaria capitata, not a clover at all), and Vinca minor can take sun or shade. Once established, these are relatively drought-tolerant; without ample water, they will survive even if they do not thrive. Except for the ivy, they also have flowers.
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