Has anybody used Pearl's Premium Ultra Low Maintenance Lawn Seed?

I'm not one of the experts (I'm reading in the forum to learn) and I know nothing about what seed is best in the Boston area. But I've always heard that no grass will do well in shade. Some will live but it will be sparse. Have you thought about alternatives to grass? Bare dirt isn't desirable. But there are some groundcovers that tolerate shade. You might search "groundcovers for shade" and see what comes up. You could cultivate moss. Mulch with planting beds of ferns or hostas under shady trees can be pretty. One thing I would not recommend is ivy. Ivy can take over everything.

Thanks Beckybeck... I prob didn't describe the situation correctly enough - we get morning sun and afternoon shade...some areas start getting shade around midday and others start getting shade around perhaps 2/3pm - so it's not like the area is in dense shade all day as it does get some direct sun... therefore I'm hoping to hear from folks who have experience with this type of sun/shade situation and which type of cultivars work best

Massachusetts, as a whole, is in the zones 5 & 6....with maybe a 7 thrown in there close to the ocean.
Generally, being close to large bodies of water moderates temperatures and Boston is no different.
Frosts are less severe close to the water....more severe inland....that is a given.

As far as grass seed is concerned and its choice whether one is better than the other it is quite easy to make a decision;
simply go to your local full-service garden nursery and speak to the person/s who run the place and ask their opinion.
Mostly, its a better rule to buy a mix.....and for northern grasses the combination of Kentucky Bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and fescue makes for a good selection ---each grass gives its best for conditions encountered in northern areas.
You can do research youself on the why's to buy a mix and on the different grasses individual capabilities.
Generally, one gives good results when summer heat hits, the other, stands up to shade, and the other stands up to drought when that occurs.

Grass color often is the result of the soil it is growing in.
It might take time when, say....a section is needing fixing...and is sodded; it might result in a shade of green unlike the rest of the lawn. That's normal....but in time, the sod will be fed from the same soil and conditions as the rest of the lawn.

A good rule of thumb: cut the grass at a uniform height...generally 3" - 3 1/2"
This is a height that is not high....not low...but high enough to shade out weed seeds that is in every lawn.
Now some grasses, like bent...which is used on golf greens, is cut very low----but that grass is especially able to take such low height---it isn't harmed by sun and wind and drought....as other grasses would be.

Grass, left high will shade out weed seeds and over time, your lawn will be much better for it.

Some owners cut their lawns short prior to winter freeze....but that is generally accepted to be not a good thing to do. Better the grass is left a bit higher....to conserve as much moisture as possible to go into winter.
Northing harms a lawn more than a cold northern winter....winter takes a terrible toll on lawns and spring fixes are common because of it.

Some fertilize their lawns going into winter---others feed their lawns in the spring and follow a regular routine of feeding throughout the spring and summer.
It can be a crap-shoot whether one routine is better than the other.

Good lawns take time and effort and one shouldn't expect miracles. With all what can attack our lawns, its good to see our lawns come through winter in decent shape.

No grass is hardy against kids and pets in the shade. Those that are hardy need full sun. Depending on the pets, some of the hardy grasses cannot keep up with the torture.

Kentucky bluegrass is the most hardy northern lawn grass, because it will spread to fill in thin spots. KBG only grows well in full sun. KBG also goes dormant (brown) in the winter.

Bentgrass is certainly hardy but is generally considered to be a weed except on sports fields. It is hardy to the point of being invasive. It is also a lighter green than you might like.

The fine fescues will do well in the shade. They remain green all year long. Problem with fescue is it cannot recover from damage. You must reseed every fall if they thin out.

Rye grass requires full sun. It will also require reseeding in the fall if it thins out.

Your yellowish green color might be the result of not enough fertilizer. If you are using chemical fertilizer, you should fertilize three times per year. First app would be Memorial Day, second would be Labor Day (NOW), and third would be about Thanksgiving.

Let us know what seed you are using and we can help with a watering schedule for the seed. If there is any rye in the seed mix, it can trick you into stopping watering before the rest of the seed sprouts.