Leaves Dropping onto Reseeded Shady Lawn

11 years ago

Hello. Quick version of question: Which is more important for successfully growing grass from seed in a shady lawn: Not stepping on the area (even if it means leaves remain on the seed) OR removing fallen leaves from the area so as not to block the little sun they might get (even if it means stepping on the seeds or sprouts)?

Long version/background: We just bought a new house with a large but shady backyard. About 1/3 is moderate shade, but the other 2/3 is pretty densely shaded mainly by maple trees with a few oaks and evergreens thrown in. The existing lawn is straggly grass, some weeds, and moss. I didn't think I would have time to kill everything and start completely from scratch, so I mowed it down low, raked it up good, and put down a starter fertilizer. Then I seeded it with Pennington's Dense Shade mix and have been watering it 3x a day to keep the seeds moist.

The same trees that are causing the shade are dropping leaves onto the seed. Is it more important for me to not walk on the freshly seeded area, or to remove the leaves so none of the precious little sunlight is wasted? The yard is big, so I don't think stepping stones would work (I would need too many of them!) Also, while it seems like a boatload of leaves are falling, it has not resulted in any more light hitting the ground yet!

Thanks for any advice you can share.

Comments (4)

kidhorn
11 years ago
I would rake them once a week. Young seedlings can take minor foot traffic. Just don't repeatedly walk on them.

Grass does not grow well under large trees. Most people think it's because of shade. So they buy a shade mix. The real problem is tree roots. If you dig into the ground, you'll find it full of fibrous tree roots. Unless you plan on providing massive amounts of water, the grass you planted now will likely die out next summer. Grass can't compete with trees.
MaeDaisy
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for the advice, Kidhorn. I'll give that a try. The trees are all around the edges of the lawn, and while there are roots in the area, there was some nice grass back there at one point. The neighbors said this house used to be on the annual garden walk every year because the backyard was so beautiful. There were actually more trees at that time. Apparently several were cut down a few years ago due to borers. The yard only went to hell over the past 2-3 years. I have no illusions of getting it into the newspapers again, but I do hold out hope of getting the grass back at least. People say I'm a dreamer... :-)

Thanks again. This is pretty new to me, so I appreciate your help.
tiemco
11 years ago
A word of caution. If you rake, do not press hard. Actually you should avoid touching the ground with the rake tines, it can pull out new seedlings very easily. A correctly aimed leaf blower would be the best way to remove leaves on your new seedlings.
MaeDaisy
Original Author
11 years ago
Ah, that makes sense. I think my stepdad has a leaf-blower I could borrow... Thanks for your help!