Why Won’t My Grass Grow Under This Tree?

​Picture this: a beautiful 2-storey craftsman home, surrounded by a lush green lawn. The grass is well-manicured, the flowers in the bed by the front door are blooming, and the tree in the front yard stands tall and strong. But around its base? A bald circle of exposed dirt, not a blade of grass to be found. It’s unsightly and discouraging: why won’t your grass grow there? 

​The answer may seem pretty obvious, but that can also make it easy to miss: it’s the shade. A tree’s branches block sunlight from reaching the base. In our hot Georgia summers, you’ve probably seen areas of your yard scorched by the heat of the blazing sun. And while it’s true that too much exposure can be detrimental, the truth is most common suburban grasses require quite a bit (think 4 to 6 full hours’ worth) of sunlight to thrive. 

​Another problem for your grass growing under a tree could be leaf litter and other tree debris. While fallen twigs and leaves can definitely be a good source of nutrients as they decompose, they can also act as ground cover, blocking sunlight from reaching the grass.

So What Can You Do?

​Barring actually cutting the whole thing down, it may seem hopeless getting grass to grow under a tree. That’s definitely an option, especially if your yard has a lot of trees. Sacrificing a few for better light exposure to the ground might be worth it. 

But if you don’t want to cut down your tree, there’s still plenty to try. Keeping the tree pruned is the first step – a Certified Arborist can help you determine how much and which branches to prune to both keep the tree healthy and encourage light to filter through.

Second, be sure to rake beneath your tree fairly regularly. Keeping leaf litter and other tree debris off the grass will remove another barrier to sun exposure.

If, despite the pruning and raking, the area beneath your tree is still too shaded for your grass to grow, you can also look into planting a more shade-tolerant grass, like fine fescue. These types of grasses might require more watering than the rest of your yard, though, so be sure to learn about their care needs before you invest.

​What If My Grass Still Won’t Grow?

​If shade-hardy grasses still won’t grow under your tree, then as much as we hate to say it, it might be time to concede defeat. There are still plenty of options for how to avoid the dreaded bald-patch, though. To make the space under your tree look more appealing without grass, consider laying down a bed of mulch. Organic shapes with clear edges (but not perfect circles) or fun geometric ones around the base of the tree can make the area look polished and thought-out. But beware of mulch volcanoes! 

If you have a tree in your yard preventing your grass from growing and you’d like to see what you can do, then give Classic City Arborists a call and schedule your free estimate today!

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Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has worked with Classic City Arborists for the last 5 years. In addition to handling administrative tasks and customer communication (she’s the voice you’ll hear on the phone!), Emily is an experienced copywriter, editor, and storyboard consultant. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

Sources:
Gardening Know-How
House Digest
University of Minnesota Extension

Images:
Clay Banks on Unsplash
Ronaldo de Oliveira on Unsplash
Annie Spratt on Unsplash