Question
I live in Northern VA with a large amount of tree cover.  The back yard is about 15 feet deep from the house to a line of mulched plants and the beginning of a wooded area.  This 15 feet contains about a 2.5 foot drop on perhaps a 20 degree incline.  The soil is heavy with large amounts of clay.  The sunlight is mostly filtered light with perhaps 2 or 3 hours of full sun.  I have tried multiple time to put down clay buster topped with topsoil (1/3 peat moss, 1/3 bagged topsoil and a mix of native soil and gypsum) combined with a Pencoat shade grass mix.  We always lose by the end of the summer the race with the rain erosion combined with the dog.  Can you provide any suggestions on how I can have a successful lawn on this area?  Thanks, Hal

Answer
Sorry Hal,

This doesn't sound like you really have much of a chance. There does come a point where the grass just cannot tolerate the lack of sun, lack of topsoil, and dog abuse. If I was you, I would highly recommend that you talk to some landscapers about alternative plantings. I just don't think grass will work under the circumstances you've described and I'd hate to tell you to put effort in that would be futile.

Sorry again.

-C.J. Brown
www.TheLawnCoach.com