Question
We live in the suburbs of Chicago. Our backyard is the size of a postage stamp and it's covered by a very large mulberry tree. We've been trying to grow grass since we moved in 10 yrs ago. The yard is very shady and the tree also prevents a lot of rain from falling on the yard. The soil is very hard and compacted and lumpy. We tried aerating, seeding and watering last year, but the grass (like every other year) lasts until it gets really hot and dry in August and then it dies completely. This year we are thinking about plowing under the yard, adding mulch and sand (or something), fertizer, then seeding. Will this work? Is there a better plan? If we can't do it this year, we are giving up and putting in mulch or gravel!

Answer
Hi Chritine
Everything will be fine. It's a good idea to plow and add some sand. But your grass died because of wrong selection of grass seeds as all turf doesn't perform well under shaddy conditions. So go to scott website and choose a grass variety best suited to your condition. It will work out for you.
Aman