Question
I live in the Huntington area and my lot is completely wooded on rolling hills.   I plan on taking down some trees and  planting a lawn (appoximately 60' x 80').

While I am removing trees, I still expect the lawn to experience partial shade as there will be mature trees surronding the lawn.

The lawn is primarily a play area for my 2 year old daughter, so durability is an issue.

I am considering seed because of the cost savings and I also find it hard to believe that sod grown in full sun will do well on a shady lot.

What kind of grass would you recommend and is seeding or sod the right way to go.

Thank you so much for you help.

Mark

Answer
Sharp of you to peer into the future at that sun-grown sod on your shady lawn, Mark.  Growing grass in the shade today is fortunately less of a challenge than it used to be.

We all want a smooth green lawn.  But conditions are rarely perfect.  The key is to pick seed that makes the most of what you have.  You have semi-shade in the transition zone plus the pitter-patter of little feet in the summer.

Cornell University's Lawn Care website (http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/lawn/lawncare/index.html) addresses your first requirement in its 'Coping With Shade' page: 'Lawn grasses need at least 4 hours of direct sun a day.  If they receive much traffic or wear and tear, they need a minimum of 6 hours.'

Let's read that again, Mark: Lawn grasses need AT LEAST 4 HOURS of direct sun a day.  More for 2-year-old daughters and their pets and friends.

So, Mark, the big question:  How much shade will you be dealing with when your tree work is done?

How much sun will be reaching the grass?

Be truthful here.  And remember that after your trees are leafing out a few weeks from now, and the sun is closer to its Summer position, the full-sun numbers will have changed from what you see now.  Think on that when they come to lighten-up your backyard tree canopy.  The more light, the better your lawn will look.

OK, Let's talk about seed.

There's nothing better in the Northeast for part sun than Fine Fescue.  Shade tolerance, stamina, drought resistance -- that's what Fine Fescue brings to the table.  Grace under pressure.  This is the grass for you.

In this country, that sacred American dream -- the little country house with the white picket fence -- comes with a lawn.  So the federal government teams up with grass researchers and retailers each year to fund the National Turgrass Evaluation Program.  At last year's tests, the top Fine Fescue grown at the Rutgers University testing plot was a variety entered as 'Pick CRF 1-03'.

So I contacted the Oregon grass farm that bred Pick CRF 1-03, Pickseed West.

They have named their CRF 1-03 cultivar 'Garnet', probably drawing on its Creeping Red Fescue heritage.  Their Executive V.P., Dr. Jerry Pepin, addressed your situation specifically: 'I would recommend 40 percent Garnet or Jasper II plus 30 percent each America and Langara Kentucky Bluegrass.'  These Bluegrasses Pepin mentions are highly shade-tolerant Pickseed varieties with outstanding performance in the Rutgers field tests.  Combining grasses raises your chances of success all over your plot; the strongest survive, and guarantee a smooth, silky sheet of green.

There are some other things to consider here.  Fine Fescue is not a durable grass.  It can be slow to establish, which leaves it vulnerable to weed invasion.  It needs extra TLC in the height of summer heat -- deep, vigilant watering -- and does better in moderate shade than in full-time summer sun.  When the temps hit triple digits, it goes dormant, and stays that way until the temps drop.  But it has that shade factor that is so critical for this project.  And although it is not a high traffic grass, I don't think you'll need to worry about that as much; your toddler probably weighs about as much as a few squirrels.

University of Maryland posts a sheet on 'Establishing and Maintaining Fine Leaf Fescues' (http://iaa.umd.edu/umturf/Cultural/ESTABLISH&MAINTAIN_FINE_LE.html) to expand your understanding of this grass a little more.  One point they drive home is the value of postponing seeding until Fall: 'For best results, seed Fescues between late August and late September.  Do not seed after 15 October. Spring seeding (i.e., March 15 to May 15) is likely to produce an inferior turf.'

Now, I have to ask you something:  Did you get a soil test done?

Because there is no way you can tell what's in that soil without a soil test.

You want a beautiful lawn, right?  So why would you want to guess at the Lime?  Why assume your soil is acid?

Have you ever made a cake?

You wouldn't just 'guess' at how much flour to add, right? You wouldn't just 'guess' at the oven temperature.  You would measure everything.  You'd have a recipe.  You'd shop for anything you didn't have.  Because if you have Eggs, why buy Eggs?

Do you have Eggs, Mark?

A soil test will tell you that.

It will tell you HOW MANY Eggs you have.  How much Sugar you have.  It will SAVE YOU MONEY and it will give you all the key information you need to prepare your soil for your beautiful green lawn this summer.

Since you mentioned your little girl will be playing out there, we don't need to go into the dangers of using Scotts Weed and Feed, Grub Killer, etc., do we?  Because you are an Intelligent Gardener.  You don't need that stuff.  You do things the right way.  Things that confuse other people don't faze you.  You get it.

Right?

You're not going to read this in Newsday, Mark.  Scotts owns the chemicals business.  They spend way too much money on advertising in Newsday and it would not be very smart of Newsday to print anything that would make Scotts look bad.  But their way of doing things is, to put it politely, old fashioned.  Those chemicals are dangerous.  And because you don't need them, they are also worthless.

Let's talk about Fertilizer.

Don't buy any.

Look at it this way.  You're not growing your grass hydroponically.  Your grass has roots.  The roots will take everything they need from the soil.  Build up healthy, rich soil, and the roots will get everything they need to max out their genes, to be their greenest, to grow thick and healthy.

Think about it.  Why put down Nitrogen if it's already there in the soil?  Does someone sit down at the table with you every night at dinner and decide for you what you're going to have?  Because that's what you're doing to your grass every time you put down those Scotts fertilizers.

Remember: No grass is going to perform better than its genetic program.  Pick grass with the right genes and build up your soil.  That, sir, is the secret of the perfect lawn.  The one that never gets sick.  The greenest grass.

I know this answer is way much more than you were looking for.  I apologize for that.  Some things just need to be said.  Believe me, I could go on and on.  But I'll stop now.  If you have any followup questions, let me know.  I'm here.