Question
Hi Kenneth,

   I have two sections in my lawn that seem to repel the growing of grass. Number 1 is an area under a Norway maple tree. Number 2 is an area under a Northern Spy apple tree. I have tried Scott's top of the line grass seed along with turf builder with no success.
   I live in upstate New York (Manlius,which is close to Syracuse) zip code 13104
   By the way, I have other maple trees and fruit trees where the grass grows just fine.
   Any help would be greatly appreciated.

                   Fred

Answer
Grass plants are sun lovers and grow very poorly in the shade of trees. Also grass require water, loose soil and sun to do well.

Under the canopy of a mature norweigan maple, water is a critical issue. it is not uncommon for soil to stay bone dry below the canopy even after a heavy downpour. other maples are less dense.

Norwegian maples also have a very shallow root system which interfer with grass roots. the maple will compete for moisture often at the expense of the grass. Finally the dense canopy can shield out needed sunlight.

the best grass in a shady condition is fine fescues (hard, chewing,creeping red) and if you use Scott's Pure Premium grass mixes, then look for the green lable (Shady mixture). It contain good shade tolorant cultivars.

THe problem with fine fescues, is that they like well aerated soil which is not present under mature trees. These trees will compact the soil which can be a problem for the fine fescues.

I recommend loosening the top 2-3" of soil with a rake, shovel, etc making sure you don't chop down too sharply and sever major roots. Some root pruning for the trees are ok. Then mix in a generous layer (1-3") of well aged compost and rake it into the top 2-3" of topsoil. Water well to settle the soil and then rake smooth.

Sow grass seeds in early May and keep watering daily for 10-15 minutes at a time to keep the top 1" of soil w/seeds consistently hydrated. When the new grass sprouts (14-21 days) gradually increase the time between watering and then amount of water you apply. The goal after 4-5 weeks is to water infrequently, but deeply (such as once per week for 2 hours rather than 15 minutes daily). Initially a newly seeded lawn requires frequent, shallow applications. The goal is eventually to water infrequently but deeply. At that time the goal is to thoroughly soak the root zone to a dept of 8-12" with each watering.

Since the canopy can shield rain, you may need to water manually. since tree roots will compete for moisture, it helps to water with a sprinkler under the trees on weekly basis. During first year, check twice per week and better to water one time too many, although still make sure you water deeply.

If the problem is lack of sunlight (it could be that the exposure is northern while exposure under other maples are southern for example), you will probably never get grass to grow. If still a problem, consider a shade tolorant ground cover like vinca minor, or pathysandra. We have vinca minor growing under a norwegin maple in our back yard and it is flourishing.