Question
My front yard is very shady, the fescue reseeding is less effective annually and now my yard is covered in moss.  What are my options to kill the moss and find a grass that will grow in a very shady yard beneath giant oaks that seem to absorb all the moisture from the soil during dry summer spells?  Is Bella bluegrass or palmetto st augutine realistic for Memphis?

Answer
Hi Burt,  There is no such thing as a shade turf grass.  The growing season for fescue is October to May, during which time the leaves are gone and the grass is in full sun.  Give it enough water and it will make it through the shady summer.  But you will have to aerate every couple of years and re-seed annually to keep it nice.  The same would be true with bluegrass, but it is less tolerant of heat and water competition from the tree than fescue.
Some warm season grasses like St. Augustine (not very cold tolerant) and Zoysia will tolerate substantial shade, but even they will fade in deep shade.  Pasture and forest are not compatible.
If you really want grass in moderate to heavy shade, you will have to work at it...constantly.
Keep the pH near 6.5, fertilize only twice a year (spring and fall), mow as infrequently as possible without allowing the grass to get tall enough to lay over and water heavily 2"+ per week throughout the summer.
Moss grows where the soil is compacted and there is poor air movement in the soil and sometimes it is an indication of a low pH.  The area is trying to become a woodland garden, consider letting it happen or switching to a groundcover like Vinca minor that will survive those conditions.  Jim