Novice lawn question

Discussion in 'Lawns' started by David Richards, Apr 4, 2021.

  1. David Richards

    David Richards Apprentice Gardener

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    Hi all

    This is my first question, so please bear with me!
    For a number of years we have put up with our very small garden just having moss and a few odd blade of grass poking through!
    Now we have decided to try and rejuvenate it.
    We have a few small area of garden - probably no more than 10m x 8m.
    There is hardly any sunshine hitting g the majority of the ground due to the direction the garden faces and having two houses either side which gave an additional floor to our. We also have three mature fir trees in the garden.

    I am just wondering if there us any hope of ever being able to plant grass in the garden and keep it green?
    As I sat, almost 3/4 of the ground doesn't actually see direct sunlight....I guess this is a huge problem?

    I am an extremely novice gardener, so any advice would be really helpful.

    Thanks in advance
    David
     
  2. NigelJ

    NigelJ Total Gardener

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  3. David Richards

    David Richards Apprentice Gardener

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    Thanks Nigel

    Was kinda trying to avoid this as everyone else around has ripped their lawns and put down concrete / wooden decking or artificial grass and I really wanted to keep the garden natural, especially as it has become a bit of a haven for birds in the last year or two.

    David
     
  4. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    Welcome to the forum. You can get grass seed mixtures formulated for shady areas. It would mean getting rid of your existing grass, preparing the soil and re-seeding. I would avoid having the lawn close to the fir trees, it's too dry and shady for grass.
     
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    • Graham B

      Graham B Gardener

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      Are we talking like 3-5m evergreens, the kind with sort of feathery rubbery fronds, which are actually cypresses? Or actually firs where "mature" means 20m or more?

      For cypresses, you can write off the ground immediately under them, but outside that you're usually not too bad. You can also prune the hell out of them. That's what's in most gardens. As JWK says, just choosing the right seed should help.

      Actual firs and pines though, their fallen needles are basically a chemical attack on anything living underneath. That plus the shade is going to be a very different problem.
       
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