August 1999 - Volume VI, Issue 8

Lawn Maintenance Practices for Shade

David M. Kopec, Extension Turfgrass Specialist

Last month's newsletter talked about why shade is stressful to turfgrass, and shade tolenarnce recommendations for grass varieties.

This article deals with the proper management of shaded lawns which are using shade tolerant grasses.

For the long term maintenance of a shade tolerant lawn, you should assist the turfgrass in its natural adjustments it makes by growing in shade.

In general, these adjustments include longer, narrower leaves, leaf attachments which occur farther apart on the stem, and fewer shoots per square inch of lawn.

Given these physiological and growth plant responses to shade, follow these general guidelines:

I. RAISE THE MOWING HEIGHT.

This is necessary to accommodate the changes in leaf growth, and internode lengths of the stem. By raising the mowing height, you are increasing the leaf area available to catch the available light, and avoiding scalping the grass. Grasses tend to scalp in the shade because of the leaf and stem changes mentioned above. The higher mowing height will increase food storage under shade stress.



Grass Type

Full Sun

Shade

Tall fescue

1.5 - 2.5"

2.5 - 3.5"

Kentucky Bluegrass

1.25 - 1.75"

2.25 - 3.0"

St Augustine

1.25 - 1.5"

2.25 - 2.75"

KGB/Red fescue/rye

1.5 - 2.0"

2.5 - 3.0"

Zoysiagrass

1.25 - 1.5"

2.0 - 2.25"

*Bermudagrass, seeded common or E-Z turf-Midiron

1.0 - 1.5"

2.25 - 2.5"

* Grass you are stuck with.

II. FERTILITY

Cut back your fertilizer amounts by 40% - 50%, depending on the growth and cover of the grass.




Grass

Amount N/

1000 ft 2 /mo.

Month

LOW ELEVATION GRASS :

St. Augustine

1/4 lb

APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP

Zoysia

1/4 lb

MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG

Tall fescue

1/2 lb

MAR, NOV

1/4 lb

APR, MAY

MID ELEVATION GRASS:

Tall fescue

1/2 lb

APR, OCT

1/4 lb

MAY, JUN

Kentucky Bluegrass (alone

or with mixtures)

1/2 lb

APR, OCT

1/4 lb

MAY

HIGH ELEVATION GRASS:

Creeping red fescue

1 /2 lb

MAY, SEPT

1/8 lb

JUNE, AUG

Tall fescue

3/4 lb

SEPT

1/2 lb

MAY

1/8 lb

JUN

Poa trivialis

1/2 lb

MAY, SEP

1/4 lb

JUN

III. IRRIGATION

Remember that tree roots are competing with the lawn for irrigation water. Even though the shaded grass does not use as much water for cooling itself (compared to full sun conditions) tree and shrub roots may increase irrigation demands on the lawn itself. Watch this carefully.

Avoid over irrigating the shaded lawn. Too much water will make the water content of the grass even greater. This decreases stress tolerance from traffic, cold and heat.

It' s best to fix the sprinkler system so that you are not over watering the whole lawn to account for the driest spot.


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Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, James A. Christenson, Director, Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, The University of Arizona. The University of Arizona is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation in its programs and activities.


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