Best Grass Seeds for Shade Areas

We agree that SHADE presents one of the largest challenges in creating a lovely, lush, green, and thriving lawn.

Most grass types usually struggle with shady areas and require sunlight for the most part.

So, if you want a lush green patch of grass in the shady areas of your garden, then this article is just for you.

Let us look at how you can manage Grass in a Shady area and what are the Best Grass Seeds to Plant in Shade areas;

How Shade Affects Your Grass Lawn

Before we get into the types of grass for shade, let us first look at how shade affects your lawn.

Like all plants, lawn grass needs light, air, water, and nutrients from the soil to thrive.

Trees, buildings, shrubs, and other things can shade your garden, keeping Grass from getting the essential sunlight it requires. This can impact your lawn directly.
Shade can likewise cause the soil to retain too much moisture and compound Drainage problems, which may already exist from leaves and shrubs.

In the Shade, your grass will stretch itself to reach much-needed sunlight and, in turn, grow weak and thin because of the lack thereof.
Grass Grows weaker and loses its color without the proper sunlight and nutrients, causing the grass to become more susceptible to insects, pests, and lawn diseases.

So, as you can see, sunlight plays a vital role in the life of most Grass types.

How to Help Shaded Grasses

Besides getting the right types of Grass, there are also some adjustments you can make to your Lawn area to help the Grass in Shaded areas;

• Let More Light In – Because even a Shade Tolerant lawn Grass performs better given more sun, you should trim trees and shrubs that may be causing the shade. When planting new plants, always consider types of plants that grow less densely and allow for proper sunlight circulation.
• Restore The Balance of the Soil – In the shade, soil conditions may deteriorate quickly, causing a low pH and poor drainage. Testing your soil and providing essential nutrients will improve its balance and health, preventing pests and weeds and improving the growth and health of your grass lawn.
• Increase Mowing Height – When you mow your lawn at a higher setting, there is much more blade surface space to capture much-needed sunlight. Higher mowing generally also encourages grassroots to grow deeper and stronger.
• Adjust Your Fertilizer and Irrigation Schedules – Shaded Grass will grow much slower than Grass in the sun. Fertilizers can help spur growth, but stressed grass in the shade cannot handle as much fertilizer as in the sun. Slow-growing Grass will also need less water.
• Limit Lawn Traffic – Weak and Stressed Grass in shaded areas is prone to more damage from foot traffic. Therefore, try to limit walking on the grass in shaded areas and repair bare spots with premium products.

Features of a Good Grass Seeds for Shade Areas

Here are some great choices in Grass that Grow easily in Shade;

• LM Grass – LM Grass is ideal for semi-shade areas, although the LM Berea has the highest Shade tolerance in the Lm grass Type. LM Berea is a soft Grass and has a medium traffic tolerance.
• Kikuyu – Kikuyu is also a great Grass Choice for Shady areas. However, it grows slowly and could do better in cold winters. Kikuyu is a great option for mixing with LM Grass.
• St. Augustine Grass – St. Augustine Grass is sold as a sprig or planted as sod, not seeds. St. Augustine Grass is great for shade areas in warm climate areas.
• Zoysia Grass – Zoysia grass is a tolerant grass that can be planted in sunny or shady areas in warmer climates.
• Centipede Grass – Centipede Grass thrives in shade areas and needs a warmer climate.
• Evergreen Grass Blends – Fescue and Rye are the blends that make up an Evergreen Grass. This Tuft type of grass is dark green and stays green throughout the years and seasons. Evergreen Grass suits various soil types and is also tolerant in shade areas.

Reviews: The Best Grass Seed for Shade Areas

Below are some excellent options in Grass and Grass Seeds that are ideal for Shade areas in your Garden;
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The Pennington Smart Sun and Shade Grass is a versatile grass that grows in shade and sun.

• These seeds are designed to use 30% less water than any other Grass seeds,
• The Grass will establish very quickly and thrive in sun or shade areas.
• The Grass also has a very high drought tolerance in dry areas and good insect and disease resistance.
• Pennington offers you their exclusive Penkoted technology to protect their seeds from a deadly fungus.

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A favorite from Scotts Turf Builder is their Zoysia grass, which thrives in sun and shade areas.

• Zoysia grass is a very resistant and durable grass that thrives in both Sun and Shade areas.
• Zoysia grass does well in droughts as well as in heavy traffic areas.
• The extremely versatile seed mic is completely weed-free and safe.
• The seed amount will cover up to 2000 square feet in your garden.

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The Bethel Farms Sr. Augustine Grass comes in natural grass seeds, as this grass is generally not available in seed form.

• You will get three Natural Grass Plugs per package covering 100 square feet.
• St. Augustine Grass is drought-resistant, shade-tolerant grass requiring little or no sunlight.
• The Grass Plugs are shipped fresh from the farm to your door.
• This is a natural and high-luxury form of grass for shade areas.

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From Ground Cover, we have the Japanese Spurge Groundcover plant, which is also ideal as an alternative to grass for shade areas.

• The package includes 100 deep-rooted Japanese Spurge plants that will thrive in a shaded or sunny area.
• The ground cover is evergreen and produces lovely flowers.
• Japanese Spurge Groundcovers require very little maintenance and no mowing.
• I recommend this plant for low-traffic areas in full shade.

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Nature’s Seed offers you their low-maintenance LM grass from seeds.

• The seeds are available in different options to cover small or large areas.
• The pure live seeds contain no additives or fillers and are 100% natural.
• You will receive your seeds in a biodegradable cloth bag in your chosen size.
• The unique blend contains crested wheatgrass, streambank Wheatgrass, and sheep fescue grass.
• This grass blend is deficient maintenance and does well in shade and partial shade areas.

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Scotts Turf Builder Grass offers the Shade Mix, a blend of grasses that do well in shade areas.

• There are 3lb and 7 lb seed options.
• The Grass blend is designed for shade or partial shade areas and contains various grass types.
• Seeds are coated for better water absorption and will grow very fast.
• The Grass has a low maintenance requirement and is ideal for use under dense trees and shrubs.

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• The Scotts EZ Seed patch takes care of patches in your lawn.
• The seeds combine mulch, seeds, and fertilizer and are designed to grow grass anywhere.
• It has mulch that can absorb six times its weight,
• The grass seeds are high-performance grass seeds.

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• The Pennington Grass seeds are a mix of Tall Fescue, Perennial Ryegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, and Fine Fescue that survives sun and shade.
• Very good diseases and drought tolerance and good in sun and shade areas.
• Comes in different lbs bag options.
• Versatile and efficient grass seeds for your lawn.

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• The Jonathan Green is an ultra-green grass seed mix that is dense.
• The seeds grow grass that is dense and ideal for shade areas.
• It has 1800 square feet of coverage bags that are three pounds.
• The dense grass plants have a waxy coating that wards off pests.

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• The rebels from Pennington are tough, low-maintenance grass seeds that will have thick, dense roots.
• They can withstand heavy traffic, insets heat, and drought.
• The grass does well with the sun but is also ideal for shade, and the bag covers 750 square feet.

Index Table: Top Rated Grass Seed for Shade Areas

No.	Product	Image	Features	Brand	Score
1	Pennington Smart Sun - Grass Seed for Shade and Sun Areas		Requires Less water Sun and Shade Thick Blades of Grass	Pennington	97
2	Scotts Turf Zoysia - Grass Seed for Shade Areas		Tough and Durable Grass Low Maintenance Ideal for Shade Areas	Scotts Turf	97
3	Bethel Farms Three in One - Grass Plugs for Shade Areas		Drought Resistant,Shade Tolerant Grass Plugs	Bethel Farms	96.5
4	Ground Cover Japanese Spurge - Ground Cover Plants for Shade Areas		Controls Erosion Grows Well in Shade areas and Under Trees Small White Flowers	Ground Cover	96
5	Nature’s Seed TURF - Grass Seed for Shade Areas		Size Options Blend No Fillers	Nature’s Seed	96
6	Scotts Turf Builder Grass - Grass Seed for Shade Areas		Dense Shade Grass Heat and Drought Resistant	Scotts Turf	95.5
7	Scotts EZ Seeds - Patch repair Grass Seeds		Combination Mulch Fertilizer and Seeds 10LB	Scotts	97
8	Pennington Smart seed - Shade Grass Seeds		Grass Mix Sun and Shade Areas	Pennington	97.3
9	Jonathan Green 40321 - Dense Shade		1200 Square Foot Coverage Mixed Grass Size Options	Jonathan Green	97
10	Pennington The Rebels - Tall Fescue Grass Seeds		Tall Fescue Seeds Options Available Three Punds	Pennington	97.6