Photo of a partial sun partial shaded lawn

Shaded Lawn Tips: What Can I Do For My Shaded Lawn?

September 03, 2025

Maintaining lawns that grow in shade is very challenging because sunlight is necessary for photosynthesis to occur and produce energy for growth. Blocked UV rays from the sun can cause thinning of the grass and weak roots, and make it more susceptible to disease and moss formation. However, a healthy lawn can still be grown in the shade with proper management practices. These are some practices that will increase the chances of lawn being more nutritious in the shade:

Maximize Sunlight in Your Yard

Trees and landscape plants can become overgrown in areas and block sunlight, making contact with the grass lawn. Other structures associated with the property or a neighboring property can also block essential sunlight. When these plants continue to grow, the issue of growing grass in shaded areas becomes more challenging year after year. Pruning of tree limbs and landscape plants must allow the proper amount of UV rays to be absorbed by the grass leaf tissue. Regular trimming ensures that the right amount of rays is allowed to enter areas that become shaded. Reduction pruning can reduce the risk of failure or provide clearance from a structure.

If your lawn has large trees, it is recommended to contact a certified arborist and get professional advice on tree pruning and the correct methods to perform to allow the maximum amount of sunlight possible into the shaded area. When trimming up trees, start with the lowest and closest limbs to the ground. Consider removing overgrown trees, bushes, or movable structures that are creating heavy shade and causing the grass to struggle for growth.

Choose Shade-Tolerant Grass Species

Not all grass requires the same amount of sunlight to thrive and grow. Some grasses perform poorly even under the lightest of shade coverage. Selecting the best shade-tolerant type is the first step in growing grass in shaded areas. Fine fescues (creeping red, chewings, hard, sheep fescue), tall fescues, perennial ryegrass, and rough bluegrass are good choices for cooler climates or transition zones.

St. Augustine grass, Zoysia grass, and Centipede grass are more suitable for warmer temperatures with shade coverage issues. Thin areas and bare sections caused by shade should be seeded with a high-quality, shade-tolerant blend. Overseeding should be performed in the fall for cool-season grasses and mid-spring for warm-season grasses.

Adjust Mowing Practices in Shaded Lawns

Grasses that are growing in shaded areas require more leaf tissue for photosynthesis to take place. Mowing grasses at the highest setting recommended for the specific grass type will increase the chances for success when growing in shade. Grass in shade grows slower and requires less frequent mowing. Scalping or mowing too low in the shade can make it difficult for the affected grass to recover fully. Always use sharp blades that have been serviced every 25 hours of operating time.

Watering and Lawn Fertilization for Shaded Lawns

Shaded lawns require less watering or irrigation than areas of sunlight because the soil can stay moist in shaded areas. The recommended amount of watering or irrigation for shaded areas is 1” per week, including total rainfall amounts. Monitor the soil moisture regularly in areas under trees and with limited UV ray exposure.

Shaded grass requires fewer nutrients through fertilization than grass growing in full sun. Fertilizing at ½ the recommended rate in shaded areas is a good starting point to determine how little is required for maintaining growth. Using slow-release fertilizers supplies a constant feeding at a lower rate, so the grass does not produce “leggy” growth.

How to Improve Soil Health for Grass

First and foremost, a soil test is performed to determine what nutrients are needed to produce growth. Shaded areas can have different results than grass grown in full sun. Aerating the lawn at least once per year can improve the soil health for lawn grasses by allowing air, water, and nutrients to penetrate deeper into the rootzone profile. Adding organic matter in shade can significantly assist in grass growth in the stressful conditions of shade by improving soil fertility and drainage. Shaded areas are known to have less than adequate drainage at times, so amending the soil may be required to enhance moisture management and internal air flow into the root zone.

Weed Removal and Other Lawn Care Tips

Weed removal in shaded areas will be required because they compete for sunlight, water, and air. Moss growth can occur in grass, which is consistently damp within the soil. Improving drainage, adjusting the watering or irrigation, and applying lime to acidic soils will help to create an optimal growing environment. Grass growing in shaded areas tends to be weaker and less tolerant of traffic. Limit foot traffic, pet activity, or play so the grass can recuperate and grow stronger.

Too much shade sometimes occurs, while nothing can be done to improve the area with sunlight exposure and growing conditions. If all efforts to increase density and grow grass fail, consider installing shade-tolerant plants like hostas, ferns, ivy, periwinkle, or mulch as a ground cover. One can also explore a moss lawn within the heavily shaded areas. Synthetic turf is also possible, but it can be expensive and require a lot of prep work. Keeping the area raked and removing leaves and small debris helps grow in shaded areas.

Create Lawn Maintenance Schedule

Being successful at growing grass in the shade requires patience and persistence. Don't give up on having the desired result because it takes time to create the best growing conditions for plants in the shade. Create an active maintenance routine to monitor soil conditions, such as nutrient contents within the soil, moisture levels in the soil, and soil pH. Trim overgrown trees and limbs to open up these areas for increased sunlight, as growth takes time even after trimming trees and increasing sunlight. It is most challenging to grow grass in shade, as all things with the sun, soil, nutrients, and soil moisture must align in recommended ranges to produce the best growing environment.

What are the Shade Tolerant Grass Types?

Cool-season Grasses Tolerant to Shade

Cool-season grasses tolerate shade better than most warm-season grasses. Fine fescues like creeping red, chewing, hard, and sheep fescue are considered the most tolerant shade turfgrasses.

Creeping Red Fescue: A fine-textured, shade-tolerant grass that thrives in partial shade.
Chewing's Fescue: Often cited as the best-performing cool-season turfgrass for shade, according to research.
Hard Fescue: Known for good shade tolerance, especially in dry shade. However, there is variation among cultivars, and some may not perform well in shade.
Tall Fescue: Tall Fescue displays good shade tolerance when mowed around 3”. It is durable and can thrive in partial shade conditions. However, in heavy shade, Tall Fescue can begin to thin.
Perennial Ryegrass: A fast germinating and growing grass that can tolerate partial shading. Blends that include perennial ryegrass, fine fescues, and Kentucky bluegrass provide a variety of coverage when sunlight is limited to UV rays.
Rough Bluegrass (Poa trivialis): This species is also noted for its shade tolerance and ability to grow in damp settings.
Supine Bluegrass (Poa supina): Research indicates this is one of the most shade-tolerant cool-season turfgrasses.

What are the Shade Tolerant Warm-Season Grasses?

Warm-season grasses require more sunlight and UV ray exposure than cool-season grasses, but some offer more shade tolerance than others.

St. Augustine Grass: St. Augustine is the most shade-tolerant, warm-season grass. Dwarf cultivars like Delmar, Seville, or Captiva are recommended for areas receiving less than eight hours of sun. Some varieties perform well with filtered sunlight, but no more than 30% shade for best performance. Seville and 1997-6 performed best in shade studies at the University of Florida, maintaining acceptable quality at high shade levels. Palmetto St. Augustine is also known for performing well in full sun while thriving in shaded areas with three to four hours of direct sunlight. Newer varieties like CitraBlue St. Augustine also show superior shade tolerance.
Zoysia Grass: Zoysia is more tolerant of shade than Bermudagrass but less tolerant than St. Augustine. Finer-bladed varieties like Innovation and Geo Zoysia are considered to have better shade tolerance than wide-bladed types.
Centipede Grass: Performs well under light pine straw covering; it is less shade-tolerant than St. Augustine and Zoysia.

Not all shade is equal. Shade caused by structures is not equal to shade caused by trees. Different types of shade, such as high, shifting shade (like pine tree shade) or dappled shade (sunlight filters through gaps in a tree canopy), are more suitable for growing plants than dense, full shade. There can be significant variation in shade tolerance among different cultivars within the same grass species, so choose varieties bred explicitly for shade tolerance. Even with the most shade-tolerant grass, you must adapt your lawn care routine for shaded areas, including mowing higher, reducing watering, and potentially decreasing fertilization.