Hi, I have a very frustrating problem with my lawn . . . . There is an area under a large flowering cherry that is very sparse of grass. This spring I purchased a bag of 'shade' grass seed to try in the area. I used screened compost with a bit of sand and mixed the grass seed throughout it then sprinkled the mixture on the bare patches. The seed sprouted and grew well during the late spring and summer and most of the bare patches were filled in with the new grass . . . . I reseeded in a similar manner the areas that came up patchy throughout the summer at about 2 week intervals. Now that we are into the cooler wetter weather I see that almost all of the new grass that seemed to be flourishing during the summer has vanished leaving me with large areas of sparse grass and bare dirt. If anyone knows what happened or how to get a good healthy lawn in this area next year, I would appreciate hearing from you. BTW, there is no evidence of chafer beetles in the area and no signs of fungus or mold in the surrounding area.
Under a tree? Root competition & shade ...it adds up to a tough place for grass. Sometimes it's easier just to mulch it, plant a few ferns & shade perennials & admire the cool shade. JMO. GB.
I was having the same problem with grass under a cherry tree on the north side of the house. I tried fertilizing with a balanced chemical fertilizer (18-18-18) and found that the grass immediately improved, filling in and shading out the moss that was trying to come back after I had raked it out. After only a month or so the grass had completely filled in; the only drawback is that I have to cut it more often.
