Shade and Turfgrass: Can They Peacefully Coexist?

There’s no way around it—shade and turfgrass health are usually not compatible. When turf doesn’t receive sufficient light, a smorgasbord of problems develop, including low quality turf, weed invasion, increased susceptibility to diseases, traffic damage, bare spots, wet spots, and reduced playability due to the growth of a heterogeneous mixture of turf and weed varieties. Pruning and tree removal are frequently the only solutions, but may not be acceptable for a variety of reasons. If you are forced to live…