Starting a Yard

Hey B.,

I just actually trimmed all our own trees in our backyard because of the too much shade issue and wanting to lay sod. The thing to remember when trimming big branches is to not cut too near the trunk. You want to leave a couple of inches of branch so that you're not hurting the main system. I also found that taking down the branches in sections really helped, working from the outside in, especially on the larger, heavier branches.

Since your trimming to increase the sunlight, go out underneath your tree and take a good look at the main shade branches to figure out exactly which one's you can cut that will allow the most light through. In taking 2 large branches off my own tree, I increased my sunlight into my yard by a good few morning hours. Once you have cut one off, stop and take a step back (across the street would be best) to see how much that changed it. Really try to use discretion about the number of branches you take.

St. Augustine is a good choice, but remember that it still needs a good 3 hours of sunlight to really survive, so if your tree is too dense, I second the idea of planting a low ground cover around the base of the tree, with the grass planted further out. Other ideas would be elephant ears, hostas, caladiums, etc. Just be sure to till up your soil, till in some good fertilizer, and rake it smooth before you lay your sod. Also, the first two weeks you've laid it are crucial. The sod needs to stay moist, but not in standing water. St. Augustine is prone to fungus infections, but with the weather warming up the way it is, this probably won't be a problem for you, unless you have a heavy clay soil.

My husband was too busy to trim our trees, either, and the task of trimming them by myself definitely seemed a little daunting at first, but once you cut off your first branch and see the sunlight start poking through, you won't want to quit! Just remember to wear some kind of eye protection (I just wore my sunglasses), because all that sawdust will fall right down on you. And remember to stand behind the cut - meaning away from the path of the branch falling.

Good luck girl! You'll be glad you did all the hard work once you have your lawn back.

E.

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B.,

You and so many of us here in PG are having this problem. What the Home Owners Association suggests is putting in St. Augustine grass. It grows well in the shade. There are other options of course. If you are like me and you like low maintenance, you can plant some Asian Jasmie around the base of the trees and it is a great ground cover. The HOA won't allow us to use it over our entire yard, but it can cut down on the amount you have to mow. It grows and spreads quickly.

If you choose to use the St. Augustine, you can use the sod, just prepare the yard before hand. We laid it in our back yard, and all we did was to till up the soil a little with a rake and then laid the sod on top of it. The key we found to successful sodding is to keep it moist.

FYI, I mow and take care of our yard and love it. While I am using the mower, none of the kids can bother me until I am done (unless it is an emergency). Mowers are really easy to use now-a-days.

Good luck, and if you want to discuss more, resond back and I will give you my phone number so we can chat. Don't Forget....any major changes in your front will have to be approved by the HOA. Good Luck deb

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You should check out native Texas perennials. There are lots of shade-loving native plants that re-bloom every year!! You could plant a garden ONE TIME under your trees and never have to mow nor water the front yard again! Two places that would be able to help you with a list of shade-loving plants are:

1) Weston Gardens in south FW, whttp://www.westongardens.com/

2) Green Mamas on Davis Blvd., North Richland Hills, http://www.greenmamas.com/index.php?home-1

I just went to the Weston Garden website and found a list of their TOP 20 Shade Perennials at http://www.westongardens.com/wgib%20starting%20page.htm

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You can plant grass that grows in shadded areas. That would be better. Google tree triming and you could get instruction on how to do it your self.
Good luck

Go to www.turfalo.com and look at shadow turf. It grows in 80 to 90% shade. We just put one flat in our yard to try it out. In the last two weeks it has rooted fairly well and is staying green. We are going to get several more flats this weekend and do the rest. It is plugs that you put in and let grow together.

I would say to start with grass that grows in shade and see if it takes hold. It is a lot of work to either trim the trees or plant sod. You might contact Action Sprinklers ###-###-#### they install sod and are reasonably priced. I know about the neighbors and their yards...we live in Park Glen too and last year we had a pool installed and our yard looks terrible. And I do not like having to get permission from the HOA to do anything in the front yard. It is a pain. Do your kids go to Park Glen Elem? I would love to get together and chat.

We use the shade but you're right - grass is hard. Here, you need to lay St. Augustine sod. We alos put a circular border around the shadiest part under the tree and planted a ground cover, like Asian Jasmine. We rarely trim the tree back more than can be reached with a lopper so you should be able to do that. Hope that helps!! J. D.

My front yard is the same, however, rather than cut the trees I used Fesqui grass seed for shade & around the trees planted flowers that need only shade. My neighbor cut his trees. My grass is as lush as his, or better & the flowers are a pretty touch.

Hi B.,

St. Augustine and Turfalo do both grow well in the shade, but they are water hogs. I have 8 oak trees in my front yard and I have planted the ground cover horseherb. It is a native plant and once it is established requires no water and no attention. It can be mowed, walked on, trampled on, etc. The plant is relatively easy to find in nurseries, but the seed can be purchased online: http://homepages.vvm.com/~reid/seeds.htm. It is line number 10 on the list.

For advice on trimming trees, I highly recommend Howard Garrett, The Dirt Doctor. His website is http://www.dirtdoctor.com/.

To see what horseherb looks like, you can do a google search for horseherb pictures.

Good luck! Try to keep your shade - it helps keep your electric bill low!

M.
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What type of grass did you have growing there? Bermuda LOVES sun, but St. Augustine does well in shade. You may be able to sod your yard with that type of grass and not have to worry too much about trimming trees.??? Just an idea. Good luck.