The Grass Doctor

Moss but no grass?

I have a shady area (partial sun) on my front lawn that only seems to grow moss instead of grass. I have tried lime and shady grass seed mix but still cannot seem to grown any grass, just green moss. HELP?

Public Comments

1. moss is beautiful and nice to walk on. It is much softer then grass.
2. that means that the area doesn't recieve enough light and it's too wet for grass to grow. (too wet because the sun never touches it to help it evaporate)
3. I had this same problem due to massive pin oaks in my yard in N.C. someone suggested that I use creeping red grass seed. So I purchased some from southern states (Feed store) and it worked wonders maybe this will work for you to.
4. I know that you will not like my answer because it's not fast and easy but it is the solution if you must have grass 1. Get more sunlight (cut down or thin out your trees - Ouch). 2. Water less often, but deeper. Allow the soil 3. Establish a thick lawn to eliminate open soil. 3. samll patches of moss can be treated with a light dusting of ivory flakes detergent, or a spray vinegar solution - diluted with water at 4:1. (these methods are temporary and Test a small area first before going hog wild) 4. If thesere is no hope for your current lawn you may need to scrape off all the moss, rototill, groom the topsoil then reseed or resod. Red fescue is the most shade tolerant grass species used in lawns. It is normally a main component in a shade mix or blend. 5. Repeat steps 1- 3 - the only long lasting solution.