More of a yard question here.

**my4littlebuffaloes** · 03-11-2009, 01:58 PM

Our back yard is very shaded. Grass has a hard time growing there, it is mostly moss. Well, it was mostly moss. We got a puppy last summer and he has destroyed what little ground cover was out there. It is a complete mud pit now. I have no idea what to do, it rains here all the time, so the ground will not dry out. The kids want to play back there, I want to play with the dog without getting covered in mud and you know, walk around some.

Is there anything we can put down to help with this? Any super tough grass? The problem with the shade is it prevents the roots from really taking hold and it just rubs right off the ground. We have taken down some trees and trimmed branches, but we don't really want to do any more of that. These are huge 70 foot tall trees, we would have to pay someone else to do it at this point. Any ideas?

**Debbie-cat** · 03-11-2009, 02:01 PM

Hey Jennifer, that is tough. I would begin making sections in the yard. Some with gravel, sand or patio blocks and some with grass where the sun its it the most. If you don't have any areas that sun hits then you probably won't have much luck with growing grass.

**pbobber** · 03-11-2009, 02:08 PM

You might try clover. But I don't think that it will take heavy traffic. Mulch maybe??

**Grainlady** · 03-12-2009, 01:57 PM

Contact your Cooperative Extension Office (aka County Extension). You will be able to talk to someone there who will be able to give you free advise that is right for your area and conditions. They will even come to your home.

It may require a variety of things. Prune your trees so you can get some sunlight through them, make sure the grade of the land is condusive to water removal not water retention, amend the soil or bring in top soil, some non-vegative landscaping including river rock, crushed rock pathways, and other materials...

The only grass in our back yard is the last 10-foot to the property line we maintain as a right-of-way for the underground utilities, and our back yard is a series of "outside rooms" with lots of places to rest, things to look at and and enjoy.... In fact, the only grass we have is a small amount in the front yard. We've designed grass out of the landscape because it's high maintanance. We can mow the yard in 20 minutes using an battery-powered Neuton mower - no gas, no emissions, lightweight.

**HomeschoolMom** · 03-12-2009, 03:10 PM

Not sure how to help but there are a number of ground covers that love the shade. I like the idea of combining it with other things like pathways, river rock, that kind of thing.

We have a ton of woodchips that we got for free from a local tree company. My DH does work for them and they are so busy they don't bother selling the wood from the trees they remove or the woodchips.

Sooo.... we offered to let them dump the good hardwood here and whenever we want woodchips we call them and they dump a load for us. FREE.

Not sure if there would be any risk of slivers but I haven't gotten any in the garden yet!