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Started By
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Can't grow grass in our front yard. May be due to live oaks?
Posted on 6/4/25 at 10:42 am
Posted on 6/4/25 at 10:42 am
We've got two beautiful live oaks in our front yard (faces west) that provide lots of shade, but we cannot grow grass in our yard. It's just a giant dirt patch.
I don't think it's due to lack of sunlight because almost every house on our side of the street also has two live oaks that provide similar shade, and they've got grass in their yards.
I suppose it could be due to the live oaks sucking up moisture, but even when we have lots of rain, we get no luck.
My next door neighbor is the only other house on our side of the street with a similar issue. They attempted to sod the entire yard a few years ago and they're already back at dirt.
Should we get a soil sample done? Any recommendations on who could help us with this in the Acadiana area?
Thanks in advance.
I don't think it's due to lack of sunlight because almost every house on our side of the street also has two live oaks that provide similar shade, and they've got grass in their yards.
I suppose it could be due to the live oaks sucking up moisture, but even when we have lots of rain, we get no luck.
My next door neighbor is the only other house on our side of the street with a similar issue. They attempted to sod the entire yard a few years ago and they're already back at dirt.
Should we get a soil sample done? Any recommendations on who could help us with this in the Acadiana area?
Thanks in advance.
10
Posted on 6/4/25 at 10:45 am to Ash Williams
quote:No. Waste of time, money, effort.
Should we get a soil sample done?
Are your trees pruned to the extent that others are?
If light is filtering through and your canopy is raised, then you should be able to grow St. Aug or Zoysia underneath. But if it's all leaves with a low canopy, there's no hope.
Try to provide pictures if you can.
Has there ever been grass there to your knowledge?
Posted on 6/4/25 at 10:57 am to Ash Williams
quote:Too much shade. Tree needs to be thinned and canopy raised. 99.5% sure.
My next door neighbor is the only other house on our side of the street with a similar issue. They attempted to sod the entire yard a few years ago and they're already back at dirt.
Or, they're not smart at all and they tried to put bermuda under shade. I've seen it before! Centipede probably wouldn't work well either.
This post was edited on 6/4/25 at 10:58 am
Posted on 6/4/25 at 11:03 am to Ash Williams
Stop wasting time on turfgrass. I'd plant some fern or monkey grass. Or some shrubs and perennials.
Posted on 6/4/25 at 11:05 am to crewdepoo
quote:
Stop wasting time on turfgrass. I'd plant some fern or monkey grass. Or some shrubs and perennials.
Posted on 6/4/25 at 11:21 am to crewdepoo
yep,,,,a mix of cast iron plants, hostas, and big blue liriope all would do well under the trees and that could be enough to get out close to the drip line of the tree where the grass can grow better.
Posted on 6/4/25 at 12:53 pm to bayoubengals88
quote:
Has there ever been grass there to your knowledge?
Unknown.
We bought the house 8 years ago and have never had grass except for a few patches that are farthest from the trees.
Posted on 6/4/25 at 12:56 pm to Ash Williams
quote:There are plenty of houses in my neighborhood with two medium sized live oaks in the front yard. The Zoysia and St Aug lawns look good, if the trees stay trimmed. That's all I've got for you.
We bought the house 8 years ago and have never had grass except for a few patches that are farthest from the trees.
I'm hoping to do the exact same thing in my backyard. I got a quote for roughly $700 (50 year old tree).
Posted on 6/4/25 at 1:14 pm to bayoubengals88
quote:
If light is filtering through and your canopy is raised, then you should be able to grow St. Aug or Zoysia underneath.
The canopy is probably 15 feet at the lowest.
We also trim them annually.
Will try to plant Zoysia. Our dirt is very dry and hard packed. Should we bring in a layer of topsoil?
I'll also ask the neighbors what grass they tried to grow.
This post was edited on 6/4/25 at 2:47 pm
Posted on 6/4/25 at 1:21 pm to Ash Williams
quote:If that's the case, you'll want to till it, then add the cleanest topsoil you can find (optional), then fertilizer it with a starter fert, then sod. It's gonna work!
Our dirt is very dry and hard packed
When I say till, you don't have to go all that deep. Just loosen the top inch or two.
Starter Fertilizer
This post was edited on 6/4/25 at 1:23 pm
Posted on 6/4/25 at 2:15 pm to Ash Williams
ive got the same problem except mine is two magnolias. i figured they're just taking up too much nutrients/moisture and the leaves tend to cover so much area its a never ending battle.
This post was edited on 6/4/25 at 2:15 pm
Posted on 6/4/25 at 2:30 pm to Ash Williams
What about like Asian Jasmine? I think it looks fantastic and it screams South for some reason
Posted on 6/4/25 at 3:20 pm to Ash Williams
I have a monster live oak in my back yard with beautiful st Aug right up to the trunk.
Posted on 6/4/25 at 3:26 pm to WeagleEagle
quote:I'm doing my best to achieve that. Just bought the house. The tree leaves are just too damn thick right now.
I have a monster live oak in my back yard with beautiful st Aug right up to the trunk.
Posted on 6/4/25 at 4:04 pm to Ash Williams
Both grasses probably require 4 or 5 hours of good sunlight. So that would be pretty easy to check through the day. If you are pooling water that would compound the lack of growth
Posted on 6/7/25 at 5:58 pm to Ash Williams
What I see most people who have trouble growing grass is they put the mower speed on full throttle and literally blow away all remnants of top soil and decaying organic matter which insulates the ground and conserves moisture. Without that, the sun bakes the hard clay and the hot clay kills the tiny roots. I only mow after a rain or watering and with a mulching non vacuum blade with the blade speed really low. Makes all the difference in the world after a few years. My grass under my live oaks look great.
Posted on 6/8/25 at 8:44 am to Ash Williams
quote:
We also trim them annually.
Trimming the ends of limbs is not going to allow grass to grow. You have to thin the tree, which requires a man or monkey to climb around in the canopy with a chainsaw and cut out a lot of the interior limbs so that light can get through.
I've seen neighbors sod, water, and baby grass, all in a failed effort because their live oak was shading it out.
Hire a competent pro to thin it. Won't be cheap these days, but it's necessary.
Posted on 6/8/25 at 8:55 am to Ash Williams
I have the same problem….it is 100% caused by shade. I used to think it was caused by the tree sucking up all the moisture, etc. however, cut a big limb off mine and the grass started growing beneath the limb.
Posted on 6/8/25 at 11:40 am to Ash Williams
quote:
Should we get a soil sample done
I don't think you need this but if yoy do get it done by Mississippi state. They put LSU to shame on this one (lsu ag degree here)
Posted on 6/8/25 at 2:21 pm to Ash Williams
quote:
What about like Asian Jasmine? I think it looks fantastic and it screams South for some reason
This
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