Building a lawn

[Manny]

I have a huge area on the side of my house that is just dirt, and I am debating on whether I should use grass seed or lay sod. I actually have tried seed in the past, but I have quite a few trees that shade the area, and the grass didn't grow. Not sure if I just didn't use good seed? Would love to get some ideas....

 

[Twinkle]

'Huge' could be expensive to turf, but where I would usually say it comes down to patience/time vs cash, if you have shaded areas maybe it's the best bet.

 

[SeniorCitizen]

I have a huge area on the side of my house that is just dirt, and I am debating on whether I should use grass seed or lay sod. I actually have tried seed in the past, but I have quite a few trees that shade the area, and the grass didn't grow. Not sure if I just didn't use good seed? Would love to get some ideas....

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Attempting a lawn in areas where a lawn doesn't want to exist will be a constant struggle. I would suggest an alternate method of covering the dirt in those areas with something that tends to do well under shade tree conditions.

This is just one idea of many possibilities.
Ajuga or Bugleweed

 

[KennyV]

You may need a mixture of grasses to cover sunny and shaded areas...
When you say huge are you referring to acres or square feet??

The biggest factor in starting and maintaining a new lawn is water... you must keep it watered... an irrigation system is going to be your best bet to insure success of either seed or sod... :smile:KennyV

 

[lizard]

Find the right type of Turf that will be suitable for your area......as the variety could be a blessing in that it is a hardy type.........like couch.........check it out!:confused2:

 

[BKBrown]

If you have a Southern States, extension agent office, or a good garden center - take some soil samples in for them to check and ask them what they would recommend.

I have a huge area on the side of my house that is just dirt, and I am debating on whether I should use grass seed or lay sod. I actually have tried seed in the past, but I have quite a few trees that shade the area, and the grass didn't grow. Not sure if I just didn't use good seed? Would love to get some ideas....