All You Need to Know About Sun and Shade Grass Seed

Every lawn is different, and so are the grasses that make them beautiful. Just like trees and garden plants in your landscape, lawn grasses vary in the amount of sun they need to stay healthy, look great and perform well.

Some grass types need full, direct sun all day to do their very best. Anything less, and they never quite live up to their full potential. That can be a problem when your landscape is a mix of sun and shade.

When parts of your yard get sun and shade, versatile grass seed mixes such as Pennington Smart Seed Sun and Shade Grass Seed and Fertilizer Mix, Pennington Smart Seed Southern Sun and Shade Grass Seed and Fertilizer Mix for southern tall fescue lawns, and Pennington The Rebels Sun & Shade Grass Seed Mix can help you get outstanding results under both conditions.

• Sun and Shade Grass Seed at a Glance
• Best Grasses for Sun and Shade Lawns
• Sun and Shade Lawn Care Calendar

Sun and Shade Grass Seed at a Glance

• Mix of superior cool-season grass varieties.
• Ideal for sunny to moderately shady areas.
• Excellent drought tolerance.
• Improved disease and insect resistance.
• Thick, finer-bladed, rich dark-green color.

Sun and shade in your lawn shift throughout the day and year.

Best Grasses for Sun and Shade Lawns

When lawn professionals talk about full sun or moderate shade, they aren’t being vague. They have specific amounts of sunlight in mind:

• Full sun describes areas that get eight or more hours of direct sun each day and the grasses that prefer those conditions.
• Medium or moderate shade areas receive four to six hours of direct daily sun. Grasses with moderate shade tolerance handle those conditions well.
• Dense shade refers to areas that get four hours or less sun per day.

Most lawn grasses always welcome more sun. But not all grass types can tolerate lower light levels from shade and still deliver a thick, beautiful lawn.

Shade trees, shrubs and buildings all create shady areas that shift throughout the day and change throughout the year. When your lawn runs the gamut from sunny areas to medium shade, you need a mix of lawn grasses that can do the same.

By choosing a versatile mix of improved grass varieties, such as those in Pennington Smart Seed grass seed mixes for sun and shade or the revolutionary turf-type tall fescues in Pennington The Rebels Sun & Shade Grass Seed Mix, you can create a lawn that thrives with as little as four to six hours of sun each day.

Beauty and Resilience Born Out of Research 

Improved, purebred grass varieties developed through our own NexGen Plant Science Center and Pennington research partners create attractive, finely textured, richly colored lawns in sun and shade conditions. These grasses also offer excellent resilience against environmental stresses, including drought, lawn disease and insect pests. 

The turf-type tall fescue grasses in Pennington The Rebels Sun & Shade Grass Seed Mix build on the foundational Rutgers University grass variety that launched the turf-type tall fescue (TTTF) category more than four decades ago.

Those same exceptional TTTF grasses anchor both our Pennington Smart Seed Sun and Shade Grass Seed and Fertilizer Mix, aimed at northern lawns, and our Pennington Smart Seed Southern Sun and Shade Grass Seed and Fertilizer Mix.

Moderately shade-tolerant, these tall fescue grasses excel across a wide range of climates, including the country's challenging transition zone. They flourish from your sunniest spots through medium shade.

In addition to TTTFs, our Pennington Smart Seed sun and shade seed and fertilizer mixes include perennial ryegrass, for moderate shade tolerance, rapid germination and quick color. Chewings fine fescue adds exceptional shade tolerance, fine leaf texture, attractive color and durability.

Created with northern lawns in mind, Pennington Smart Seed Sun and Shade Grass Seed and Fertilizer Mix also includes sun-loving Kentucky bluegrass, called KBG in the trade. Smart Seed KBG varieties offer light shade tolerance and improved drought tolerance, along with dense, vigorous growth and the exceptional color that makes KBG a northern favorite.

Drought Tolerance and Dense Shade Options

On top of sun-and-shade versatility, The Rebels Extended Roots Seed Varieties have 40% more roots than ordinary grasses. Representing the finest TTTF grasses possible, these grasses offer exceptional drought tolerance, even in dry shade areas.

Water-conserving Pennington Smart Seed grasses require up to 30% less water than ordinary grasses year after year for the life of your lawn and stay green up to three weeks without watering. Plus, Pennington's fertilizer-enhanced seed coat technology speeds establishment and promotes greener grass.

For parts of your lawn that receive even less sun, turn to Pennington Smart Seed Dense Shade Grass Seed and Fertilizer Mix or Pennington The Rebels Shady Lawn Tall Fescue Mix. The grass varieties in these premium mixes can tolerate just two to six hours of sun each day.

Pennington Smart Patch II Dense Shade Mix takes care of bare spot repairs in densely shaded spots as well.

Buildings and surrounding plants all affect the amount of sun and shade your grass receives.

Sun and Shade Lawn Care Calendar

The cool-season grasses in Pennington The Rebels and Pennington Smart Seed mixes for sun-and-shade lawns grow most vigorously during the cool temperatures of fall and spring.

By timing your lawn care tasks to complement this natural growth cycle, your sun-and-shade lawn works with nature to look and perform its best.

Weather conditions can vary significantly from year to year and region to region. If you're unsure about typical frost and planting dates for your local area — or your area's new climate norms — check with your county extension agent. They can help.

Keep in mind that spring comes earliest in southern regions. The same goes for winter up north. Then let your grass be your guide and follow this sun-and-shade lawn care calendar for a thick, lush lawn.

Shaded lawn areas may need less water than hot, sunny areas.

MARCH THROUGH MAY

Mowing

Start mowing when your grass begins to grow. This usually happens in sunny spots first. For the season's first mowing, mow grass 2 inches tall. Bag these first clippings in case of winter fungal disease. Then follow good mowing practices and maintain your sun-and-shade lawn at 2 to 3 inches tall.

Weed Prevention and Fertilization

To target germinating weed seeds in early spring, prevent crabgrass and other weeds in established sun-and-shade lawns with Pennington Full Season Weed & Feed with Crabgrass Control 25-0-8. Apply before soil temperatures reach 55° Fahrenheit and crabgrass seed starts germinating. If you seeded your lawn, wait at least 60 days after planting before applying preemergent herbicide.

Seeding and Overseeding

The grasses in Pennington Smart Seed and The Rebels mixes germinate best when soil temperatures reach 50° to 65°F. That makes early spring one of the best times to plant grass seed with adequate irrigation and proper rainfall.

Bare Spot Repair

For lawn spot repairs in mixed sun and shade, turn to Pennington Smart Patch II Sun & Shade Mix. You'll see growth in as little as five days and full results as soon as 14 days. This premixed product combines premium grass seed, professional-grade fertilizer and natural wood mulch to fix bare spots in two weeks or less.

Weed Control and Fertilization

To target broadleaf weeds in your sun-and-shade lawn in late spring, wait until grass and weeds are actively growing and treat with Pennington Full Season Weed & Feed with Crabgrass Control 25-0-8. 

If you seeded your lawn in fall or early spring, wait until new grass is established and you mow at least three times before you apply post-emergent herbicides in weed & feed. Once you apply a post-emergent, wait at least three weeks before seeding the treated area.

Watering

Water your established sun-and-shade lawn so it receives about 1 inch of water per week from irrigation and rainfall combined. Shady areas typically stay wet longer than sunny spots, so they may need less frequent watering.

JUNE THROUGH AUGUST

Mowing

Increase your mowing height to 3 to 4 inches during summer to encourage deeper roots and help grass resist stress. Mow often enough that you never remove more than one-third of the blade in a single mowing.

Fertilization

If you already applied a Pennington Full Season lawn fertilizer in spring, you’re set for the season. If not, you can treat your summer lawn to a split application of Pennington Full Season Lawn Fertilizer 32-0-5. The added iron helps keep your sun-and-shade lawn healthy and green.

Watering

Water your established sun-and-shade lawn as needed so it gets 1 to 1 1/4 inches of water each week. Water grass deeply and thoroughly to promote resilience and deep root growth. The deep-rooted, drought-tolerant grasses in Pennington Smart Seed and The Rebels help carry your lawn through hot summer months.

Pest Control

Control lawn-damaging pests such as grubs, chinch bugs and billbugs with Sevin Lawn Insect Killer Lawn Granules. A single application protects for up to three months, without harming plants, blooms or lawns.

Soil Testing

Test your soil pH in lawn areas every three to four years. The grasses in Pennington grass seed mixes for sun-and-shade lawns grow best with soil pH between 5.5 and 7.0. When tests show low pH, your lawn needs lime to restore balance and keep nutrients available.

SEPTEMBER THROUGH NOVEMBER

Mowing

Gradually return your mowing height to 2 to 3 inches. In northern lawns, keep mowing until grass growth stops. One final mow at a slightly lower height helps prepare grass for winter. In southern transitional lawns, continue mowing at normal heights.

Weed Control and Fertilization

Six to eight weeks before your first expected frost, you can treat active broadleaf weeds and fertilize with Pennington Full Season Weed & Feed with Crabgrass Control 25-0-8. If you're overseeding and haven't already fertilized in fall, use Pennington Full Season Lawn Fertilizer 32-0-5 and spot-treat stubborn lawn weeds instead.

Seeding and Overseeding

Early fall is the ideal time to seed or overseed your lawn with the cool-season grass varieties in Pennington The Rebels and Pennington Smart Seed grass seed and fertilizer mixes for sun and shade lawns, whether you live in the north or in southern transitional zones. Plant seed about 45 days before your area's typical first fall frost date.

Watering

In northern lawns, gradually reduce irrigation as nature takes over. Switch from 1 inch of water per week to 1 inch every 10 to 14 days. In southern transitional lawns, continue watering so that your lawn gets at least 1 inch of water per week.

Aeration and Dethatching

Aerate and dethatch, if needed, to reduce soil compaction and remove excess thatch. The tall fescues and perennial ryegrasses in Pennington’s sun-and-shade seed mixes rarely have thatch problems.

Leaf Management

Remove falling leaves by raking or mulching. Shady areas are especially prone to disease when leaves aren't removed.

DECEMBER THROUGH FEBRUARY

Southern Lawns

Continue mowing and maintaining your lawn, as needed, through the winter months. Supplement precipitation so that your growing lawn gets 1 inch of water per week.

Northern Lawns

Inspect your sun-and-shade lawn regularly. Keep it free from rocks, sticks and other winter debris. If de-icing salts or pet urine affect your lawn, flush damaged areas when late-winter thaws arrive.

By giving your sun-and-shade lawn a versatile mix of premium grass seed varieties specifically developed and selected to suit those conditions, you can enjoy a thicker, healthier, more beautiful lawn.

With groundbreaking products from Pennington, you and your lawn benefit from better research, better seed and better results in sun and shade — guaranteed.

Have questions about grass seed, lawns or lawn care? Reach out to us. We have the answers you need.

Always read product labels thoroughly and follow instructions.