A lawn problem

[apes3978]

The issue I'm having trouble with is this: The neighbor in back of me has some large trees, and they hang over into my yard... And, because of that, they shade out a large area of my lawn and that area is virtually grassless, except for a few non-grass type green plants ("weeds")... I'd like to get that area filled in with grass/lawn, so I am looking for advice on what type of grass seed grows best in shaded area,, etc.. ANY help, tips, etc. would be appreciated...

I know it's getting late in the year and I should have done this sooner, but there is still some time...

[Hulk]

A lot depends on your climate and whether you are looking for a quick fix, or you are willing to put in the work next spring to choose a seed mix best suited for your yard in the long term.

I will defer to our resident horticulturist, Thunderbolt, for the best recommendation given your particular circumstances.

[thunderbolt]

Where do you live? If its really shady, you might want to consider some landscaping instead of grass. Find shrubs that are more shade tolerant for your climate.

[Comic Book Geek]

I'm not sure what the laws are where you are, but here if something hangs over into your yard you can trim it back.

[Adam West]

I was going to suggest the same thing. Do you know the neighbor well?

I am pretty sure if there is a tree or something of that nature that grows over into your yard, you are allowed to trim it back. Rather than just doing it I would show the neighbor the missing grass and ask if he/she minded if you trimmed the tree back. For me personally, it's not worth getting into a neighbor war over if they say no in which case I would probably go with the landscaping idea.

[batmanmc]

i would buy grass seed that grows in shade.

[mitchedwards]

Alot depends where you live. But Fescue tends to live well in shade.

YOu can look at Home depot, and they mark the grass seed that will grow in shady areas.

[Megotu]

You could always try the subtle approach. Tunnel under his house and collapse large sections of the walls. Send your advance troops up first followed by armored uits. Close air support can not be forgotten.

[thunderbolt]

Grass is the biggest waste of water, fertilizers and chemicals in the landscaped world. Enjoy the shade provided by the trees and work with it, I wouldn't butcher them up or secretly try to kill them.

[batmanmc]

i love my grass . i used uri local grwon seed that is great for sahde. mike

[apes3978]

I was going to suggest the same thing. Do you know the neighbor well?

I am pretty sure if there is a tree or something of that nature that grows over into your yard, you are allowed to trim it back. Rather than just doing it I would show the neighbor the missing grass and ask if he/she minded if you trimmed the tree back. For me personally, it's not worth getting into a neighbor war over if they say no in which case I would probably go with the landscaping idea.

Well, so far I want to thank everyone for their input...

Anyway, to answer the question: I do not know that neighbor at all... I have met her once last year very briefly. I do know that it's a rental property though cause she mentioned the landlord leaving a pile of dirt in the yard over there...

The idea of just trimming the stuff myself has crossed my mind, but since I don't know the neighbor, and have no idea who the landlord is, I might just leave things as is and try the plants/landscaping idea... And, along the lines of trimming things back, I should say that they are extremely tall trees and most of the branches would be out of reach unless on a ladder or something...
Even more than the shaded area, what really irks me about the trees is that I end up with a backyard FULL of leaves from trees that aren't even mine, and I get the job of raking all the leaves/debris up in the Fall

[thunderbolt]

Use the leaves for mulch in flower beds, or under those very trees. If you do some shade loving plants like azaleas or camellias, they like the acid from the leaves. I've got a large long leaf pine that I rake up the needles from and use in other beds in the yard.