This is probably a frequent ?

[TexasBLT]

I live in central TX, and I'm having big problems with my grass in the backyard due to near 100% shade.

We have a large tree about ten ft. from the back of our house. By the time the sun clears our house and begins to shine in underneath the trees limbs, the neighbors HUGE trees block the sun from that particular area.

When we bought this house last year, there was very, very thin grass surrounding the tree. But when I fenced in the backyard for our two black labs, it quickly disappeared. This area all around the tree is now nothing more than a sand box.

Anyway, are there any St Augustine varieties, or any grasses for that matter that due well in complete shade?

Also, this may be a dumb question, but forgive me. I'm new to all of this.

What exactly is groundcover? I've heard references to it as an alternative. Also, I've heard people talk about just mulching shady areas. But this area extends right up to our patio, and would be the first thing you step on when you enter the backyard.

Thanks for any advice, and sorry for the long post

[sildoc]

Thin your tree to allow more light to hit the soil.
See if you can get your neighbor to thin their tree also.
There are many varieties of ground cover. goto a local nursery and see what is availible in your zone. Some areas just need to be landscaped with shade tollerant plants and you can never get a good thick, healthy stand of turf.

[upidstay]

I doubt if you will ever get a nice lawn under there. Plant a nice garden instead. Go to your local nursery and have them do up a design for you. Most will do it for free if you buy the plants from them. Mulch it, put in a bench, maybe a swing. Add a couple of cold beverages and enjoy.

[Critical Care]

St. Augustine would be your best bet, however in deep shade it isn't going to do well. Grass gets pretty thin and fragile in shade, and your two labs probably aren't helping the situation. Bottom line, if you can't change the environment, then you better change the plan.

[ed2hess]

If you can thin the trees that will help and get rid of the lower branches to let in as much sun as possible. If you are in an area that has a fair amount of topsoil and have a sprinkler you will be okay with St Augustine. Try to build the microbs by putting compost on at least once a year and compost tea as often as possible along with a good fertilize. There is a new zoysia that is supposed to to good in the shade we put in a pallet yesterday, it cost around $130 per pallet. It is too early to know how much better it is than St Augustine. We take care of so very nice lawns that have a lot of shade.