I would recommend that you make your own sun / shade mix that will minimize or eliminate the patchy look. Take the Scott's Tall Fescue Mix that you normally use and mix in some creeping red fescue and chewings fescue seed with it. Then use that seed mixture in that area. I would use a minimum of a 50 / 50 TTTF and fine fescue mix if the area is heavily shaded. You could adjust to a 2:1 TTTF / fescue mix if you believe the area gets good morning sun.

I would seed it at the normal rate of about 6 lbs per thousand. This will greatly minimize the patchy look by utilizing the same base of seed that you normally use but allow the fine fescue to germinate and proliferate where the shade proliferates.

 

Thanks for the advice.

TTTF?

I am still unsure on the amount of sun it gets. The branches hang pretty low (~5ft). Morning sun is inhibited I'm sure by the new shed I put up beside it. I'd have to estimate from ground to ridgeline of the shed is 10 feet tall.

I take it that the creeping red fescue and chewings fescue you mentioned are the fine fescues? The Sun and Shade mix is about 19% chewing and red fescues, 10% Kentucky bluegrass, and 18% Ryegrass. The rest of the bag is their coatings, etc. I had considered just mixing this with a bag of their Tall Fescue. The color of the KYB is what concerned me as I'm fairly certain that is a completely different shade of green.

 

Sorry... TTTF is the abbreviation for Turf Type Tall Fescue.... and you are correct... creeping red and chewings are in the fine fescue family.. and as you state it looks like it compromises about 20% of the seed volume mixture. You could use this as a guide line as well if you want when you mix it with the Scotts Tall Fescue mix. Bottom line the mix does need to have some component of fine fescue as it is the species that does the best under shady conditions. It also does not take that high of seed rate of fine fescue to make a dense turf stand. We transitioned 12 acres of golf course roughs to fine fescue "natural" areas and our seed rate was 25 lbs / A (0.57 lbs / 1000 ft2) of hard/sheep fine fescue and it is very dense.

You could mix the Sun and Shade mix with the Scotts as well, but you said it, you will taking a risk of the bluegrass germinating and it looking a different shade of green. However, bluegrass takes the longest to germinate of all the species in the mixture and very little should germinate and it might not show up at all. This would be your decision and your affinity to have to deal with some discoloration in the turf stand albeit very minimal in my opinion.

 

I'm thinking then that the Scott's Dense Shade mix is probably heavier tilted to the fine fescues (and maybe without Kentucky Bluegrass). I'll stop in a bit and look. If that's the case, I'll return the Sun and Shade mix and make my own using Dense Shade and Tall Fescue.

I forgot that I had another spot I will need Tall Fescue for anyway (kids and their slip-n-slides).

I don't like seeding in the spring here at all because it gets so hot so quick, but I'm thinking it won't be so bad in the shade. We are not in an ideal location for either warm or cool season grasses.

 

I have a pesky vole trail that I am looking to eliminate. Amazon has a small bag for $13.99 for Thick'R Lawn TF. My entire yard is Thick'R Lawn S&S Mix. I just want confirmation that mixing this seed is okay and will not look discolored in any way. Excited about getting my first cut on Wednesday. So far no dandelions or weeds in sight.

 

I would cut out a flower bed under the tree I don't think any grass would truly thrive there. Plant some hostas for shade