North east facing lawn alternatives?

anoble4147wfqUuDaG · February 2023

Hi everyone,

My front lawn is sparse in a big area and cracked ground and moss even growing. I have reseeded/fed etc to no effect.

Is there any lawn alternative that would be suitable for that? Although north east facing, it is very sheltered.

I read somewhere clovers could be a good idea?

Just want something natural and green if possible. if anyone has any thoughts I’d appreciate it! Thanks.

Dovefromabove · February 2023

I think the first thing to consider is what you want to use the lawn for … do you have any toddlers or 11 year old potential soccer stars for instance .., or a dog or three?

Or even all of the above 😜

anoble4147wfqUuDaG · February 2023

So, no children no pets. It’s a front garden. Not often used- simply to actually garden or clean the windows. So almost no footfall.

anoble4147wfqUuDaG · February 2023

Thankyou for the moss link. I was Googling moss a bit and saw it needed a lot of sun so thought it wasn’t useful but I’ll definitely take a look at the link.

Fairygirl · February 2023

I find that odd that you're finding info that says moss needs lots of sun. It's usually the complete opposite, unless that's some specific variety.
You've said the ground is cracked. Are you in the UK? Most north east facing sites would tend to be shady and moist, and therefore the soil wouldn't crack. What is the soil like, and your general climate and conditions?
All 'lawns' in that kind of aspect will also tend to be mossy over winter. They pick up once the weather improves, but if grass is continually scalped, for example, that won't help it thrive, so the care the lawn has had could be a factor. Alternatively, if you're in an area which has been getting very long dry spells, grass won't have been in good condition going into winter.
If you can give more info, and some photos, that would help with ideas. If the grass isn't doing well, other plants, including clover, won't necessarily thrive either

bédé · February 2023

North-East orientation is not very relevant to grass. Shade, ie. openness to the sky is more important.

Cracked ground sounds like dried out clay, Moss grows in any conditions, but usually out-competes grass in damp conditions. A bit of soil improvement is probably needed. Top-dressing and forking ...

Loxley · February 2023

Would you consider 'no mow' grasses? They are tuftier and shaggier than a true lawn, but give a similar unified appearance. They give the effect of the 'tussy grass' meadows you sometimes find in open woodlands.

Sedges (Carex) for lawn alternatives. Great ground covers. (hoffmannursery.com)

I guess any low monoculture ground cover would do a similar job; heathers, Pachysandra etc.

anoble4147wfqUuDaG · February 2023

Thank you for your response.

I know it’s got leaves etc, which I will clear shortly

but it’s like this with no leaves on throughout summer as well. basically it is a north east facing lawn. I have a boarder around the lawn which probably makes it shadier. Although it is north east, the house shelters most of the weather.

For example if it’s a very windy day it would almost be still in the front.

im open to moss or anything that will stay green. Would this work? Scleranthus Biflorus - Irish Moss - Pine Green ?

anoble4147wfqUuDaG · February 2023

Thankyou that’s important to know as mine is definitely not acid soil.

Fairygirl · February 2023

It's not really enough of an indication of the conditions unfortunately, but there are lots of weeds there which won't be helping. Leaving all those leaves all winter isn't helpful to the grass either.
There are lots of varieties of grass seed available, so it may just be a case of improving the soil - ie aerating, adding some better quality topsoil to improve the structure etc and re seeding with a more appropriate variety or mix. Then regular cutting - not too short.
Alternatively, a feed in spring followed by a weed and feed will also help, as the weedkiller part has a better effect on strongly growing weeds. I've done that in several gardens, including this one, which was mainly dandelions, buttercups and daisies, with very little grass. Only part of the space gets a reasonable amount of sun, apart from the height of summer. Even a border that has reasonably low growing planting won't make a significant difference to the condition of the grass.
The other option is to remove the grass, and just have lots of varied planting with gravel, or similar, as the main surface.

anoble4147wfqUuDaG · February 2023

Thanks so much. I didn’t want to remove all the dandelions as I wanted it a bit better for the insects etc- not a sterile lawn. I know I probably can’t have everything.

Don’t judge me on the leaves

so we think a moss would be unsuitable for a non acidic soil?

Thankyou again

North east facing lawn alternatives?

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