Buy Scotts Turf Builder Dense Shade Mix – Small Shaded Areas

Description

Small shaded patches are the hardest spots to keep green. A strip beside a fence, the ground under a single tree, or a corner that catches only a couple of hours of morning light will often stay thin, because most lawn seed is bred for open sun and simply fades where light is scarce.

Scotts Turf Builder Dense Shade Mix is built for exactly those places: Scotts rates it to grow with as little as 3 hours of sunlight, from an exclusive mix of shade tolerant, self repairing grasses. Each seed carries the 4 in 1 WaterSmart PLUS coating, which Scotts says absorbs twice the water of uncoated seed, feeds the seedling and helps protect it from disease. This is the mix for gardeners with small shaded areas who want a single bag that is easy to sow and matched to low light, rather than a bulk bag sized for a whole lawn.

Key Features

• Grows with as little as 3 hours of sunlight a day
• Exclusive mix of shade tolerant, self repairing grasses
• Fine fescues, ryegrass and bluegrass for a dense, shade ready lawn
• 4 in 1 WaterSmart PLUS coating absorbs twice the water of uncoated seed
• Coating feeds the seedling and helps protect it from disease
• Two bag versions: seed only, and a combination bag with fertilizer and soil improver
• Priced here for the 2.4 lb combination bag, sized for small shaded areas

Product Description

Scotts Turf Builder Dense Shade Mix is an exclusive blend built around grasses that tolerate shade and repair themselves as the lawn wears. Fine fescues form the shade tolerant backbone of the mix, with ryegrass for quicker cover and bluegrass for density and recovery. Together they are meant to fill the thin, patchy ground found under trees, beside fences and on the shaded side of the house, where ordinary lawn seed struggles to hold.

Every seed in the bag carries the 4 in 1 WaterSmart PLUS coating. Scotts says the coating absorbs twice the water of uncoated seed, so each seedling has more moisture to draw on while it establishes. The same coating feeds the seedling as it grows and helps protect it from disease, which matters in shade, where damp ground and slow drying can favour disease. The result is a mix aimed at the gardener who wants shade cover without a complicated feeding and watering routine.

Benefits of Using This Product

The main benefit of this mix is fit. It is sized and blended for small shaded areas, so you buy a bag that matches the job rather than a bulk bag that leaves most of its seed unused.

• Lawns in as little as 3 hours of sun, so shaded corners have a realistic chance
• Self repairing grasses that fill thin spots as the lawn wears
• WaterSmart PLUS coating holds twice the water of uncoated seed, helping seedlings through dry spells
• Coating feeds the seedling and helps protect it from disease
• Combination bag adds fertilizer and soil improver with root building nutrition, so feeding is built in
• Small 2.4 lb bag size suits patching and small areas rather than whole lawns

Coverage clarity is another benefit, provided you check which version you are buying. The seed only 3 lb bag is listed at 330 sq ft for a new lawn and 750 sq ft for overseeding. The combination 2.4 lb bag is listed at about 200 sq ft new and 600 sq ft overseeded, because much of the bag weight is fertilizer and soil improver rather than seed. Knowing which figure applies to your bag keeps expectations honest and stops a small bag being blamed for a large area.

Specifications

• Product: Scotts Turf Builder Dense Shade Mix
• Price on this page: $23.49 for the 2.4 lb combination bag
• Sun requirement: as little as 3 hours of sunlight
• Blend: fine fescues, ryegrass and bluegrass
• Coating: 4 in 1 WaterSmart PLUS, absorbs twice the water of uncoated seed, feeds the seedling, helps protect from disease
• Seed only version: 3 lb bag, 330 sq ft new lawn, 750 sq ft overseeding
• Combination version: 2.4 lb bag with fertilizer and soil improver, about 200 sq ft new, 600 sq ft overseeded
• Editorial rating: 8.8 out of 10
• Score breakdown: Shade tolerance 2.7 of 3.0; Establishment 1.7 of 2.0; Durability 1.7 of 2.0; Drought and low input 1.3 of 1.5; Value and clarity 1.4 of 1.5

How to Use

1. Measure the shaded area and check the light it gets, so you buy the right version and enough seed for the area.
2. Clear leaves and debris, loosen the top of the soil lightly, and remove weeds from the patch.
3. Spread the seed evenly at the rate stated on the bag you bought, and rake it lightly into the soil surface.
4. Water gently and keep the patch moist while seedlings establish, remembering the coating holds extra water but does not replace watering.
5. Mow only once seedlings are well rooted, and keep traffic off the new grass until it has thickened.

Why Choose Scotts Turf Builder Dense Shade Mix?

Choose this mix when the job is a small shaded area rather than a whole lawn. Its low light rating, down to 3 hours of sun, covers the spots where most seed fails, and its self repairing grasses help the lawn recover from wear instead of thinning out again. The WaterSmart PLUS coating adds a margin for gardeners who cannot water every day, and the combination bag builds feeding into the same purchase. For a small patch under a tree or beside a fence, that combination of shade tolerance, coating and small bag size is hard to beat at this price.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much sun does Scotts Turf Builder Dense Shade Mix need?

Scotts rates this mix to grow with as little as 3 hours of sunlight a day. That makes it a good fit for the shaded side of the house, ground under a single tree, and corners that catch only morning or late afternoon light. If your patch gets less than 3 hours of direct sun, even this mix will struggle, so measure the light before you sow.

Which bag version should I buy?

There are two versions, and the coverage figures are different, so check the bag. The seed only 3 lb bag is listed at 330 sq ft for a new lawn and 750 sq ft for overseeding. The newer combination bag adds fertilizer and soil improver, and its 2.4 lb bag is listed at only about 200 sq ft new and 600 sq ft overseeded, because much of the bag weight is not seed. The price on this page is for the 2.4 lb combination bag.

What is the WaterSmart PLUS coating?

It is a 4 in 1 coating carried on every seed. Scotts says it absorbs twice the water of uncoated seed, feeds the seedling as it grows, and helps protect it from disease. In shade, where soil stays damp and dries slowly, that extra water holding and disease help give seedlings a better start than bare seed.

What grasses are in the mix?

Scotts Turf Builder Dense Shade Mix is an exclusive blend of shade tolerant, self repairing grasses built on fine fescues, with ryegrass and bluegrass. Fine fescues provide the shade tolerance, ryegrass helps the lawn cover quickly, and bluegrass adds density and recovery. Together they are aimed at the thin, patchy ground that shade leaves behind.

Is the 2.4 lb bag enough for my area?

It depends on the size of the patch. The 2.4 lb combination bag is listed at about 200 sq ft for a new lawn and 600 sq ft for overseeding, because much of its weight is fertilizer and soil improver rather than seed. Measure your patch first, and if it is larger than those figures, buy more than one bag rather than spreading one bag too thin.

Final Thoughts

Scotts Turf Builder Dense Shade Mix earns its place as the small shaded areas pick because it matches the bag to the job. A low light rating of 3 hours, self repairing grasses and a coating that holds twice the water of uncoated seed give small shaded patches a realistic chance to thicken up. Just be sure to buy the version whose coverage matches your area: the seed only bag and the combination bag cover very different areas. With an editorial rating of 8.8 out of 10, it is a solid, honest choice for gardeners who want shade cover on a small scale without paying for a bulk bag.

For the full comparison of all ten shade mixes, including how this one scores against the deepest shade and sun to shade options, read our guide 10 Best Grass Seed for Shade.