Hello,

First of all, there is no cool season grass that is “shade loving.” All grass varieties need SOME sun to grow – even shade tolerant varieties. For dense shade grasses, they still require 2-4 hours of full sun or 5-6 hours of dappled shade each day. If your problem area gets less sun than that, you may want to consider opening up the tree canopy. If you do not want to get more light into the area, you will probably not have success with grass. Here are more considerations when growing grass in the shade: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/growing-grass-shade

If you do try to grow grass again, I think September is a little late to establish grass from seed in Emmet county. I would aim more for early to mid August. Also, please do not use hay as a mulch. You want to use straw. Hay contains seeds that result in weeds growing in your grass.

As far as varieties are concerned, fine and tall fescues are the most shade tolerant grass varieties, but they still require 2-4 hours of direct sun a day. If you wish to attempt fescue overseeding, try to determine when your dense shade area experiences the most sun (early in the season before trees leaf out, mid summer when the sun is farthest north, etc.) and attempt to seed then. Some people that try to establish grass in dense shade are committed to overseeding multiple times per year (spring and fall), every year, to constantly replace the declining grass plants.

Here is a reference on fall lawn seeding: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/six_steps_to_fall_turfgrass_establishment

Here is an article on shade loving ground covers good for Michigan lawn areas: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/shady_lawn_alternatives

Hope this helps!