Posted by James Compau on Apr 27, 2013
Categories:
grubs,
grub control,
lawn care,
overseeding
This is the time of year where we start getting calls from homeowners asking us to stop by and see why patches of their Michigan lawn is dead or torn up by some type of animal. Well, the damage is almost always caused by grubs. Grubs feed on the roots of your grass until the grass plant dies. Lawns that are torn up are caused by skunks or even turkeys looking for and eating grubs hiding just under the grass. You may also see large numbers of blackbirds poking around dying areas of your lawn. They are looking for grubs as well. To find grubs, simply grab areas of grass where the damage is taking place and it should pull up easily and reveal grubs underneath. Sometimes it takes a little digging around. Grubs are only active in the Spring and Fall. Grubs in the Spring transform into beetles. These beetles mate and lay eggs in the Summer. The eggs hatch and form new grubs which can damage lawns in the Fall. The Fall grubs dig deep into the soil to overwinter then emerge in the Spring to start the cycle over again. Once you have determined that there is a grub problem, it is a simple process to control them. Apply a curative grub control application to effective stop any more damage from occurring. Then apply a preventative grub control application in the Summer to stop the grub life cycle in its tracks. The Summer grub preventative application will keep grubs out of your lawn for a full year. Areas damaged by grubs may come back on there own depending on the severity of the damage. However, I always recommend overseeding to get your lawn back in shape as quickly as possible. Have a great weakend!
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Posted by James Compau on Apr 15, 2013
Categories:
Michigan lawn,
crabgrass,
crabgrass preemergent,
overseeding,
Spring applications,
Tall Fescue,
crabgrass germination,
lawn fertilization,
lawn care,
lawn watering
I would have to say that crabgrass probably ranks number #1 as the most vilified weed/pest in Michigan lawns. Dandelions are a problem, but they tend to be easily controlled with simple weed control applications. Crabgrass on the other hand is a problem that isn't necessarily easy to solve. Here are some pointers to help you solve a crabgrass problem. #1 - Crabgrass does not like thick beautiful well maintained lawns. If your lawn is properly watered, mowed & fertilized, you probably don't have a crabgrass problem. MStill make sure an application of crabgrass preemergent is made in the Spring. #2 - Crabgrass thrives in lawns that are thin, lack proper fertilization and are not properly watered. If this dscribes your lawn, addressing these issues will help in the long run. Applications of crabgrass preemergent to lawns in poor condition will work in a limited capacity. It is still worth it to apply the crabgrass preemergent, just know that it is unlikely to prevent all crabgrass from germinating in the summer. #3 - If your lawn has a crabgrass problem and is thin, overseed in mid August to mid September. This allows for an application of crabgrass preemergent in Spring. Crabgrass preemergent should not be used on a newly seeded lawn. That is why you should establish new seed in the Fall so the new grass plants are mature enough prior to a Spring crabgrass preemergent application. #4 - Crabgrass preemergent can be applied to a Michigan lawn from mid March to Mid May. Current preemergent products are very good and last a long time. #5 - If you believe you have crabgrass in your lawn in the Spring or in the Fall, get it checked out by a professional. You are probably looking at clumps of Tall Fescue. Crabgrass germinates during the Summer and dies in Fall after the first frost.
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Posted by James Compau on Apr 8, 2013
Categories:
lawn,
rake your lawn,
raking,
snow mold,
voles,
overseeding your lawn,
overseeding,
crabgrass,
crabgrass pre emergent,
lawn fertilizer,
soil temperatures
Here is a list of 3 things you can do for your lawn right now to help it ease into Spring... #1 Rake your lawn. Raking your lawn can be beneficial in several different ways. You may have areas of snow mold damage. While not permanent, raking these areas will help your lawn recover faster. Another reason to rake would be to remove dead grass from areas affected by voles. This will also help the grass plants recover quicker. Lastly, raking any areas that are covered by leaves. Oak trees tend to lose their leaves later in the Fall or during the Winter months. This is a great time to get the leaves off of your lawn. #2 Overseed thin areas. If you have areas that are thin from heavy traffic or shade. Now is a great time to seed. While the seed won't germinate right away, it will once soil temperatures rise. Beware! Plan ahead and don't apply crabgrass pre emergent in the areas that you are overseeding. Crabgrass pre emergent will negatively affect seed germination. #3 Apply lawn fertilizer. Now is great time to apply fertilizer to your lawn. While it has been a cold Spring, the cold snap will be gone soon. You may want to use fertilizer combined with crabgrass pre emergent if you have had a crabgrass problem or if you want to make sure you don't have one. Don't apply too much. More isn't always better. Just follow the instructions for a Spring application. Cheers!!!
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Posted by James Compau on Apr 1, 2013
Categories:
core aeration,
soil compaction,
soil layering,
thatch,
aeration,
shallow roots,
soil plugs,
lawn care
Core aeration is a process that removes thousands of plugs of soil from your lawn. These soil plugs are usually 1-3" long. Core aeration is done with a core aerator machine. Core aerators have hollow tines arranged around shaft or drum. As the machine moves across a lawn, hollow core aeration tines penetrate the soil and extracts plugs of soil.
There are a number of benefits to core aerating your lawn on an annual basis. #1 Core aeration helps manage heavy layers of thatch. Thatch layers that are more than an inch in thickness is haven for lawn disease and holds back moisture and blocks fertilizer nutrients from the grass roots. #2 Aeration allows your grass plants to absorb water, air & nutrients much more efficiently. #3 Aeration relieves soil compaction. If you have high traffic areas soil compaction is probably an issue. #4 Core aeration breaks up soil layering. We commonly see soil laying in residential developments where there is several inches of top soil over a really poor subsoil such as clay or sand. Soil layering is prevalent in sodded lawns as well. Soil layering contributes to shallow grass plant roots, bad drainage and soil compaction.
It is best to rent a core aeration machine or hire a company to perform the service for you. Good Luck!
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Posted by James Compau on Mar 25, 2013
Categories:
lawn care,
voles,
vole tunnels,
over seeding,
soil temperatures,
Spring lawn care,
lawn restoration
We starting to get some phone calls about little tunnels running across people's lawns. In some cases, these tunnels are pretty extensive and look terrible. What you are seeing are vole tunnels. These little tunnels or pathways are temporary. As soil temperatures rise and your lawn starts to grow again, they will disappear. The voles will always be there, but you will have a harder time seeing evidence of them. A good rule of thumb in dealing with Spring vole damage is to rake up the dead grass and maybe throw down some grass seed. Rarely is the damage so severe that you would have to do lawn restoration. Just be patient and your lawn will recover. Voles are not easy to control. There are some traps and baits available, however, neighboring voles will move in quickly once your resident population has been removed. Good Luck!
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Posted by James Compau on Mar 18, 2013
Categories:
grass seed,
overseeding,
core aeration,
slit seeding,
bluegrass,
ryegrass,
fertilization,
lawn care,
grass establishment
Spring officially starts in a couple of days!!! Awesome!!! Except for the freezing cold temperatures and the snow coming down. Oh well. It's Michigan. Spring will come eventually so you might want to plan ahead a little bit if you are planning on thickening up thin areas of your lawn. Here are some tips to help you out...
#1 Buy seed that is appropriate for where you are planting grass seed. Use shade mix in shady areas. Use sunny mix for sunny areas. Only use Kentucky bluegrass seed on a sodded lawn. As a rule of thumb, you get what you pay for in grass seed. Cheap seed usually equals a bad lawn. If you need advice, ask your lawn care company or seek out a garden center with knowledgeable staff rather than relying big box stores.
#2 Make sure that you do not use crabgrass pre-emergent on your lawn prior to seeding. Use starter fertilizer or just regular fertilizer. Crabgrass Pre-emergent products will negatively affect your seed.
#3 Rake up the areas where you are going to seed. Raking will help remove any weeds or lawn thatch that might prevent your seed from making contact with the soil. Also, raking will help disrupt the soil surface increasing the chance that your seed will germinate. After spreading your seed, lightly rake the area again to work the seed into the soil.
#4 I typically recommend between 6-8lbs. of seed per 1000 square feet of lawn on an established stand of grass. Your seed will have to compete with the existing lawn. More seed equals a better chance of germination.
#5 Keep it watered. Even in the Spring when it seems that we have plenty of rain. Make sure to water the seeded areas if the weather is not cooperating. Just keeping the soil moist and saturated is best.
#6 Continue to fertilize your lawn regularly.
#7 The best time to do this work is typically from mid April to the middle of May. You can can overseed anytime of the year but Spring and Fall are best.
#8 Consider core aeration prior to seeding. Core aeration relieves soil compaction and helps work grass seed into the soil for better soil/seed contact. Slit seeders work well also. You can rent both machines or hire a company to do this work for you.
Good Luck!!!
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Posted by James Compau on Mar 15, 2013
Categories:
lawns,
grass,
voles,
vole damage,
AAA Lawn Care,
West Michigan,
Spring lawn care
We have already had a number of questions from customers about lawn damage from voles. Here in West Michigan, February was a heavy snow month and the snow is just starting to melt away. This heavy snow cover tends to enhance damage from voles (field mice). Vole damage can basically be described as little tunnels or trails on top of your lawn. Sometimes, these vole highways can be pretty extensive and look really bad. Vole damage looks much worse than it is. The best way to deal with this damage is to rake up the dead grass and kind of fluff up the grass stand. Once soil temperatures rise and your lawn starts growing again the tunnels will disappear. If there are thin areas, we recommend throwing down some grass seed. Voles are always running around in your lawn. A lush healthy stand of grass does a really good job of hiding vole trails. Good luck with your voles and Spring is coming!
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Posted by James Compau on Mar 5, 2012
Categories:
Deep Tine Aeration,
sports fields,
lawn care,
aeration,
soil compaction
This is a picture of our Deep Tine Aerator in action. Deep tine aeration is a sports field specific service that reduces compaction deep into the soil profile, improves drainage & breaks up soil layering.
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Posted by James Compau on Feb 24, 2012
Categories:
voles,
moles,
lawn care
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Posted by James Compau on Feb 20, 2012
Categories:
mole control,
mole service,
mole control program,
lawn care
There seems to be a lot of mole activity this year. Mostly due to the mild winter. If you want to make your lawn a "No Mole Zone", call our office and request an estimate. Our mole control program works great!
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