Integrated Pest Management

Chip Harkes

Integrated Pest Management, that sounds fancy and confusing. So what is it? It is a way of dealing with pests within an area that involves more that just using pesticides (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, etc.) Integrated Pest Management involves many different methods of controlling pests. When we think about controlling a pest within a landscape, many times it is thought to just treat the problem with chemicals. Chemicals are an option,…

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Dormant Grass

Chip Harkes

Spring is underway, and the grass will be looking better and better every week as the weather warms up. However, you may notice that not all of the grass greens up evenly. Why is that? Why is there still dormant grass? Not all grass greens up from winter dormancy at the same time. Some species like Kentucky bluegrass, perennial rye grass, and fine fescue will green up rather quickly. They…

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2015 Growing Season Wrap Up

Chip Harkes

Here we are again, at the end of another growing season. Like any growing season from the past, there were some challenges from the weather and pests, and there were some blessings too. The beginning of the 2015 growing season was wet. Not too much, but enough to keep everything watered and happy. By the end of May into early June, that rain turned off, and the lawns started to…

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The Perfect Lawn

Chip Harkes

The perfect lawn, it always looks good. What does it take to get to that point? We will go over what it is going to take. Mowing: Mowing at the correct height, three inches for Michigan, and mowing not more than one third of the leaf blade at one time will help to keep a lawn at a healthy height. Fertilizer: Fertilizing regularly, applying no more than one pound of…

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