Driving on the Grass

Chip Harkes

Sometimes driving and parking on the grass cannot be avoided. If it only happens once in a while, and the soil is not overly moist, then there may be very little affect on the grass. However, driving on the grass too much can damage the lawn. Some grass is more tolerant to being traveled on. Perennial ryegrass is better suited to be traveled on over varieties like Kentucky bluegrass and…

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Shade on a Summer Day

Chip Harkes

During the middle of the summer, when the heat really builds, and rain becomes scarce, we really see that the lawns take a beating. They dry out, turn brown and go dormant. However, that shade on a summer day is not only nice for you, it provides plenty of cooling for the grass. Water is lost through the leaf blades through transpiration. During days that are hotter, the amount of…

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Fireworks and Grass

Chip Harkes

Happy Fourth of July! We live in this great nation where we have so many freedoms. One of those freedoms is the availability of fireworks. However, fireworks and grass can be a bad combination. With the fairly recent loosening of fireworks laws in Michigan, we have seen the number of fireworks in the area increase. With that, damage to property, including grass, have also increased because of it. I just…

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Even Fertilizer Application

Chip Harkes

Everyone wants an even fertilizer application. But come spring time, I see it time and time again where a homeowner tries to fertilize his or her lawn, and ends up striping the lawn with the fertilizer. Applying fertilizer unevenly will result in unsightly light green strips in a sea of dark green grass. What happens to cause the uneven fertilizer application with a rotary spreader could be a spreader malfunction,…

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