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…
Read More2015-2016 Winter Wrap Up
Winter wanted to start a little bit early in West Michigan. We saw a few inches of snow fall the weekend before Thanksgiving, but that snow only stuck to the grassy areas. It took a few days to melt. Then December, it is the first month of winter, but the month of December was anything but. During the middle of the month, we hit record high temperatures. Christmas was green…
Read MoreDrawbacks of Snow
Snow, however beautiful can have it problems. Although it provides way more benefits to the landscape than its problems, it can still be a nuisance from time to time. There are a few drawbacks of snow. If the weight of the snow becomes too great, some smaller and weaker plants may have a little trouble holding onto the snow. This is especially true after a very wet and heavy snow…
Read MoreSnow Plow Damage
When having your driveway plowed there is a chance of damage to your lawn. No matter how careful the driver may be, the chance is still there. This is an unfortunate by-product of snow plowing. With a season like this, the chances are even higher. The reason for the increased chance of snow plow damage is that the ground did not have a chance to freeze before the snow fell…
Read MoreMid-Winter 2016
As we received a good dose of winter weather this week, we are reminded that this is Michigan. That is not a bad thing though. Michigan can get crazy when it comes to the weather, but if you have lived here for a few years, you get used to it. Now January 15 is the mid point of meteorological winter, and it sure seems that we are in the middle…
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