Welcome to Master Gardener Award-Winning Lawn Fertilizing Service operating in Macomb County, Michigan
 When the Michigan snow melts in the next few weeks in Macomb and Berrien County you might be in for a surprise.  And that surprise is gray or pink snow mold. The good news is that in most cases these two issues won’t require much attention on your part. But Master Gardener Lawn Fertilizing Service will get calls from our clients and others asking us what is happening to their lawns. So we think it is important to talk about these snow molds. Gray Snow Mold is what we see most of in Macomb County and our Master Gardener Lawn Care location in Berrien County.  Like the name suggest it is recognized by the white to gray color. No need to worry!  This issue will clear up with the help of a little light raking. Just rake the affected area to allow the air to circulate and the snow mold will begin to diminish. Your first lawn fertilizing application will also help the process by providing nutrients to your lawn which help the turf to grow and recovery. Pink Snow Mold is little more serious of the two. It has a pink to salmon color. Again the first lawn fertilizing service application will stimulate the lawn to grow and the lawn should recover. Light raking of the damage turf will also help to speed up the recovery. There is more of a chance that pink snow mold damage may need to be over seeded.  Wait and see if your lawn recovers before taking any additional action. Please note that if you seed at this time you cannot apply a crabgrass pre-emergent. This pre-emergent will also prevent the grass seed from germinating. Read the label on the bag of the pre-emergent to see when it is safe to apply without interfering with the germination of the grass seed. Note: It is possible to see both gray and pink snow mold on the lawn together. Why do some lawns get snow molds and some do not? The number one cause of gray or pink snow mold is having snow on the lawn for an extended period of time. Try to eliminate large piles of snow in the same spot year after year. Master Gardener Lawn Care is an Award-Winning Lawn Fertilizing Service with operations in Chesterfield Township. Master Gardener Lawn Care was founded and is operated by a Certified Master Gardener.  About the Author Patrick Wesley is a Master Gardener and part owner of Master Gardener Lawn Care located in Macomb County, Michigan.  Master Gardener Lawn Care provides an organic based lawn fertilizing service in Macomb Township, Shelby Township, Washington Township, Chesterfield Township, New Baltimore, Clinton Township, Warren, and Sterling Heights in Macomb County, and St Joseph, Benton Harbor, Bridgeman, Coloma, Hartford, Watervliet, and Stevensville in Berrien County, Michigan. Master Gardener Lawn Care was established in 1991 and provides lawn fertilizing service, core aeration, weed control, soil testing and insect control. For more information on our lawn care and lawn fertilizing services or to request a free lawn care analysis please visit our Free Lawn Fertilizing Service Estimate page on the mastergardenerlawncare.com website
Master Gardener Lawn Care is an Award-Winning Lawn Fertilizing Service with operations in Chesterfield Township. Master Gardener Lawn Care was founded and is operated by a Certified Master Gardener.  Frequently, when presenting the Master Gardener customized lawn care program to potential customers, I’m asked “why is Master Gardener Lawn Care different than other lawn fertilizing services”. I’m proud to point out our advantage in the areas of our people, education, products and service.  In the 23 years that we have been operating a lawn fertilizing service, we’ve learn that it is very difficult to find people that share the same passion for the customer and customer service as an owner. Over the years we have developed a unique opportunity to provide ownership to the best and brightest lawn care people. So there is a very high probability that the person servicing your lawn is an owner and as an owner of Master Gardener Lawn Care he has the passion in providing you with the very best service.    All the owners have the State of Michigan required certifications to treat your lawn and attend continuous educational programs each year to maintain these certifications. We all have college degrees and several of us have graduate degrees. We are very proud that Master Gardener Lawn Care is one of the best educated lawn fertilizing services in Macomb County. We are qualified to work in many other industries but embrace the passion of caring for your lawn.  It is a great testimony to our work when our suppliers tell us that other lawn fertilizing services want to know what products we are applying. Our suppliers stock products that are at a price point that will move quickly. That is good for the suppliers’ inventory turnover but may not be the best product for your lawn. We choose to special order products that we feel are a better match for the conditions at the time. We may pay more for our special order products but we want what is best for our customers. These products help us maintain our 99% customer retention rate and we feel are worth the additional cost. I can also say with great confidence that it is rare that another lawn fertilizing service is treating lawns with same products as Master Gardener Lawn Care.  At Master Gardener Lawn Care we take pride in providing outstanding service. When there is a request for an estimate we visit every lawn. We provide a written analysis and starting this year in Chesterfield Township all current customers and new customers will receive a free soil test. The soil test will aid us in adjusting your lawn fertilizing program, if need, to achieve the best results.  At Master Gardener Lawn Care we are always on the leading edge of new products like Hydretain which can reduce your watering requirements by 50%. No other lawn care company in Michigan is offering this product.  All Master Gardener Lawn Care owners work smart to provide the best products and service so we can showcase our customer lawns. This allows our customers to brag and be proud of their lawns and often refer us to their neighbors and friends.  Over 90% of our new customers are from referrals. We treat each referral is our customers’ testimonial to our outstanding products and service.  About the Author Patrick Wesley is a Master Gardener and part owner of Master Gardener Lawn Care located in Macomb County, Michigan.  Master Gardener Lawn Care provides an organic based lawn fertilizing service in Macomb Township, Shelby Township, Washington Township, Chesterfield Township, New Baltimore, Clinton Township, Warren, and Sterling Heights in Macomb County, and St Joseph, Benton Harbor, Bridgeman, Coloma, Hartford, Watervliet, and Stevensville in Berrien County, Michigan. Master Gardener Lawn Care was established in 1991 and provides lawn fertilizing service, core aeration, weed control, soil testing and insect control. For more information on our lawn care and lawn fertilizing services or to request a free lawn care analysis please visit our Free Lawn Fertilizing Service Estimate page on the mastergardenerlawncare.com website
To: MGLC Clients  Subject: 2014 Season Thank you for your business as we begin our 23rd year of providing the best fertilizing products and service to our neighbors.  It is hard to believe that your first application to another Master Gardener Lawn Care remarkable lawn is just around the corner. It looks like we might be starting a little later than normal. We want to make sure the lawns are dry. In any case we are ready for the challenges of the 2014 season. SOIL TEST   Last year we performed several hundred soil tests in Macomb Township and the results were consistently very surprising. Because of these unexpected results we are expanding our soil testing program to Chesterfield Township. Several years ago the State of Michigan passed a law that eliminated some key ingredients in fertilizer. We are now seeing the effects of this action which can only be proven by a soil test. So if you see me or one of my techs taking some soil samples from your lawn you know what we are up to. The tests should be back in our office by June 1st. The results will help us adjusted your fertilizer program for the next few years. Please feel free to call if you would like to discuss your soil test. Also, because we feel that it is very important to perform these soil tests, Master Gardener Lawn Care will be absorbing the cost.  CREDIT CARD PAYMENT  We are again offering the opportunity to pay with a credit card. We have made it quick and easy by contracting with the very safe E-Bay owned company PAY PAL. Here your personal information is kept confidential. You can log on to our website to make a payment. We are also able to accept credit card payments at your door. Just let me know when I’m treating your lawn.  REFERRAL PROGRAM – GREAT SAVINGS!   We would like to thank everyone for last year’s referrals. They are greatly appreciated! We will continue to deduct $20.00 OFF your next application when a friend or neighbor signs-up for our program. Plus your friend will receive $20.00 OFF their first application. Again, we greatly appreciate your help and want to thank you for spreading the word.   We look forward to seeing you soon. Meanwhile, if you have any questions please feel free to call my cell (586-321-8505). Thanks, Pat    Master Gardener                             Please go to www.mastergardenerlawncare.com to learn about the purple cow.  Member of: Michigan Green Industry Association
Preemergence Herbicide Applications for Crabgrass Control I would like to share this article written by our friend Kevin Frank from Michigan State University. Spring has been very slow to arrive, but models indicate many areas of central and southern Michigan may soon be in the optimum application window for preemergence herbicides. Posted on April 12, 2013 by Kevin Frank, Michigan State University Extension, Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences Unlike the spring of 2012, the spring of 2013 is off to a very slow start with cool temperatures and soaking rains the last week (as of April 11). As tax day approaches, there have been several inquiries within the last week not about deductions, but about when to apply preemergence herbicides for crabgrass control. Summer annual grasses such as crabgrass require proper soil temperature and moisture to germinate and establish. Eighty percent of germination will occur when the 0-2 inch depth soil temperature is consistently reaching 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. For preemergence herbicides to be effective, they need to be applied before the soils reach this optimum temperature range. For example, soil temperatures at the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center on the Michigan State University campus indicate soil temperatures still hovering in the low to mid-40s. We have a growing degree day (GDD) model available at GDDTracker.net that uses GDD to indirectly measure soil temperatures in a turf situation (enter your zip code under the map and then click on the Crabgrass PRE button). As with all models, discretion and understanding of local conditions should be considered. The target range for this model attempts to predict when the 0-2 inch depth soil temperatures consistently reach 50 to 55 degrees F and therefore provides adequate time for the preemergence herbicide to be applied and watered in before crabgrass germination occurs. According to Michigan State University Extension, preemergence application timing for crabgrass in Michigan is usually between April 15 and May 15. Using prediction models at GDDTracker.net indicate that with the exception of a small area just north of the border near Toledo, Ohio, the entire state is still either in the “Early” or “Under” application window. Areas in the “Under” application window may be days from being bumped up to the “Early” application window or for areas under snow may be several weeks or more away. The most common question right now is if your location is in the “Early” application window, whether or not preemergence applications at this time will be effective. Applying preemergence herbicides in the “Early” application window is effective and most professional lawn care companies will time applications on the early side because of the reliable medium and long-residual herbicides that are available and the number of properties they are treating. Most homeowners are probably waiting for the first warm weekend in mid-April, often coinciding with the “Optimum” period to make their application. A good, environmental indicator for the “Optimum” period that I have not witnessed yet this year is to look for when forsythia bushes are blooming with their bright yellow flowers. Whether you target your application for the early or optimum window, remember the practices that encourage a healthy, dense turf stand such as mowing high, returning clippings, and adequate fertilization are all part of an effective crabgrass prevention strategy. Smart gardening tip sheets Mow high for weed and grub control Dr. Frank’s work is funded in part by MSU‘s AgBioResearch. This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464). About the Author Patrick Wesley is a Certified Master Gardener and Owner of Master Gardener Lawn Care located in Macomb County, Michigan.  Pat’s Company, Master Gardener Lawn Care, provides organic based lawn fertilizing services in Macomb Township, Shelby Township, Washington Township, Chesterfield Township, New Baltimore, Clinton Township, Warren, and Sterling Heights in Macomb County, Rochester Hills, Troy, and Royal Oak, Berkley Huntington Wood in Oakland County and St Joseph, Benton Harbor, Coloma, Steve in Berrien County, Michigan. Master Gardener Lawn Care was established in 1991 and provides lawn fertilizing services, core aeration, weed control, soil testing and insect control. For more information on our lawn care and lawn fertilizing services or to request a free lawn care analysis please visit our Free Lawn Fertilizing Service Estimate page on the www.mastergardenerlawncare.com website Â
Before I tell you about the most powerful tool in lawn care, the tool that will get you to a remarkable showcase lawn, let’s talk about fertilizer. When you purchase fertilizer, whether it is for your lawn, trees or scrubs, you will notice three numbers on the bag. These numbers represent the  (N) nitrogen, (P) phosphorus and (K) potassium. These are the major nutrient needed for a plant to remain healthy and survive. All three of these nutrients must be present and at optimal levels for the turf to thrive.  A few years ago the State of Michigan passed a law banning the major and very necessary nutrient (P) phosphorus. This nutrient is needed for root development and for the plant to thrive. So you will notice on many turf fertilizer products that the middle number is now zero.  By law as a licensed lawn fertilizing company we cannot apply a product containing (P) phosphorus.   The summer of 2012 was the first time in the twenty years that Master Gardener Lawn Care has been performing Soil Tests that we have seen low (P) phosphorus levels. The ban of a few years ago is starting to affect the health of our turf. Scientifically a plant cannot continue to survive without one of its major nutrients.  There are two exceptions to this regulation. The first one is, if we are fertilizing a newly seeded law. Remember (P) phosphorus is required by plants in developing a strong root system. The second is if the soil is determined to be low or deficient in (P) phosphorus. The only way to real know that a plant is in need of (P) phosphorus is by performing a SOIL TEST.  So, the SOIL TEST is now the most powerful tool in lawn care and in the lawn fertilizing industry.  A soil test is the only way we can determine the (P) phosphorus level in your soil. Once we have the current level we can calculate the amount of (P) phosphorus that needs to be added to the soil.               There are many other helpful things, such as pH, that a soil test can tell you. But for this discussion we are only considering (P) phosphorus.  Please note that the only way a truly customized lawn care program can only be developed is also with the help of a soil test.  So if someone is promising a customized lawn fertilizing program you may want to ask to see the soil test it is based upon.  Master Gardener Lawn Care has been creating award winning lawns for over twenty years. We are members of and abide by the firm code of ethics of the Michigan Green Industry Association. We provide lawn care services in Macomb, Oakland and Berrien Counties. About the Author Patrick Wesley is a Certified Master Gardener and Owner of Master Gardener Lawn Care located in Macomb County, Michigan.  Pat’s Company, Master Gardener Lawn Care, provides organic based lawn fertilizing services in Macomb Township, Shelby Township, Washington Township, Chesterfield Township, New Baltimore, Clinton Township, Warren, and Sterling Heights in Macomb County, Rochester Hills, Troy, and Royal Oak, Berkley Huntington Wood in Oakland County and St Joseph, Benton Harbor, Coloma, Steve in Berrien County, Michigan. Master Gardener Lawn Care was established in 1991 and provides lawn fertilizing services, core aeration, weed control, soil testing and insect control. For more information on our lawn care and lawn fertilizing services or to request a free lawn care analysis please visit our Free Lawn Fertilizing Service Estimate page on the www.mastergardenerlawncare.com website Â
While performing several free lawn analysis today, I noticed some SNOW MOLD in Shelby and Clinton Townships. It is nowhere as invasive as in the past and I was a little surprise to see any at all this year. Normally we see snow mold only after the snow has been on the lawn for several weeks.  This year the snow was lighter and was never on the lawns more then a week or two.  If you see some areas on your lawn, now that the snow is gone, that look like the pictures below it may be gray or pink snow mold. The good news is that in most cases this won’t require much attention on your part. But we do get call from our clients asking what is happening. Gray snow is what we see most of in our area. Like the name suggest it is recognize by the white to gray color. No need to worry it will clear up with the help of you first fertilizing application. You can help the process by lightly racking the area to allow air to circulate and speed up the recovery of the damage turf. Pink snow mold is little more serious of the two. It has a pink to salmon in color. Again the first fertilizing application will stimulate the turf to grow and the lawn should recover. Light raking will also help to speed up the recovery. There is more of a chance that pink snow damage may need to be over seeded.  Wait and see if it recovers. I have seen both gray and pink snow mold on lawns together. If you are concern about the condition of your lawn at this time of year, please feel free to call Master Gardener Lawn Care LLC for a free lawn analysis. We would be thrilled to treat your lawn or advise you on the best products available for you to create a showcase lawn. Master Gardener Lawn Care has been creating award winning lawns for over twenty years. We are members of and abide by the firm code of ethics of the Michigan Green Industry Association. We provide lawn care services in Macomb, Oakland and Berrien Counties. About the Author Patrick Wesley is a Certified Master Gardener and Owner and Director of Operations for Master Gardener Lawn Care located in Macomb County, Michigan.  Pat’s Company, Master Gardener Lawn Care, provides an organic based lawn fertilizing service in Macomb Township, Shelby Township, Washington Township, Chesterfield Township, New Baltimore, Clinton Township, Warren, and Sterling Heights in Macomb County, Rochester Hills, Troy, and Royal Oak, Berkley Huntington Wood in Oakland County and St Joseph, Benton Harbor, Coloma, Steve in Berrien County, Michigan. Master Gardener Lawn Care was established in 1991 and provides lawn fertilizing service, core aeration, weed control, soil testing and insect control. For more information on our lawn care and lawn fertilizing services or to request a free lawn care analysis please visit our Free Lawn Fertilizing Service Estimate page on the mastergardenerlawncare.com website Â
Moisture Manager Reduces Watering by 50%.  Master Gardener Lawn Care is an Award-Winning Lawn Fertilizing Service operating in Macomb, Oakland and Berrien Counties that was founded by a Master Gardener. At Master Gardener Lawn Care we are always looking for products and services that will provide our clients with the best lawn in their neighborhood at the best possible cost. One product that we have recently researched, HYDRETAIN, is proven to reduce watering requirements by 50%. Please see the information below and if you are interested feel free to give us a call. Hydretain by Ecologel Solutions LLC is a patented blend of liquid humecÂtant and hygroscopic compounds that attract free water molecules from the air within the soil. That water is then available to plant roots. Hydretain creates a sub-surface film that collects and stores moisture on plant roots and soil particle surfaces. What does all this mean? Consider what hapÂpens when you fill a glass with a cold drink. EventuÂally, water begins to condense on the side of the glass. The soil works in much the same way when Hydretain is applied. At the time that plants would normally go into drought stress, there is a very high level of humidity in the soil that is typically lost to evaporation. Rather than allowÂing that moisture to escape to the atmosphere above, Hydretain attracts the molecules of water and keeps that moisture in the soil. Hydretain captures water that is already there, reducing the irrigation or rainfall required to deliver adequate water to plant and turf roots. This is what makes Hydretain a unique water conservation and landscape management tool. According to Ecologel Solutions, you can water 50 percent less with Hydretain. So for areas where water restrictions are in place, landscape conÂtractors can maintain the integrity of properties while adhering to requirements. And in areas where water savings is not yet an issue, Hydretain minimizes drought-stress cycles between rainfall and irrigation, promotes healthier plants and ultimately delivers a better quality landscape.  Hydretain Root Zone Moisture Manager will:       Double or even triple the days between required watering       Reduce or eliminate drought stress cycles       Enhance seed germination       Control or eliminate dry spot problems       Improve transplant establishment       Protect non-irrigated or poorly irrigated areas   “Hydretain” – Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions Q. What is Hydretain? How does it work? A. Hydretain is blend of patented hygroscopic and humectant compounds that is applied to the root zone of plants. This coats the roots and converts subsurface humidity into usable water for the plants. Q. How is Hydretain applied? A. Until recently, Hydretain was only applied by a spray or drench. For lawns, diluted Hydretain is sprayed onto the grass and then watered in so that it reaches the root zone. For ornamental plants, shrubs and trees it is drenched into the root zone. Q. When should Hydretain be applied? A. Hydretain can be applied anytime during a plant’s life cycle. However, the best time to apply Hydretain is before hot dry weather or drought conditions set in. Q. How long does Hydretain last? How often should it be applied? A. Hydretain lasts up to 3 months before it biodegrades. Re-apply at least every three months or more often for even greater water conservation. Q. Is Hydretain safe? Will it harm my pets? A. Hydretain is primarily made from food-grade ingredients and natural plant extracts. It is non-toxic. It will not harm your pets. Q. Is Hydretain beneficial to my bedding plants, shrubs and trees? Fruit trees and vegetable gardens? A. Hydretain has been proven effective through University of Texas and Florida trials and independent use on most types of ornamental plants, shrubs, trees, grasses and food producing agricultural plants. Q. When will I see results? What type of results should I expect? A. Hydretain becomes effective when it is drawn up against plant roots, generally within one to two waterings after the initial application. Results may vary, a 35% to 50% reduction in normal watering requirements is expected. Q. Will Hydretain hold too much water if we get a heavy rain fall? Will Hydretain wash through the soil with heavy rainfall?  A. Hydretain has little moisture holding capacity. Its function is to convert soil humidity into plant useable droplets when water is no longer available to plant roots. Hydretain may wash through the soil if heavy rainfall follows closely after application, before Hydretain has time to attach to plant roots. Hydretain is usually drawn up against roots within the first one to two required waterings after application. Q. Is Hydretain safe to use with other lawn care products? A. Yes, as a general rule Hydretain may be used with most other lawn care products. Hydretain has been shown to help improve the uptake of nutrients and assist in the function of pesticides and fungicides. Q. Is Hydretain beneficial if I don’t water at all? A. Hydretain has proven to reduce watering requirements by as much as 50% or more, however, if no watering is done and there is no rainfall, eventually plants and turf will go into normal drought stress.  About the Author Patrick Wesley is a Master Gardener and part owner of Master Gardener Lawn Care located in Macomb County, Michigan.  Master Gardener Lawn Care provides an organic based lawn fertilizing service in Macomb Township, Shelby Township, Washington Township, Chesterfield Township, New Baltimore, Clinton Township, Warren, and Sterling Heights in Macomb County, Rochester Hills, Oakland Township, Troy, Royal Oak, Berkley, and Huntington Woods in Oakland County, and St Joseph, Benton Harbor, Bridgeman, Coloma, Hartford, Watervliet, and Stevensville in Berrien County, Michigan. Master Gardener Lawn Care was established in 1991 and provides lawn fertilizing service, core aeration, weed control, soil testing and insect control. For more information on our lawn care and lawn fertilizing services or to request a free lawn care analysis please visit our Free Lawn Fertilizing Service Estimate page on the mastergardenerlawncare.com website
We received this e-mail form Michigan State University Extension and would like to share it with our customers at Master Gardener Lawn Care LLC. Common suspects involved in winter landscape damage Identify these pesky, winter, landscape pests by the location of the damage they cause. Posted on January 4, 2013 by Gretchen Voyle, Michigan State University Extension Winter appears to be a time of snowy peace when viewing the landscape outside the windows. But in reality, it is a very busy time for a number of animals. Some critters that may cause landscape damage during the growing season hibernate or partially hibernate during the winter and don’t feed. The woodchuck and thirteen-lined ground squirrel sleep the winter away underground. The eastern chipmunk partially hibernates and may pop above ground occasionally if its food stores run low. The amount of snow and how long it lasts, as well as how much really cold weather we receive, determines if this winter will cause critter problems. Last winter (2011-2012) could be called “The Winter that Wasn’t.” When small amounts of snow fell, it warmed up in the next several days and most of it melted. Animals could gather plenty of food in fall and put on a nice layer of fat that helped them survive and stay warm. During the winter, finding extra food was not too difficult. The 20120-2013 winter is different. We have had colder weather and more snow cover by January than all of the last winter. The most common animals to take a literal bite out of your landscape are the ones that are active during the winter, like the whitetail deer, cottontail rabbits and meadow voles. Let’s start at the ground where damage occurs. Ground level and above Voles or meadow mice chew the bark off young trees and shrubs or those with thin, bark-like maples and fruit trees. They have upper and lower incisors that leave characteristic up-and-down chewing marks at ground level or slightly above. If the plant is girdled (bark removed) all or most of the way around, it will kill the plant. Vole damage. Photo credit: Paul Bachi, University of Kentucky Research and Education Center, Bugwood.org Voles will dig under mulch or snow and eat the crowns of perennial plants if the soil is not frozen. This is the portion of the plant where the roots and top meet. If snow covers the lawn and food is in short supply, they will work under the snow, clipping serpentine trails into the turf. This usually does not kill the grass, but looks bad for awhile in the spring. Above ground level to possibly 3 feet high Rabbits also have long upper and lower incisors and will leave bigger chew marks on bark. They are capable of biting off small twigs and buds to supplement their diet. They can reach higher on trunks and will stand upright on hard packed snow and can reach 18 inches above the snow cover. Rabbit damage. Photo credit: Steven Katovich, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Branches, twigs and buds to at least 4 feet high Deer can feed much higher yet. They can stand on their hind feet and reach over 4 feet high if motivated. Their chewing damage is different because they have only lower incisors that meet a leathery gum on the top. They remove twigs and buds with a diagonal slice. They feed happily on evergreens like white cedar, arborvitae, pines, spruce and yews. Tender buds on maples, dogwood, aspens and willows are favorites.
Lawn Fertilizing Service in Macomb, Oakland and Berrien County Michigan. Award-Winning Lawn Fertilizing Service by a Master Gardener. Master Gardener Lawn Care’s lawn fertilizing service has come across this turfgrass alert from Kevin Frank from Michigan State University and we would like to share it with our clients in Macomb, Oakland and Berrien County, Michigan. Master Gardener Lawn Care has also seen some heat tracks on lawns in Macomb, Oakland and Berrien Counties. Like Kevin says in the memo below, the turf will recover once water is applied. It may take up to 3 weeks to fully restore it’s normal color. Try to keep up with proper watering to avoid this from happening to your lawn. Heat tracking damage on lawns Traffic from people or mowers on turf that is under stress from high temperatures may result in heat tracking damage. Published June 24, 2011 Kevin Frank, Michigan State University Extension, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences The hot weather from a couple of weeks ago resulted in another outbreak of heat tracking on lawns. For the lack of a better term, I call the damage imposed from any sort of trafficking on heat or drought stressed turf “heat tracking.” Often, heat tracking is the result of mowers running over the turf when it is near the wilting point. The resultant damage may look like RoundUp was on the tires of the equipment. If the lawn is starting to look blueish or you notice foot printing on the turf, it’s likely that any sort of traffic (mowers or people) will result in heat tracking. The only way to really avoid this damage is to avoid mowing during the hottest time of the day when the turf is under stress. Although heat tracking damage can look really bad, the good news is the recent rains and cool temperatures should help the turf recover within a week or two.
When the Michigan snow melts in Macomb County, Oakland County and Berrien County you might be in for a surprise.  And that surprise is VOLE damage.  The good news is that in most cases this damage won’t require much attention on your part. But Master Gardener Lawn Fertilizing Service will get calls from our clients asking us what is happening to their lawns. So we think it is important to talk about voles. A vole is a small critter that resembles a mouse. If you notice tracks in your lawn after the snow melts that look as if a garden hose was laid on the lawn for a few days, then you had a vole under the snow. (Please see the pictures of a Vole and Vole damage). The picture of vole damage was taken on February 19, 2011 in the Beacon Square Subdivision at 21 Mile Road and Romeo Plank in Macomb Township, MI.  Voles like to create and live in tunnels under the snow.  You don’t have to worry about the damaged, it will fill in as your lawn begins to green up and grow. If you see new tracks or tunnels after the snow has been gone for a few days, then the vole is still in your lawn and should be eliminated. Begin by looking for openings that the vole can tunnel into such as a down spout, black edging or a hole in a stone wall. They love to go into tunnels. They may also create holes in the lawn. But in most lawns in Macomb County and Oakland County that are growing on heavy clay that is unlikely.  Instead they will look to go into the landscaping and even children’s toys. Anywhere there is a possible tunnel.  The tunnel is key in this situation because that what we have to create in order to trap the voles.If you can find the tunnel they are living in then you can insert some vole poison that can be purchase at most hardware stores.  Read the directions carefully. I prefer not to use the poison because of the possibility of other animals such as dogs or cats coming into contact with it. Most of the time voles are not a major problem but if you would like more information or would like to discuss a plan of correction feel free to call or contact us on our website or on face book. We are not licensed to trap voles but can walk you through the process. About the Author Patrick Wesley is a Master Gardener and founder of Master Gardener Lawn Care located in Macomb County, Michigan.  Pat provides organic based lawn fertilizing services throughout Macomb County, Oakland County and Berrien County, Michigan. Master Gardener Lawn Care was established in 1991 and provides lawn fertilizing, core aeration, weed control, soil testing and insect control. For more information on our lawn fertilizing services or to request a free lawn care analysis please visit our Free Lawn Fertilizing Service Estimate page.
Lawn Care Tips
Under the Snow 2014 – Part 1
Lawn Care, Lawn Fertilizing Service, Turf Tip When the Michigan snow melts in the next few weeks...
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