Common Sense Lawn Care for Lakefront Properties

1
Common Sense Lawn Care for Lakefront Properties

• Tom Smith
• Executive Director
• Michigan Turfgrass Foundation

2
Why do we care?

• Ensure you and your familys well-being and
  protect your community
• What you do on your property can have impacts
  away from your property
• Create an attractive landscape
• Reduce time, costs and inputs
• Attract beneficial wildlife
• Preserve our water and land resources

3
(No Transcript)
4
A resource for Michigans Residents

• 60 acres of research at the MSU Hancock Center
• 13 faculty members 15 graduate students and
  technicians
• Almost 200 turfgrass students attending MSU

5
What does the research show?

• Irrigation
• Light daily irrigation at mid-day still provides
  the best quality turf
• Other benefits include
• Reduced insect damage
• Reduced water usage

6

• Best Management Practices Mowing
• Mulching tree leaves into turf causes no problems
  (oak maple tested) returns organic matter
• High heights of cut reduce weed competition
• High heights of cut increase beneficial insects,
  which may help reduce pest insect damage
• High heights of cut improve drought tolerance
• Return clippings to recycle nutrients and organic
  matter

7

• Best Management Practices Fertilization
• Reduce nitrogen on lawns that have been
  well-fertilized over time
• Soil test for P K
• Moderate fertility will reduce weed competition
• Early fall and late fall are the two most
  important times to fertilize
• Leave unfertilized buffer areas near water and
  wetlands

8

• Best Management Practices Weeds
• Increase mowing height
• Fertilize moderately
• Spot treat as needed to clean up lawns
• Maple leaves mulched into turf appear to reduce
  weeds, especially dandelions
• Corn gluten meal
• Difficult to control weeds are best treated when
  in flower or in the fall (violets, ground ivy)

9

• Best Management Practices - Grubs
• Proper irrigation will manage active grubs as
  effectively as an insecticide
• Use Merit or Mach II in early July for best
  preventative control
• Bio-controls show some long-term promise
• Tall fescue shows best grub tolerance of all
  turfgrasses used in Michigan

10
Think globally, act locally