Common Lawn Care Needs in the Ann Arbor and Canton, MI Areas
Whether you are a seasoned beneficiary of expert lawn care or new to it in the Ann Arbor and Canton, MI areas, there are some common needs that tend to pop up. From standard mowing to more involved projects like irrigation systems, there are some steps involved in ensuring a healthy, lush lawn that can be the talk of the neighborhood.
Fertilization
Fertilizing your lawn can give your landscape the supplemental nutrients needed to thrive. Over time, it’s possible that your lawn uses up the same nutrients in your soil year after year. Adding fertilization to your lawn can help reestablish these nutrients in the soil and help your lawn get what it needs to grow healthy and strong. Too much fertilizer can burn root systems and cause more harm than good. While it is common to fertilize your lawn at the beginning of the growing season, you can also have a fertilization schedule that includes late spring, late summer, or fall fertilizations that help restore nutrients throughout the season.
Weed Control
It can be frustrating when a weed pops up in the middle of your pristine lawn. Despite the best efforts to mitigate the problem, you may see weeds continue to pop up and invade your space. Not only can weeds make your lawn look less appealing, but they also force your lawn to fight for the water, light, and nutrients needed to survive. A more effective method than pulling weeds is to pre-treat your lawn to better prevent the growth of weeds. There may not be a perfect solution, but by choosing a combination of pre- and post-emergent weed control applications, you can help protect your lawn from unwanted visitors.
Aeration
Aeration is the process of creating small holes throughout your lawn. It is possible for soil to get compacted through traffic, rain, and general usage as you enjoy your outdoor space. As the soil compacts, it becomes more difficult for light, air, and water to get deep enough for root systems to take advantage. The small holes created through aeration can help get those key building blocks to your lawn roots and create stronger and healthier systems. While aeration can be done by hand, it can also be done using an aeration machine and is usually best done in the spring or fall.
Mowing
Skill and experience combine for an effective mowing session: The blades on the lawn mower need to be sharp enough to cut the grass and not just tear the blades. Tearing grass can cause more damage and open up grass to disease. Different geographic areas also have different ideal lengths for lawn height. In our area, keeping lawns slightly longer can help the grass retain moisture and better survive any periods of little to no rain.
Watering
When putting together a watering plan, it’s important to know recent and upcoming weather to prevent over and under-watering. For times of high temperatures and little rain, your lawn may need more water, more frequently than before. When we see more rain than expected, you may want to cut back on watering to prevent drowning root systems. To take the thinking and worrying out of watering, an irrigation system with strategically placed sprinkler heads can meet your lawn’s exact needs—rain sensors in the irrigation system will adjust your watering schedule based on the amount of rain we get and the temperatures we experience.
About the Author
Through consistent communication among all our lawn care, landscape maintenance, and irrigation team members, Local Life provides efficient and reliable landscape solutions. From our full property analysis during our maintenance visits to the expert design and construction options we offer, we provide a wide range of services for keeping landscapes beautiful. And our customers’ satisfaction is second-to-none. Everything we do follows our core set of values—safety, accountability, continuous learning, teamwork, and integrity. Our knowledgeable team has your property’s best interest at heart.