Common Sense Lawn Care for Lakefront Properties Tom Smith Executive Director Michigan Turfgrass Foundation

Why do we care? Ensure you and your family’s 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

A resource for Michigan’s Residents  60 acres of research at the MSU Hancock Center  13 faculty members; 15 graduate students and technicians  Almost 200 turfgrass students attending MSU

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

 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

 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

 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)

 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

Think globally, act locally