Keep your lawn healthy and green all year. Healthy lawns require year-round care with a boost a few times a year to keep them happy. Our lawn care experts gave us some tips on maintaining a healthy lawn:

• Clean. Clean up from winter by removing all debris.  Lightly rake thatch, which is dead grass that builds up and chokes a healthy lawn and inhibits good root development. Make sure this is done once the lawn is dry enough, so that you don’t tear the grass at the roots.
• Fertilize. Use a season-long program, such as Scotts 4-Step Annual Lawn Care Program, Espoma Organic Season Long Lawn Care Program and Jonathan Green New American Lawn Season Long Lawn Care Program. These are all four or five bag applications that will feed your lawn for the entire season. These programs also include varying types of weed killer and prevention that will keep your lawn thick and green with less weeds.
• Water. Michigan lawns need two inches of water a week. Two deep waterings a week if Mother Nature is not doing it, will keep your lawn healthy. More water may be needed during the very hot times during mid-summer.

General Watering Guidelines:

• • • Apply one to two inches of  water per week
    • Keep newly seeded lawns moist until established.  Water lightly but frequently (twice a day – more often if weather is windy, hot or dry) for first two weeks.
    • As the lawn becomes established, water deeply – only as needed.
    • Water early in the morning to reduce the susceptibility of disease.
    • Use a rain gauge to accurately measure water.  

• Weed. Stressed lawns are more prone to problems, so it is especially important to keep your lawn properly maintained. If weeds tend to pop up during the season, use a spot weed killer to keep up with what your granular weeds killers miss.  Ready to use bottles work great for this.  There are several types that work best depending on the weed. Check with experts at your English Gardens store by bringing in a sample of the weed for a customized program and always be sure to read the label.
• Test your Soil pH. Michigan lawns thrive when the soil pH is between 6.2 and 7.0. Michigan soils tend to be on the Alkaline side with a pH higher than 7.0. If this is the case, use MAG-I-CAL Soil Food for Alkaline Soil to lower the pH. If your pH happens to be below 6.2, apply Lightning Lime to raise the pH levels in your soil. If you want to test your soil pH, just bring in a sample of your soil, and we can test if for $5.99.
• Feed your Soil. Keeping your soil in good condition will help the grass plants stay healthy. Adding organic matter like compost or Jonathan Green’s Love Your Lawn Love Your Soil will help feed the soil effectively. Core aeration is also recommended before you add your compost or Love Your Lawn Love Your Soil.
• Over Seed. Some grass plants like Fescue do not regenerate or reseed themselves. Over seeding every few years will add new grass plants to the lawn. Our Experts can help you select the correct seed for your specific growing conditions.
• Mowing. Mow your lawn to a minimum of 2.5 inches tall. Do not cut too short as this will stress out most Michigan turf lawns. Always be sure that your mower blade is sharp as a dull blade will tear rather than cut, weakening the grass and making it more likely that you’ll have disease and insect issues later on.
• Let Us Help You. If you ever have a problem or question about your lawn, we are here to help. Bring in a sample of a weed or a square foot of lawn that is not growing well, and we can find a solution with you.

Follow these few steps, and you’ll have the greenest lawn in the neighborhood! Click here for our store locations and hours.