• Help shade trees recover from July 2012 drought

  Published on September 7, 2012
  Drought-stressed trees may be more susceptible to borers. Protect them by watering during dry periods and using a systemic insecticide treatment.

• Timing for fall fertilization and rust on turf

  Published on September 7, 2012
  Following a stressful summer, lawns will benefit from a timely fertilizer application in the fall and may help turfgrass out-grow rust infestations.

• Shade trees and conifers showing effects of tough summer

  Published on September 5, 2012
  Fall tree care is essential to help trees prepare for winter.

• Phone calls indicate that grubs are already causing turf damage

  Published on August 23, 2012
  A recent grub question I had reflects many emails and phone calls this week about lawns, athletic fields and golf courses.

• Is your lawn being destroyed?

  Published on August 23, 2012
  Reports have come from home owners in Northwest Michigan who are seeing their lawns being destroyed. Grubs could be the root of the problem.

• Turfgrass establishment following a hot, dry summer

  Published on August 22, 2012
  Following the summer of 2012, many turfgrass areas and lawns may need to be over-seeded to fill in damaged or dead areas.

• Few tomatoes in your garden?

  Published on August 7, 2012
  Severe drought conditions could be causing poor fruit set on tomatoes in home gardens.

• Equip yourself for dry weather: Tools and techniques to soften the slap of drought

  Published on August 2, 2012
  Here’s how basic gardening tools will help you get your garden through this dry spell.

• What is evapotranspiration and why it matters

  Published on July 25, 2012
  Under drought conditions, plants may not be able to extract water fast enough to keep up with evapotranspiration.

• Cicada killer wasps are no cause for concern

  Published on July 13, 2012
  Despite their large size and fierce appearance, it is easy to get along with cicada killers.

• Spider mite populations thrive in hot dry summers

  Published on July 13, 2012
  Begin scouting vegetable gardens, berries and landscape plants for the first signs of a spider mite problem.

• Does a dormant lawn need to be treated for grubs?

  Published on July 12, 2012
  Home lawns are the most susceptible to grub damage under dry conditions. If you have seen turf damage caused by grubs in the last two years, plan on applying an insecticide for grubs before August 1.

• Gypsy moth caterpillars damaging spruce trees

  Published on July 11, 2012
  Spruce trees provide haven for low populations of gypsy moth.

• Tough time for trees: Heat, drought, and storms take their toll

  Published on July 9, 2012
  Our record-breaking heat wave coupled with widespread severe thunderstorms made this a rough week for trees in Lower Michigan and surrounding areas.

• Proper fertilization: Take key step with square footage calculator

  Published on July 5, 2012
  Online calculator conveniently determines the exact area of lawn or garden, saving you money and protecting the environment from over-fertilization.

• The last word on watering perennials

  Published on June 28, 2012
  Watering perennials during droughty weather helps plants along, but are you really making a difference?

• Insect pests now appearing in turf

  Published on June 28, 2012
  A lot of webworm moths are being observed now, but it may be chinch bugs that are damaging home lawns. Japanese beetles are out as well, and they are hungry.

• White clover and black medic infesting turf

  Published on May 17, 2012
  White clover and black medic are both currently flowering in lawns and other turf.

• Fungi in lawns getting interesting

  Published on May 10, 2012
  The rainfall over the last couple of weeks has resulted in some interesting sightings in lawns.

• Protect Michigan water resources and grow healthy lawns with "Go Green" tip sheet

  Published on May 3, 2012
  Updated lawn care tip sheet reflects recent changes to the Michigan Fertilizer Law regarding lawn fertilizer and its application.