Lawn Care
Best Practices for Lawn Care Maintenance
Native Plants
Keeping or replacing flora with native plants can provide many benefits to your lawn that you may be unaware of.
- These native plants can be bushes, shrubs, trees, bulrushes, and certain types of flowers
- Having a 30-foot vegetation barrier of native Michigan flora near the shoreline can reduce erosion due to deep root systems
- Having rooted flora can filter runoffs that may reach the water and stop further damage
Lawn Maintenance
Being a lakefront property, there are some additional steps to take while keeping up with lawn maintenance.
- Clean up debris like cut grass, leaves, animal waste, and anything that could contaminate the water
- Use phosphorus-free, organic, or less harsh fertilizers on land flora, while avoiding shoreline plants
- Instead of fertilizers and growing chemicals, use mulch or straw to help procure a more natural lawn
Minimize Runoff
Having an open and impenetrable surface can cause runoffs to occur on your property, but there are some alternatives to prevent them.
- If you have a large open lawn, try to create water-friendly pathways that let water seep in and plants that can absorb excess water
- Avoid concrete, asphalt, and other impervious materials and use permeable substances like gravel and brick to let water drain
- Use rain-catching methods such as rain barrels to capture and reuse water for later use