Yard notes: What we tell people standing in their yard.
When to lay sod, how deep mulch should go, when to trim a hedge. Plain answers for Michigan yards.
Every note
Spring and fall cleanups
A fall cleanup checklist for a Michigan yard.
Start once most of the leaves are down. Clear the beds, mow or haul the leaves, pull the weeds, cut back the few perennials that need it and leave real pruning for spring. Here is the full list, plus what to skip.
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Mulching
How deep mulch should be, and why volcanoes can kill trees.
Mulch should be two to three inches deep and kept off the trunk. More is not better. Mulch piled against a tree looks tidy and does real damage where you cannot see it, and it is easy to fix once you know what to look for.
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Landscape renovation
How to compare landscaping estimates without getting burned.
Compare what each estimate includes before you compare the number at the bottom. Two estimates can look close and describe very different jobs. Go through them line by line, and ask these questions before you sign anything.
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Rock and stone installation
Mulch or stone for a Michigan bed.
For a bed full of plants, use mulch. For a side yard, a strip along a walk or a spot where nothing grows, stone earns its keep. We install both, so we have no reason to push one. This is the plain comparison and where each belongs.
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Yard grading
Water sitting by the foundation: what grading fixes and what it does not.
Grading fixes water that runs toward your house across the top of the ground. It does not repair a cracked wall or stop water coming up through the floor. Here is how to tell which one you have, and what to try before you hire anyone.
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Plant watering
How to water new plants and new sod.
New trees and shrubs want a slow, deep soak about once a week. New sod wants steady water, usually every day, until it roots. Here is the plain schedule for a Michigan yard, and how to tell when you are giving too much.
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Sod installation
When to lay sod in Michigan.
Sod can go down in Michigan from mid-April through the end of October, as long as the ground is not frozen. Spring and early fall are the easiest stretches. Late fall is the one to avoid. The ground matters as much as the date.
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Hedge trimming
When to trim hedges in Michigan.
Most Michigan hedges get their main shaping trim in late spring or early summer, once the new growth has filled out. Hard cuts belong in early spring, and cutting stops by mid-summer. Boxwood, yew and arborvitae each have their own quirks.
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Background: a finished job, relit for evening
Free estimate
Tell us about the yard.
Jake will walk the property, tell you what he would do and write an itemized estimate, so you know what you are paying for.