Frequently Asked Lawn Care Questions

Our granular fertilization will always benefit from any moisture through a brief shower or regular irrigation so following one of those treatments is fine. If you had a Broadleaf Weed Control treatment though, we suggest waiting at least 24 hours for heavier watering. While watering is not required to achieve desired results, it is highly recommended since it is an important step to having a healthy lawn routine.

Prior to each season, Custom Lawn Care evaluates new weed control products firsthand. After concluding the results of all products tested, we select the top performing product based on their performance and our in-house review factors then get it ready for our upcoming season. We are able to provide guidelines on how long it takes for weeds to react due to our in-house testing so typically, you should expect weeds to start withering from the application within 7—10 days. As time continues, the weeds will start to degrade then disappear as you carry on your regular schedule of lawn maintenance, such as mowing and watering. However, if you notice the weeds are not reacting within this time frame, please call our Technical Telephone Support Team at 800-570-3313, so our team can schedule a Weed Service Call.

Waiting to mow or not depends on which treatment was performed on your lawn. Our fertilizer treatments can be mowed immediately after their application and will not redistribute the granules. If you received a Broadleaf Weed Control treatment, we recommend a minimum of 24 hours to let it settle on leaf surfaces before mowing, so its absorption is not disrupted.

This is usually a misconception. While moles do consume grubs and cause lawn damage, receiving a grub treatment to reduce moles is only resolving one factor. Moles eat earth worms as their primary diet so if you only eliminate the grubs, they still have another food source available within your property. There are a lot of benefits to receiving a Grub Control Treatment, but we cannot guarantee that mole activity will cease.

You can have grubs treated during the spring or fall, but only when one of our State-Certified Technicians confirm active grubs. If the technician confirms grubs, we can move forward with treating it with our Dylox, which is a contact control application. That means it’s applied directly to the grubs, and they are exterminated. In order to stay in control of grubs, Custom Lawn Care recommends using preventative measures with our GrubPro. It’s an annual application when June and Japanese Beetles are in their Surface Period, which does not allow their eggs to hatch. Again, with this GrubPro Treatment, if you ever suspect grub damage you can contact our Technical Telephone Support Team, so we can have a technician evaluate the damaged areas and if they confirm grub activity, we will take care of it—for free. Please review our Grub Life Cycle Diagram to understand the stages of Grub Activity or contact us directly at 800-570-3313 to learn more about Grub Control Treatments. There are a couple options to approaching grub issues—an active or non-active approach. Active grubs can be treated with our existing products as an optional add-on service and is utilized when a technician confirms grub activity that is causing grass damage and needs to be addressed immediately. A non-active approach is using our Grub-Pro in July, which prevents June and Japanese beetle eggs from hatching and is guaranteed for one full year. This is recommended to ensure that your lawn does not become damaged by grubs by applying the treatment before it’s an issue. The benefit to this service is that if you do ever encounter or suspect Grub Activity, our technicians will inspect and treat as needed for free. Please review our Grub Life Cycle Diagram to understand the stages of Grub Activity or contact us at 800-570-3313 to learn more about Grub Control Treatments.

We understand this is a personal preference, however, we always recommend leaving the grass clippings on the lawn after mowing. Studies prove that by leaving your grass clippings on the lawn for a full season is equivalent to one fertilizer treatment. Grass clippings do not contribute to your lawn’s thatch layer and are 90% moisture and 100% nutrients so take advantage of this technique if you can.

A major difference at Custom Lawn Care is that we’re local and family owned since we started in 1988. We only hire talented and professional individuals with extended experience in the Lawn Care Industry and require they are certified by the Michigan Department of Agriculture. Our Technical Telephone Support Team is composed of professionals who have over 40 years of combined experience helping customers resolve any concerns. If you have any questions, concerns or issues with your services, our entire team at Custom Lawn Care is ready to help you and find the right resolution. At Custom Lawn Care, you are not just a customer—your family.

We recommend mowing your grass around 3 ½ to 4 inches or using the highest height on your mower. If we have to endure a temporary dry spell, your lawn will remain green and more resistant to turf insects and diseases this way. On the last mow of the year, we suggest mowing your lawn as short as possible, without scalping. By doing this, you are preventing a winter disease, known as Snow Mold, and will allow your lawn to green up faster in the spring. Make sure your blades are sharp prior to mowing or at least once a month. A dull blade will rip the grass, instead of cutting it, which makes your lawn vulnerable to brown leaf tips, insects and diseases.

It’s easy to be concerned with rain after any application, but it actually tends to be more beneficial. Our Broadleaf Weed Control products dry time usually varies, depending on weather conditions, but it should not take longer than one hour to set. Once the application has dried on the weeds, it will not rub or wash off. If a light rain or mist occurs, the weeds’ pores open up to gather that water supply, but it’s also taking in our Broadleaf Weed Control Application, allowing a quicker absorption rate for effective results.

The best time of day to water your lawn is in the morning, before midday. Your lawn continues to lose moisture throughout the day due to evaporation. By providing your lawn with consistent water, it will help balance out what it’s losing from what it’s gaining to upkeep positive and equal moisture content.

The best time to seed your lawn in Michigan is during the fall due to mild temperatures and adequate moisture in the air to properly germinate. Plus, with the trees shedding their leaves it allows plenty of sunlight. To get outstanding results from your seeding, we strongly recommend aerating your lawn prior to spreading so that your seeds are exposed directly to the soil for effective development. If you are planning a seeding application, please avoid doing so if you have recently had a Spring Crabgrass Control Treatment for 6 weeks. If you do it any sooner, the product will have the same effect on your new grass seed and will prevent them from germinating. While trying to determine the best time to seed, please call us at 800-570-3313, so we can look into your lawn program to ensure you will not be interfering with the seed's development.

This is a trick question and here’s why, crabgrass is not active in the spring. If you’re seeing a wide grass blade, growing in clumps and is taller than the rest of the lawn and is visible throughout the year, this is Tall Fescue, which is usually in its prime from March until Mid-June. Crabgrass is generally present from late June to September and starts out as a pale green, grows in low clumps and tends to be predominant along paved surfaces. This widespread annual uses its long stems to root as the plant matures. At the end of its cycle, it turns purple and dies when a heavy frost hits. If you would like help identifying either of these, please call our Technical Telephone Support at 800-570-3313

Dandelions, the most popular broadleaf weed, are a common nuisance within Michigan. The key to controlling these weeds is targeting them during their growth stage. Our weed control products are basically a growth hormone, which accelerates their life cycle in a matter of days versus months. Dandelions are controlled best during late spring to early summer, which is usually when they sprout. In order to maintain minimal dandelions, we recommend not skipping any rounds in between the summer months to avoid new growths that are left untreated with our Broadleaf Weed Control. By keeping your applications frequent, it allows our Lawn Technicians to continuously monitor your yard and treat any additional weeds they find.

Sharpening your mower blade once a month is highly recommended to avoid dramatic effects on your lawn. Mowing grass with dull blades causes a ripping effect unlike the cutting effect you want. By ripping the grass, you’re creating a chalky appearance after mowing followed by a brown appearance between your mowing schedules (this is caused by the shredded leaf tip). The shredding will weaken your turf making it susceptible to insects and disease. Another factor to consider is sharpening your blade even if your mower is new. Most consumers believe that by purchasing a new mower will include a sharp blade, which is not always the case. It’s always recommended to keep your blades sharp, so they will cut easily and not shred.

Custom Personalized Lawn Care Professional Turf Fertilization & Weed Control Programs, as well as GRUBPro, PESTPro, and MosQUITo Control, are continuing services for the simple fact that in order to achieve the desired results for an entire season, these programs must begin on a timely basis each year. Crabgrass Control must be applied each spring before it germinates; PESTPro perimeter barriers must be put in place before crawling insects make their way into your home; GRUBPro must be in place prior to egg hatch for guaranteed results; And MosQUITo Control is the most effective season long when the first hatch of mosquitos’ are subject to our control methods. However, any time that you wish to alter your turf care schedule, or any additional service such as GRUBPro, PESTPro, or MosQUITo Control, simply contact our Technical Telephone Support @ 800-570-3313 for prompt support, we are open year round to assist 

Our professional grade, granular fertilizers are not considered hazardous materials. There is no record of human or pet injury resulting from one of our fertilizer applications. All of our products are registered for use on home lawns. Our treatments do not represent any significant threat to your family or pets when utilized by our Professional Technicians in accordance with the labeled directions.