Drought drains lawns and businesses

KENTWOOD, Mich. (WOOD) - There is no green in the lawn business right now, from the grass to the cash.

If you don't take action now, you may be paying for this drought well into 2013.

24 Hour News 8 talked to those at Everett's Landscaping Management in Kentwood who said we may not even know just how bad this summer has been on business or the plants until the fall, maybe even spring of next year.

It could be as late as spring before you know how much of your lawn you'll have to renovate to replace what may die.

They said their business has slowed considerably down due to the drought. They believe residents are seeing one brown yard after another and just giving up on lawn care this summer.

The intense heat and no rain have pushed yards to go dormant, and may even die off.

These drought conditions are something the company, that's been in business since the 1950s, hasn't experienced.

"I've never seen it this hot. Back in 1988 we had some really hot weather but I don't think it was this prolonged," Brent Diemer, a co-owner of Everett's Landscaping Management said. "I don't think we had the effects of the weather on the plants like we will this year."

Diemer said you should take advantage of the cooler temperatures, and now is the time to try and save your lawn.

He said you should try to water your grass about three times a day. If it's brown, he said don't try to mow it, as the pressure of the lawnmower wheels alone will kill off what's left.