Hittle Landscape ArchitectureWhy don't you mow the lawn every week (2024)

FAQs

Why should you not mow your lawn every week? ›

Mowing every two weeks — instead of weekly — and not dousing grass with chemical herbicides and fertilizers, helps the environment and supports the health of bees, which are among the world's most important pollinators.

Normally, weekly mowing is the rule, but some lawns need cutting more often. Other lawns will grow more slowly and might need cutting only once every ten days or two weeks. Generally, don't cut off more than one third of the grass blade.

No Mow May was first popularized by Plantlife, an organization based in the United Kingdom, but is now gaining traction across North America. The goal of No Mow May is to pause mowing during the month of May, allowing flowers to bloom in your lawn to help early season pollinators.

We often get the call from some of our customers wondering why we are mowing grass in the rain. The answer is pretty simple: “BECAUSE WE HAVE TO”, not necessarily because we want to. Mowing grass in the rain takes substantially more time and creates a dangerous environment for our staff to work.

Mowing too often, especially if you remove the grass clippings, runs the risk of depleting nutrients and can increase the build-up of thatch – that spongy layer that can cause issue with the health of the lawn.

Meanwhile, not mowing your lawn—or that city park—as frequently increases biodiversity, reduces pest species, and decreases overall lawn management costs.

But If you were to just stop mowing altogether, your lawn would look unkept and grasses and wildflowers will begin to colonize the space, Quindoy says. Wildflowers sound dreamy, but the bad news here: You won't have any control over which species take up residence.

Never mow wet or frosty grass

This can damage your turf and compact the soil. Wait until later in the day when the lawn has dried out or defrosted, or postpone mowing to another day.

However, most professional gardeners would agree that between 8 AM and 10 AM is the best time of day to cut your grass. The reason for that is that lawns need time to heal before evening. Grass needs the benefit of the day to dry and heal before dusk settles.

Grass needs time to recover from mowing before nighttime. Grass that has been cut at night will be more susceptible to lawn diseases, especially since the dew will set in before it can heal.

What is the no mow policy? ›

No Mow May is a national campaign to encourage people not to mow their lawns until the end of May in order to boost the flowers, and nectar, available to pollinating insects such as bees, butterflies and moths. It also allows spring flowers to set seed and plants to establish themselves in advance of the summer.

Then for Better Homes and Gardens,Vogt summarized the reasons “Why No Mow May Isn't Such a Great Idea: Allows Invasive Plants to Grow, Only Temporary Support for Native Bees, Promotes Less Valuable Flowers.” He goes on to explain what changes would help pollinators.

Grasscycling is the natural recycling of grass by leaving clippings on the lawn when mowing. Grass clippings contain moisture, valuable nutrients, and decompose quickly. Grasscycling saves time and money and helps the environment. Mowing time is reduced since bagging and disposal of clippings is eliminated.

Rolling the lawn when it is soaked will lead to soil compaction, making it difficult for the grass to get the water and air that it needs.

It's also not necessary for at least two days after it rains, and often for much longer. Determining how long to keep your timer off depends on the speed and amount of rainfall. It is recommended that you do not begin watering again until the top two inches of soil are dry.

Mow Properly

Using best practices for mowing helps your grass grow thick and stay that way. Rather than mowing based on your weekly calendar, mow according to grass needs. Mow often enough to maintain your grass type at its recommended mowing height without removing more than one-third of the height in a single mowing.

As a general rule, grass clippings of an inch or less in length can be left on your lawn where they will filter down to the soil surface and decompose quickly. Remove longer clippings because they can shade or smother grass beneath causing lawn damage. Don't throw out bagged grass clippings as yard waste.