Embrace the Natural: Navigating the Ideal Lawn Mowing Frequency for Summer
Let's dig into a greener side of lawn care...
Frequent Lawn Mowing Schedule During Summer Months
If you dream of a well-maintained lawn that bustles with life, consider taking a step back from your lawnmower. The German Environmental and Nature Conservation Association (BUND) touts this approach: mow as little as possible. In summer, aim to mow when your grass reaches about 20 centimeters high, utilizing the highest cutting height your lawnmower offers. This strategy ensures that many flowering plants can thrive, offering food sources for insects, amphibians, hedgehogs, and field mice.
Timing is Crucial
Don't box yourself into a rigid schedule. Instead, mow at various times to provide a sanctuary for insects—with constantly flowering plants in your lawn, you can ensure at least part of it remains untouched. If you fancy a more appropriate hideout for your furry friends, leave an island or a border strip rich with flowers.
The Fine Print for High-Frequency Areas
Know that frequently used zones require a more frequent mowing cadence. But don't forget to sweep the clippings beyond the lawn to prevent over-fertilization that could disrupt soil health.
When in Doubt, Less is More!
The beauty of less mowing is that wildflowers such as clover, daisies, or dandelions find an opportunity to bloom, which serves as a vital feeding ground for bees, butterflies, and insects. A carpet of thick grass also acts as a delightful hiding spot for creatures like hedgehogs, field mice, and amphibians.
Medium Rare: Trimming your Grass Just Right
At a cutting height of about 5 centimeters, many herbs will blossom. The lawnmower should be capable of managing the next lawn growth until it sees action again. Just remember not to leave the grass clippings as mulch on the lawn, as excess nutrients could disrupt the habitat essential for meadow plants.
Nature's Bandwagon
With taller grass and less frequent mowing, your garden starts attracting more advantageous insects like ladybugs, hoverflies, and parasitic wasps. By working together with these allies, you can ward off pests such as aphids and slugs that could otherwise terrorize your cultivated vegetables.
Moisture Matters
If you turn down the mowing frequency, your soil stores water better and prevents drying out. As a result, your garden needs less water, and the improved moisture supports a more comfortable living environment for earthworms, springtails, and woodlice.
Sources: ntv.de, awi/dpa
- Real Estate
- Consumer
- Nature Conservation
- Animals
- Botany
- Allergies
Extra Bits:
- Mowing less frequently and maintaining a higher cutting height promotes a more diverse range of insects and small wildlife in your garden.
- Less frequent mowing can help conserve water and reduce stress on the lawn in dry summers.
- The one-third rule should guide your mowing practices: never remove more than one-third of the grass blade's height at once to avoid shocking the lawn.
- Embracing the 'less is more' philosophy in lawn care, as advocated by the German Environmental and Nature Conservation Association (BUND), could lead to a community policy that promotes greener living and accommodates various wildlife, including employing higher grass cutting heights and less frequent mowing to support a diverse range of insects, small animals, and plants like wildflowers in home-and-garden settings such as gardens and lawns.
- Adopting a lifestyle that incorporates reduced lawn mowing frequency and higher cutting grass heights can have benefits beyond the gardening realm, such as reducing employment policy requirements associated with regular lawn maintenance through the use of a more efficient and eco-friendly approach, promoting biodiversity, and conserving water, as well as potentially decreasing allergy symptoms due to less frequent grass pollen production.
