No Mow May - Does it Work?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 เม.ย. 2023
- No Mow May - Does it help the bees? Is it good for the environment?
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No Mow May - Does it Work?
Is it good for the bees. how does it affect the lawn grass. Are there better options. Is May the right month for doing this?
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thanks for the info. Now I feel really good because I've converted my front-yard lawn to California native flowers meadow with a couple fruit trees.
yep. me too. : )
Yep, Zones Matter too!😊 I'm in France, Zone 6 and right now (April 9) my small backyard lawn has little daisies all over it. My first Spring mow was in early March after a few days of no rain. So, I haven't mowed for at least a month due to rain. The small amount of grass between the weeds is about 3" to 8"! I'll let it go now until at least 2 rainless days then mow. The bees have enough flowers elsewhere in my garden. In fact, some carpenters are making nests in my kitchen window shutters. They're PVC and have drainage holes at the bottom. Every Spring those little Bees plug up those holes for awhile.😊
Well done. The good news is folks hearts in the right place but would help our pollinators much more if we just plant more early blooming plants
Or ditch your lawn. Or at least 80% of it. That's the easy way.
Thanks for debunking another myth. Here in Eastern Ontario if I participated in No Mow May I would have to do a lot of raking on June 1.
I saw a butterfly today apr. 9 2023. in Toronto. Must be a record.
Yeah, I am trying to do the "jeweled lawn" thing I admired on a Great British Garden video and I already found I have to weedwhack around the tulips & daffodils if I want to see them. Definitely a different scene here in Pennsylvania, but it was fun trying and I'm okay with putting in the extra work, I got familiar with unconventional mowing last year when I mowed around random stands of queen Anne's lace last year and was it a site to behold! 😍
Really enjoying your channel! Thanks for spreading the knowledge!
I'm in the UK & no mow May works well considering lots of gardens have widowers in there that never get a chance to grow! I'm going one better & striped some of the grass & will be creating a wildflower meadow.
Always a calm voice of sanity
One of my Sisters lives in a development in GA with a golf course around. And an HOA. Very nice, large homes and most front yards have thick grass lawns which are mostly professionally maintained. No weeds there 😅. They do have lots of trees, flowers and shrubs for the pollinators though.
I live in the arid mountain west, and switched to a native short fescue grass mix. I mow it very rarely, maybe twice a year to keep it tidy in the late spring and reduce the fire risk in the fall. In some areas (the front lawn, just as you said) I’ve planted wildflowers in it. It takes much less water, mowing & chemicals to maintain. Because these are mostly bunch grasses, weed control is important in the first year, and it is not pretty that first year, either. But then it’s so easy, and far less expensive, especially in the arid West where lawn grass needs to be irrigated, maintained with chemicals and mowed. The amount we save per year on lawn services and our water bill runs into the thousands.
Very interesting. Every time I watch one of your videos, I learn something new! My reason for not mowing my lawn for much of May is that I want the grass clippings for my garden beds. Here in Zone 5B, the grass doesn't really get that tall, maybe 5-6 inches and weeds have not gone to seed. I've stopped using weed killer so there are (unfortunately!) plenty of weed flowers for pollinators. In fact, I have so much clover that I need to be really careful when I mow the lawn so that I am not mowing over the bees! The only time it's relatively safe is late evening 😁.
Be careful not to let the weeds go to seed if you're throwing clippings into your beds, or you'll be dealing with a difficult weed problem for a long time 👍
We're in Muskoka, Ontario where it's cooler than Toronto. This year I noticed not a lot of annual flowers have grown unlike other years, and dandelions have just popped out 2 days ago. We had weird July-like weather one week and then 2 weeks of normal spring again which might have messed the flowers up. So in our case, we could focus more on mowing high to leave some dandelions up since there is a shortage of the more regular flowers. But it's also hard to see how much the pollen from trees add food to the local wildlife or not so maybe it's best to leave some dandelions. We turned half our 2 acres (surrounded by 8 acres of forest) back into meadows but they haven't regrown yet. But not mowing at all would be too much and create issues in mowing only in June. We usually do the first cut mid-May. So interesting info, thanks!
If you care at all about planetary biodiversity and responding in a personal way to the Anthropocene extinction, than gardening for as many native plants as you can in your garden is the most effective way to do this. We know enough about how important native plants are to thousands of species of animals (not just bees, but butterflies, moths, frogs, salamanders, beetles, etc. etc. and the animals that in turn survive on them) to know that the least amount of harm ecologically is done by planting them.
I envision a day where I can easily buy a locally sourced lawn mix of native grasses and small forbes so my weeds are not those from Europe and invasive to places beside my lawn. Non-native plants "can" have some utility (estimated at about 30% compared to native plant ecologies), but mixing in the native plants and celebrating instead of reaching for pesticide when you see "bite marks" on leaves, maybe admiring the beauty of moths at night instead of big genetically overblown flowers made to make you reach for your pocket book with zero consideration for what songbirds, for example, need to survive.
We really know and understand little about the ground that was there before we dug it up...we do know that it supported people and an ecology bursting with biodiversity in plants and animals of all kinds before we introduced a "control everything" colonialist "we know the best way" mentality towards growing plants. On thing I can say in 30 years of working on these issues is "putting it back" is not easy once we have bulldozed topsoil, so we should start by prioritizing any remaining native ground that we have left and defend it. All plants want to rule the world, and some do it better than others, becoming invasive, which means they create harm for either or both people and the ecology. The ones that tend to dominate those un-mowed lawns are primarily from Europe and will not stay in your lawn. They will spread and displace native plants (or prevent successional recovery by native plants on disturbed ground). They have unique advantages because we brought them here without their full complement of predators giving them a massive evolutionary advantage over native plants.
So I cringe over simplified memes that huge numbers of people latch onto without any deep insight in to the matter and "forgive them for they know not what they do". Research some native plants local to your area...grow them...watch them compared to those dandelions and petunias, and you will start to understand what kind of trouble we have put the planet in. This is secondary but hand-in-hand with climate change, and where humans can help the chickadees, warblers, and nighthawks they love without reading about it and throwing up their hands with a "what can I do" attitude. It has been hard work, but incredibly rewarding to "mix in the natives", as my garden is not just a zoo full of plants from somewhere else that are merely pretty...my garden is alive with life that spent thousands of years being what it is, and I think that is worth something. Robert, thank you as always, for doing your research and teaching people to look deeply.
My grass (I don’t call it a lawn) is full of daisies , dandelions, buttercups
and oxeye daisies in May in UK.❤ We haven’t mown yet.
I mow the front plot in April, then again at the end of July, then mow regularly until October, have done for the last 6 years or more, it works. The ground itself is riddled with solitary Bee tunnels, above them is natural grasses and flowers.
Thanks for the info. I let my weeds go because I don't like poisoning anything. I'd love to just let it all grow wild. However, my regular mowing keeps the BAD snakes at bay. I have plenty here.
Yes mine is a snake issue, too. Can't risk it especially when I let my little dog outside.
I'm not really a fan of lawns. I see so many nice houses with large gardens on the outskirts of towns and villages here in the north-west of Ireland. And the entire garden is one giant lawn, you could play cricket on. With maybe a few sad looking shrubs along the driveway, near the house.
If you aren't going to do anything with all that space. At least plant some useful small trees, or large shrubs around the outside. Then sow a nice meadow mix, along with some yellow rattle. You can still have mowed paths, and more formal areas to sit out on nice days. Anything but a boring lawn treated with cosmetic herbicides.
Plus, you only need to cut it once a year. Fire up the strimmer, or get yourself a good scythe you can adjust, or you have held before you buy. You should also adjust your strimmer, so it naturally sits in a comfortable position.
So maybe one mow, rather than no mow May?
Yes! I got off the water/fertilizer/mowing treadmill years ago, first by planting a native short fescue mix, then adding flowers in some areas. I mow once a year to keep the fire risk down (I live in the mountain west).
Way to go Bobby!!
Good video; I have plenty of flowers in the garden, but when the clover is in bloom in the lawn, the honey bee and yellow bumble bee prefer the clover. I put weed and feed only in areas where I want that emerald green in front of the clumps of flowers.
This video is spot on in every way. Speaking from experience, really, he nailed it. I really enjoy this channel!
When I see lawns now it makes me think how I and other millions of people got tricked into thinking a green weed free carpet was something to envy, meanwhile all you're doing is setting yourself up to a lifetime of a silly routine that destroys your back, keeps all kinds of manufacturers making money selling you things, when all you have to do is go out and pull some weeds and plant some seeds.
No mow May should be renamed to May be a lawn is a mistake.
That is so true. Thank you.
On a side note, I could care less about having perfect lawn. Prefer perennials over grass.
I’ve gone from dreading the sound of mowers in the morning to dreading Lyme disease 😣. I read outside a lot, but it’s starting to look like a bad idea. Had a tick crawling up my leg at my moms house this year, and that was in April!
Lets try No Spray May, pesticides are the problem.
Good observations, My grass is three foot tall May 18, I use the cut grass for mulch in my veg garden and harvest it for my 4 yard compost bin,
Can you confirm or debunk that the grasses root structure massively improves by allowing it to grow tall? Also what about the re-seeding that possibly takes place. Baltimore, Maryland.
I wait for a while to cut my grass in spring because all the flowers that pop up before the grass really starts to grow. For my area, if I didn't cut the grass all May I would have to bring in a tractor to cut the grass because the yard would be out of control.
Great info as always. I hate any weeds in my lawn, I hope that doesn’t make me a bad person!
As long as your garden isn't all lawn, we forgive you.
I'm not a fan of lawns personally. But a friend of mine is a groundskeeper at the local golf club, so I can appreciate the work they put in. Between him and the other main guy there, they have 60yrs of knowledge. Yet they still have golfers in the bar telling them how to do their job, because some guy with a 30x30ft lawn is now an expert.
@@theressomelovelyfilthdownh4329 Yay, I’m forgiven, my garden is almost all vegetable beds with lawn pathways!
What are your opinions on not cutting at all?
Where I live, in the Mid-Atlantic, we have No Mow April. What do studies say about that idea?
👍👍👍Thank you
Please clarify in the title that no mow May is important at least till week 3 but not enough! You have folks sharing this in support of mowing from the start of May!
Just a note - Creeping Charlie is actually invasive to the US, and prevents native wildflowers from coming up.
Not a single mention of what happens to all the insect eggs & larva which have been laid on the plants. If you wish to help the insect population, then do not disturb your garden untill Autumn / Fall.
Often my lawn mower won't start in the spring, so I end up doing no-mow May by default until the thing gets fixed....
Converting a lawn into a wild flower garden is very, very labor intensive because the lawn has to be dug up and removed, followed by planting flower seeds. Is there an easier way?
Try the No Dig Method. Just do small sections at a time to make it manageable, presentable and still have some lawn.
It really isn't too labor intensive if you are willing to wait a year or two and do a section at a time. I have converted over half of my lawn into flower and vegetable beds simply by covering the grass with layers of cardboard, wetting that down, then layering on a couple of inches of mulch. I'll do a large section in early fall (but it can be done anytime from spring to fall) and by late spring the following year it's ready to sow or plant into.
The only grass I remove is when I edge the new area to keep the grass from moving back in.
@@sbffsbrarbrr Thank you for your reply. My only concern about laying cardboard on my lawn is neighbors complaining. Did you get complaints?
Welcome to "kerb-busters' local councils love No Mow May. As it means more expenditure to replace broken kerbs by their no mow May Policy!
I made the huge mistake of not mowing in May and now we have HORDES of mosquitos. Even in the middle of a sunny 80 degree day there are swarms of them. Never again. I'll mow starting in April.
Question: If I were to convert my front lawn to a flower garden, how could I do that without it looking like a dead mud patch during the winter? There’s a lot of shade there. Do you have recommendations for something that wouldn’t look terrible several months out of the year?
There are a lot of shrubs, and small trees which provide Winter/Early Spring colour. Under planting them with Spring bulbs, will give you a nice splash of colour. Any shrubs or small trees with winter berries/fruit will also give you a bit of interest, and feed the local birds etc.
What you chose will be down to how harsh your winters are in your area.
The Flowering Shrub Expert
Book by D. G. Hessayon
If you can get hold of that via your local library, I would highly recommend it. There's also one on bulbs, that you may want to look at. They are good go to books for anybody planning a garden. It's a lot easier to find the right plant for your garden, if you know what choices are out there.
Best of luck with your garden, and happy Easter.
Consider moss gardening as an option...the Japanese do an amazing job with this and it puzzles me why North Americans think "moss=BAD"...oh wait, someone was trying to sell them a product to kill it. Also, there are many small sedges and ferns that can make wonderful ground covers. It is really not a matter of taking something away (the lawn), but broadening one's horizons...I am such a plant person that I think most problems can be solved with plants...that is what we evolved with, not hardware and big box stores.
A dead mud patch is far more interesting than a lawn to insects. We have been tricked into thinking a lawn is what we want when in fact it's a monoculture and a marketing plot to keep some corporations rich. Start with an area that's manageable. You've been told it's terrible. It isn't. It's actually saving your ecosystem.
@@marianwhit I think like you on this, I believe. I have many “weeds” I’ve saved from the mower and transplanted to areas they can live.
@@joanfrellburg4901 I have three garden areas on my property. They do look pretty bad throughout the winter. I’m going to do more research into plants that look good year round for the front yard. I don’t want tall things that will cast too much shade, though. I’m already working hard to try and grow vegetables with huge pines and other tall trees casting shade.
What flowers? Its grass. Ita not like im growing weeds in my lawn
Or no spray ever.
Instead of no mow may, we should have people planting grass seeds in bad run off areas or areas people mowed way too low and now run off is causing flooding. If there’s no plants to soak the water it has to go somewhere 👀
Fantastic Robert! Now we just need to get out the slogan NO no mow May!
Love your curved ball old miseryguts persona.😅
Bees do not pollinate grass They pollinate flowers.
Lawns are huge wasted areas anyway. Might as well let it grow.
I've heard of no Mow may no mow may it's stupid not to mow your lawn
My HOA would tell me to f’ off if I don’t mow
No mow may leads to jungle june.
Wheee! A new FASHION for intellectuals to promote to the credulous middle class.
Sick and tired of being at the mercy of ideologies who think not mowing the lawn for a month is going to create biodiversity and save the planet. Since they introduced this ideal in my area my hay fever has become intolerable. It's making me seriously sick I can't go outside or even have my windows open.
Uuhh actually it's no nut November🤓
My 79-y-o father would like to slap all the people behind No Mow May. He says to "Try it and see how long it takes you to sort out both your lawn and your mower, afterwards."
(The side of the road wildflowers are a different thing.)
No Mow May.
It's so stupid. Why do people come up with this crap? Oh don't mow your lawn for a month? So stupid.
maintained grass home lawns already have a very bad reputation; but likely that only comes from people who never properly cared for a lawn in the first place, and just want to justify that anyway they can ... when really a properly upkept grass lawn would not only be the easiest thing they could do but also the best they could do for the environment; as cultivating "native" wild plant life actually is much more work to keep, and domesticated lawn grass types out perform all other plant life for soil health(even tress for carbon sequestration, as seven times as much can be stored in top soil than anything growing above it) ... this might seem totally backwards to a naturalist, but most 'lawn' data comes from golf courses and sports fields where grass is pushed to very extreme limits of use; but home lawns don't have nearly the same requirements in most cases .... I know people with great grass lawns that never have to add water nor buy products to apply, simply they have the right grass type for their area and they mow more often at the proper height(now with electric mowers this job is quick, easy, clean, affordable, and much more enjoyable) - if you don't like mowing and being in a lawn, the answer is not to "let it go" as the alternatives are often far worse and less functional in a community for humans and home animal companions(the situation is very different if you live miles away from civilization without neighbors on a larger property) here our modern ways of life have been designed to have grass lawns, and it would take hundreds of years in de-evolution in many ways to bring us back to nature; not only changing our lifestyles and conveniences, but also to revert plant life around us into a self sustainable form
I am not someone who is a part of the "YOU NEED NATIVE POLLINATORS OR YOU ARE NOT SAVING THE EARTH" bandwagon but I don't think we can honestly keep up with doing what is convenient and appealing to us as humans as we see incredible drops in populations of insects, invertebrates, and everything going up the food chains that we find in nature. I would not advocate for giving up lawns entirely but incorporating space on your property for habitat like that is advocated in this video. Turfgrass can sequester carbon but up to a certain limit where then they become an emitter of greenhouse gasses per research done at the University of Minnesota. Does this mean we should not monoculture with a lawn? No, it is better than a poorly maintained erosion prone scab of a yard but the more plants (Flowers, Shrubs, Trees, ect ect) we can incorporate for the benefit of the local ecosystem the better.