To mow, or not to mow That is the question
Reporter
Spring is upon us according to our calendars. But these days who knows. It could be 80 degrees one day and snowing the next. Everyday is an adventure at least weather-wise living in West
Texas. When I owned a home and had a yard, a quite substantial one at that, I enjoyed the wildlife and flowers in the spring.
That is, if we had any rain. Most years I hardly ever used my riding mower and only had to mow the front yard once a month on average (if I had a mind to water the lawn).
There were years when it seemed I was at war with the weeds and cactus invading my yard and clinging for dear life to my wire fence in my front yard. A shovel and pruners took care of the prickly pear, but only until other invaders took its place.
With the landscaping and the constant battle with wasps (it was a biblical battle of wills sometimes) the warmer months of the year are not my favorite.
Without upsetting the neighbors enough to call code enforcement I would let nature take over. By doing that I was able to enjoy an environment that was welcome to all kinds of critters including horned lizards (no, they are not extinct) and every kind of mammal, insect and bird you can imagine.
I miss having a yard, but I don't miss taking care of it. For those who are looking for a way to minimize the care and upkeep of your yard and maintain curb appeal, the
Almanac has some handy hints to try:
Benefits of Less Frequent Mowing
This idea of “no-mow” is a good starting point to what we might call “less-mow.” Here are a few reasons why it's actually better to mow less frequently.
Raising the mower's blade to 3 or 4 inches and leave clippings on the lawn results in a healthier, greener front yard. Longer grass allows the grass to grow stronger roots and not tap its food reserves. Mowing high and less also prevents sunlight from reaching crabgrass and weeds. Once you're used to not seeing your yard shorn, you'll probably find you like the longer lush grass, too!
Mowing every 2 weeks versus every week gives a big boost to pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and birds but also to beneficial insects that get rid of pests! If you ever wonder why the bees and butterflies are dying out, look at your lawn. The socalled “perfect” lawn which has no food, shelter, or biodiversity. Fortunately, this has been changing to return to the older days when folks had natural clover and grass lawns and were more regularly aerated.
A lawn with slightly longer grass length is also more drought-tolerant, shading the soil and keep it cooler, preventing it from drying out quickly. Growing grass uses a lot of resources, especially water. The EPA estimates about 9 billion gallons a day goes to landscape irrigation! A healthier lawn needs less pesticides, herbicides and fertilizer which saves you time and money but also will benefit the environment.
Of course, not mowing means you're saving yourself gas money but also cutting back on air pollution. Something as small as mowing less frequently can help reduce carbon emissions. The EPA estimates that hourfor-hour gas-powered lawn mowers spew 11 times more pollution than a new car! And that does not include noise pollution.
Taking the weekend off from mowing may make you a conservationist!
Say Goodbye to Grass
Perhaps you'd like to reduce the area of lawn? The incredible volume of resources required to keep lawns alive is staggering.
Fun fact: The grasses aren't even native (Kentucky Bluegrass is from Asia and Africa) and long ago, the typical ground was covered in wildflowers and packed dirt. But over the century, the dream of the perfect lawn was manufactured.
Granted, the desire and aspiration of the perfect lawn is a hard habit to break.
Start small!
It doesn't have to be an all or nothing situation.
It makes sense to continue mowing close to the house to lessen fire danger and keep pests like ticks at bay.
A big lawn is great if you need a spot for the kids to play but, otherwise, it's rarely used. Many homeowners can easily downsize their mowing. Start small by leaving a strip—like a grass Mohawk—where you can encourage native plants to grow while cutting the rest.
Hard to mow areas like that soggy spot in the lawn may be a perfect place for a rain garden.
If there are edges where you rarely venture, replacing the grass with native plants will take some time off your lawn-mowing chore and add to bird habitat as well. By increasing the diversity of plants and number of flowers, beneficial insect populations will increase too.
As your mini-meadow gets larger, try just mowing paths around it. Add a sign stating that your tall patch of wildflowers is a pollinator habitat so passersby don't just think you are lazy!
It is thought that up to 40 percent of pollinator species on Earth may be at risk of extinction in the coming years from habitat loss impacting global food supplies so if something as simple as mowing a little less lawn helps, why not give it a try?
With the price of gas rising as it tends to do during travel months, you'll not only help the planet but save your time, energy, and some cash too!
If you would like to learn more about gardening and the flora and fauna that is native to Big Spring, the Howard County Master Gardeners can help. The group meets every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at their location 1604 W. 4th St. Or visit their website at howardcountymastergardners.org