Your Summer Lawn Care Guide: Nurturing Nature While Keeping it Neat
Frequently asked question: What's the ideal lawn mowing frequency during summer?
Put a less frequent pedal to the mower for a nature-friendly, flourishing yard! The German Federal Association for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) suggests a regular mow-down is less than ideal. Instead, mow only whengrass has grown 20 centimeters high, and with the highest cutting height your lawnmower offers, so that many flowering plants remain standing.
To help insects escape, vary the mowing times. Maintain a blooming part of your lawn at all times, and consider allocating an island or border strip brimming with flowering plants. Also, remember frequent mowing is acceptable for highly-used areas but always clear away the grass clippings post-mow to prevent overabundance of nutrients in the soil.
Top Tips:
- Eco-friendly Garden: Which Roll Works Better? Insider Secrets to a Beautiful Lawn
- Biodiversity Bonanza: Tips for Growing a Healthy, Wildlife-Friendly Lawn
Benefits of a Slower Mow-Down
Minimizing mowing allows wildflowers, such as clover, daisies, and dandelions, to thrive. These plants serve as a valuable food source for wild bees, butterflies, and other insects, providing them with nectar and pollen. Moreover, a thick lawn offers protection and shelter for animals like hedgehogs, mice, and amphibians.
Cut your lawn to around five centimeters high. At this height, herbs will bloom, and the lawnmower can manage the next grass growth. However, avoid leaving grass clippings as mulch on the lawn, as they can over-fertilize the soil, hindering the growth of the desired flowering wildflowers.
Extras:
- Meadow Plots: How to Attract Bees and Butterflies to Your Garden
- Soil Conservation: Ways to Improve Soil Health in Your Lawn
Advantages of a Biodiverse Lawn
A diverse lawn not only benefits wildlife but also stores moisture better, which protects the soil from drying out. This moisture prolongs the need for watering and enhances the garden’s microclimate. Furthermore, an increase in soil quality occurs as earthworms, springtails, and woodlice find suitable living conditions within the lawn.
Flowering plants and tall grass also attract beneficial insects, like ladybugs, hoverflies, and parasitic wasps, ensuring that aphids and slugs do not devastate your garden’s vegetables.
In summary, by adopting an infrequent mowing schedule and higher cutting height, you promote a healthier, more diverse lawn that benefits both nature conservation and insect habitat[3][5].
Source: ntv.de, awi/dpa
- Real Estate
- Consumer
- Nature Conservation
- Animals
- Legal Issues
- Botany
- Allergies
Enrichment Data:
Overall: Adopt reduced mowing frequency and favorable mowing techniques to support biodiversity, conserve nature, and enhance lawn health during summer.
Mowing Frequency for Nature Conservation
- Mow Less Often: To improve habitat quality, decrease mowing frequency to every two or three weeks or even less[3].
- Foster Flowering Plants: Encourage wildflowers and native grasses by allowing some areas to grow tall, thereby providing essential food sources for pollinators and other insects[3].
Cutting Height and Technique
- Height Adjustments: Set your mower blades as high as possible; ideally, grass should be between 3-4 inches for cool-season grasses and 2-3 inches for warm-season varieties. This length retains moisture, reduces soil erosion, and supports diverse plant and insect life[2][5].
- One-Third Rule: Always keep mowing to trim no more than one-third of the grass blade at a time to help the grass recover quickly[1][3][5].
Additional Tips
- Leaving Behind Clippings: Mow grass clippings back onto the lawn for organic matter and nutrient replenishment[2].
- Mosaic Mowing: Consider mowing different areas of your lawn at varying intervals or leaving some areas untouched for a meadow-like effect, which supports biodiversity and wildlife[3].
- Harmony with Herbicides and Pesticides: Minimize chemical usage to protect beneficial insects and soil health.
Summary Table
| Goal | Mowing Frequency | Height Recommendation | Notes ||---------------------------|------------------|-----------------------------|--------------------------------------|| Conservation/Insect Habitat | Every 2–3 weeks or less | 3–4" (cool-season), 2–3" (warm-season) | Mow in sections, allow meadows || Traditional Lawn | Weekly | Shorter, as per grass type | Regular maintenance, less biodiversity|
By mowing less frequently and at a higher height, you cultivate a healthier, more biodiverse lawn that aids in nature conservation[3][5].
- The community policy could be updated to encourage homeowners to adopt a slower mow-down as part of their employment policy, promoting eco-friendly landscaping practices in their home-and-garden lifestyle.
- Employing varied mowing times and maintaining a blooming section of the lawn with flowering plants could be included as provisions in the employment policy, as such practices contribute to biodiversity and support wildlife, such as bees and butterflies.
