There’s a common mistake many of us make when it comes to mowing our lawns, but experts have warned us ‘never’ to do it as it could be cause huge damage to our grass
You’re making a huge mistake with your lawn.
If you’re lucky enough to have access to a garden space with a lawn, you probably know that you have to take care of it to keep it looking lush and green for as long as possible. That includes mowing your lawn when it starts to get unkempt – but did you know there are certain conditions in which you should never mow your lawn?
According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), there’s one common mistake many of us make when it comes to mowing our lawns – cutting the grass when it’s wet.
The RHS declared: “Never mow wet grass. This can damage your turf and compact the soil. Wait until later in the day when the lawn has dried out, or postpone mowing to another day.”
When it’s not raining, we should be mowing our lawns weekly or fortnightly between March and October. However, there is one other piece of advice the RHS would love more gardeners to follow – not mowing your lawn for the entirety of May.
The movement is known as “No Mow May” and it’s designed to allow your lawn the chance to become a home for insects like bees and butterflies that use lawns – and the weeds and daisies among the grass – to breed, pollinate, and maintain a healthy ecosystem at this time of year.
No Mow May is backed by renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough and other wildlife experts, and while it’s advised you stay away from the lawnmower until June, some experts actually recommend not touching your grass until mid-July if you can wait that long.
UK wildlife organisation Plantlife said: “We’ve lost approximately 97% of flower-rich meadows since the 1930s and with them gone are vital food needed by pollinators, like bees and butterflies. But your lawn can help! A healthy lawn with some long grass and wildflowers benefits wildlife, tackles pollution and can even lock away carbon below ground.
“With over 20 million gardens in the UK, even the smallest grassy patches add up to a significant proportion of our land which, if managed properly, can deliver enormous gains for nature, communities and the climate.”
Sir David Attenborough echoed those comments on BBC’s Wild Isles documentary when he urged people to delay mowing their lawns until “mid-July”. He added: “It’s all about the timing. Delaying mowing until mid-July allows birds and insects to complete their breeding and flowers to set their seed.”
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