Here at Lawntech we have been intrigued by the recent publicity of ‘No Mow May’, a campaign aimed at attracting wildlife back to the UK’s gardens by leaving lawns uncut for the whole month of May. This campaign is specifically aimed at boosting numbers of pollinators such as bees and butterflies, the campaign has benefitted from sound bites from some heavyweight TV gardeners. Whilst some of these have been highlighted by the mainstream media as giving credence to a blanket cessation of lawn mowing, closer inspection reveals that their words should be taken in a broader, more holistic context.
Lawntech has always advocated a combination of formal and wildflower areas, wherever possible setting aside space for both wild habitat and a manicured lawn. Having this kind of contrast is a very positive thing, enabling us to enjoy the best of both worlds while maintaining nature’s crucial balance. When you think about it, we gardeners are all environmentalists after all!
Lawntech’s solution for nature’s balance – both wildflower areas and lawns combined.
Lawntech is a passionate promoter of wildflower areas, committed to doing our bit for our indigenous wildlife and the circle of life itself. We advocate Wildflower Turf as a perfect way to achieve this and our sister company, The Lawn Store, has all the materials and advice you need for an instant wildflower injection for your garden. Here’s a link to their website for more details…
https://www.thelawnstore.co.uk/product-category/wildflower-turf/
Wildflower bank created using Enriched Wildflower Turf alongside a formal lawn
We have absolute respect for the aims of ‘No Mow May’, but as you’ll have seen above, we favour a more inclusive solution to maintaining nature’s equilibrium. There are implications for the health of your lawn and the hard work it will take to bring it back if you abandon mowing for a month, so if you do decide to go down the ‘No Mow’ route, here is our step-by-step guide to helping your lawn recover from being left to grow for a whole month in the growing season…
- When you do come to mow again, DO NOT cut off any more than 1/3rd of the grass’s length per mowing, this will mean gradually reducing the height over several mowing’s. This will be the case for weeks or even months after it has been allowed to grow freely for a month in this crucial phase of development.
- Pick up and dispose of all grass clippings; there will be a lot more dead, flat thatch in the lawn as a result of being left to its own devices.
- Your lawn may well take a lot more time than you think to recover from No Mow May, and it could require one of Lawntech’s environmentally friendly Autumn Renovations to bring it back to good health. These renovations are a combination of mechanical, non-chemical processes, finished off with an Organic Top Dressing to complete the picture. Check out the Lawn Repair and Renovation page on our website for full details…
Whether you choose to adopt an holistic approach and combine your fine lawn with an area of wildflower meadow or go all-out for ‘No Mow May’, we hope your garden is alive with wildlife all year ‘round.
