We all want to do what’s best for the planet. This includes doing what’s best to promote native pollinator populations. This is not without good reason; according to the USDA, about 35 percent of the world’s food crops rely on pollinators to reproduce. Recently, this has included a movement called “No Mow May.” The idea is that not mowing your lawn during May will provide forage for many pollinators by allowing lawn weeds like dandelion, white clover, and creeping Charlie to flower.
While this idea comes with the best of intentions, there really isn’t any proof that not mowing for an entire month increases pollinator activity in lawns. A research paper that has recently been retracted claimed that No Mow May lawns have higher pollinator richness and abundance. But is this really true?
Casey Reynolds, Ph.D., executive director of Turfgrass Producers International, recently wrote an article about No Mow May, which includes great information about the effects of No Mow May and some of the benefits of lawns and turfgrass. Check it out from this link; it’s a great article.
