If you ’re feed up with pushing the mower around every weekend or just want to save water and maximise the bionomical capacity of your lawn , a no - hayloft lawn is a heavy selection .
Fed withlawn plant food , sprayed with hundreds or chiliad of gallons of weewee , and trim withlawnmowersthat often release dangerous pollutants , most traditional lawns are not bionomic . And to maintain what is effectively a prominent monoculture of one or two species of grass , which are often non - native , traditional lawns usually rely on plant food , pesticides , herbicides , and , at the very least , frequent maintenance .
What is a No Mow Lawn?
Unlike the closely cropped lawns of suburban America , no mow lawns are slimly more unruly . Instead of the usual varieties of locoweed , no - haymow lawn are grown with drought - resistant repeated pasturage , which are often mixed with incandescent lamp and wild flower to produce a meadow - alike show . This create your no - mow lawn raise longer than the average vicinity lawn ( exactly how long depends on the specie ) but also requires minimal amounts of water , picayune if any fertilizer , and much less sustainment than the traditional lawn .
you may still carry out most of the usual activities you would on a lawn — picnicking , performing , and relaxing in the sun — but do n’t wait to be capable to host a croquet tournament or a set championship ! This functionality is swapped for low maintenance and enormous bionomical benefit — for the insects , birds , mammalian — and ultimately the satellite .
Ecological Benefits of a No Mow Lawn
Whiletraditional lawn are ecologic comeuppance , no mow lawn can be ecological haven — providing a born menage for a wide-eyed variety of species of flora and brute . The ambrosia and pollen provided by wild flower and Gunter Wilhelm Grass , so often lost during the mowing unconscious process , is once again available to the bees and butterflies that have become so rare in many suburban areas .
The aboriginal locoweed in a no - hayloft lawn also provide breeding location for these insects and nesting cloth for predator higher up the food chain . With insects to feed on and long skunk for nesting , birds are probable to enjoy making a bearing near by , along with potentially even small and large mammals ( depending on your surface area ) .
Even if you are n’t interested in wildlife , a no - mow lawn can have additional benefit , withbirds chop-chop snapping up the slug and other pestis that can make a pain in the neck of themselves in your vegetable patch .
Planting a No Mow Lawn
No - hayloft lawns are fairly well-off to install , and over the long run , be less than the traditional lawn . But , you will take to invest in pasture seed which should n’t cost more than 7 dollars per pound and will require to be distributed in accordance with the instructions on the bag of seed .
You could also utilise more expensive plugs if these are available from your local baby’s room . Bear in mind that the most ecological welfare will be reached with a mix of mostly aboriginal plant ( around 40 to 60 per centum is rede ) to corroborate local fauna in your orbit .
Grass Species to Use in a No Mow Lawn
There is a wide kitchen range of likely supergrass species to choose from for your no - haymow lawn . depend on your preferences , you might select aboriginal hayfield grass for maximal ecological welfare or more decorative grasses that are more visually appealing .
If you are worried that the lawn will look too rumbustious , you could try creating axeriscaping borderaround the lawn .
Maintenance for a No Mow Lawn
Though no - hayloft lawns are importantly less study , you will still have to dosomemaintenance . You ’ll have to spend a little time ascertain invading metal money , and it is a good approximation to actually — despite the name — mow it occasionally ( or burn depending on the species involved ) . Exactly how often you will take to mow depends on the species , but you may wish to maintain the grasses at a sure stage to prevent them from conk to seed . Despite this , no mow lawns do not need nearly as muchmowingas a traditional lawn , and some mintage require little to no maintenance .
Depending on your local climate , no hayloft lawns may also have to be watered once in a while , but fertiliser is not loosely required . If you require to learn more , I commend peck up a transcript ofBeautiful No - Mow Yards : 50 Amazing Lawn Alternativesby Evelyn Hadden . The book of account is full of inspirational no - mow lawn aim , along with practical tips to help oneself you get started on the itinerary to no mowing .
