No Mow MAY

Main Street, Gasport NY

22 May, 2022

Description

To join in with No Mow May, leave the lawn unmowed. ‘Wildflowers that give nectar and pollen to honey bees will grow and bloom if we do not mow them down before they flower. This food is important to honey bees and all pollinating insects as they need this nourishment for their families to expand in population in the early part of the season. May is an ideal time to not cut lawns as the grass has not reached the height that it will later in the season. People should not take the catch phrase "No Mow May" literally. The basic idea of No Mow May is to increase the availability of flowers. For example, if you give dandelions a chance to flower, but mow before they go to seed, you can provide resources for pollinators and not increase their spread. That mowing to prevent seed spread may need to happen during May. For white clover, you may need to mow in May to encourage them to flower again if the flowers are going to seed. Encouraging native plants that flower in lawns is a great solution to the problem of invasive weeds in lawns. Some people may still consider these plants to be "weeds" but they are simply flowers that grow where grass used to grow.