How to mow to help bees

How can your lawn help save the bees? Last year we started Bee Friendly Lawn to teach people about lawn maintenance practices that help protect our native bees.

Why not to participate in No Mow May

The way you mow is part of the picture. In recent years some organizations have been advocating “No Mow May.” They say letting your lawn grow for a few weeks allows wildflowers to grow, which will feed bees and other pollinators.

We don’t agree with No Mow May. It may temporarily help pollinators, but it will not provide long-term benefit.

Here are a few good reasons not to participate in No Mow May from award-winning garden writer Jessica Damiano in the Associated Press.

“Some of those pollinators you set out to protect will likely get shredded up with the first mow of the season. Grass will no doubt get shaded by tall weeds, which can lead to fungal diseases. And weeds and invasive plants that take hold during the month won’t simply disappear once the mowing commences. That might lead people to apply chemical pesticides they wouldn’t otherwise use.”

Instead of No Mow May, our approach to help pollinators is to grow a green, healthy lawn, a Bee Friendly Lawn. A healthy lawn will help protect bees. It will have fewer problems with weeds, diseases and moss, so you will be less tempted to use pesticides to treat these problems.

Mowing tips for a Bee Friendly Lawn

So what is the best way to mow to help bees and to keep your lawn green and healthy?

Mow higher

Set your mower height to about 2-1/2 to 3 inches.This is the ideal mowing height for most grass types. A higher lawn promotes deeper roots. It also shades the soil, which conserves moisture.

If you have not yet mowed your lawn this year, or if you have been letting your lawn grow for No Mow May, we recommend the first cut at 1-1/2 to 2 inches. This helps remove dead blades and other debris. Then raise the blade to the regular setting.

2 inches is a bit too short. Color and growth will be average to poor. Setting the mower up to 2-1/2 to 3-inch cutting height will improve the strength and color of your turf.

1 inch is too low. The root system will disintegrate and lawn will become susceptible to disease, drought, heat, cold and stress. Raise the mower height!

Keep your mower blades sharp

Dull blades tear the grass, making the lawn look uneven. And jagged edges provide an easy way for diseases to enter.

Ragged edges also lose more water and may develop brown tips. Cleanly cut turf looks better and is often healthier than turf with torn leaves. Sharpen mower blades twice a year.

Now, in early season, is a great time to sharpen your blades. You should also clean the blade regularly. Use alcohol wipes or a spray bottle with a diluted bleach solution.

For tips on sharpening and cleaning, read our recent blog post about how to clean and sharpen your mower blades.

Use a 2/3 mowing system

The best mowing results come from a 2/3 system. Never let your grass grow more than 1/3 longer than your desired height. When your grass reaches that height, you cut the top 1/3 away. For example, if you want your grass to be 2-1/2 to 3 inches tall, you mow away the top 1 to 1-1/2 inches each time your grass reaches 4 inches tall.

According to Kansas State University, “Removing more than one-third of the grass blades may cause root growth to cease while the leaves and shoots are regrowing. This practice can be especially destructive if practiced continuously over a period of successive mowings. Roots may not have a chance to fully develop and the plants will thus be more susceptible to environmental and management stresses.”

Mulch mow!

Leave clippings on the lawn. Mulch mowing adds organic matter to the soil. As the grass blades break down, they add nitrogen, reducing the amount of fertilizer you need to apply.

Mulch mowing can reduce your total mowing, bagging and disposal time by up to 40 percent. No more bagging and dragging clippings to the curb!

Mulch mowing does not contribute to thatch when mowed properly. Do not mow tall grass too short, which results in long clippings. Long clippings may contribute to thatch because they break down more slowly.

Using the 2/3 mowing system will prevent thatch buildup. If the grass is very overgrown, mow twice: first at a high setting, then wait a few days and mow lower.

You can mulch mow with any mower. If you are in the market for a new mower, consider buying a mulching mower. Mulching mowers have special blades that cut the grass, then cut the clippings over and over again until they’re very small. They almost disappear into the lawn. Here are some mulching mower buying tips from Seattle Public Utilities.

In the spring, you may want to mow every 4 to 5 days instead of every 7 days. (You may be able to reduce frequency in summer.)

Mow grass when it’s dry

Try to avoid mowing wet grass. Dry grass cuts more easily. According to Penn State Extension, “Timing tests show that mowing dry grass requires less time than mowing wet grass.”

Mowing dry grass gives a finer appearing lawn. Rain tends to weigh down grass so it bends over. This makes it tough to get a straight cut.

Wet grass may ball up and clog the mower, especially if you are using a mulching mower. It may also form clumpy masses on the lawn surface.

If you need to mow the grass while it’s still wet, raise the mowing height and mow slowly. This will reduce the load on the lawn mower. You may need to stop periodically and clean out the clogs.

Rake up any clumps of grass on the lawn. Or give them a day to dry out and run the mower over them to break them up.

After you have finished mowing, hose the mower down and leave it in a ventilated area to dry.

What if your lawn has grown too long?

Let’s say you have been participating in No Mow May and want to start mowing. As we said above, you should never cut off more than one-third of the height of the grass when you mow. If you reduce the height too quickly, the grass will send all of its energy into growing grass blades. The roots won’t develop as well.

If your lawn has gotten too long, begin by measuring the length of the grass blades with a ruler or yardstick. Divide that number by three. Set your mower to the height that will remove one-third of the length of the grass blades. Mow your lawn.

Wait a couple of days to mow again. This time, reduce the length of the grass blades by one-third. Repeat until the grass is the right height, about 2-1/2 to 3 inches.

Even if you usually mulch mow, you should rake up the too-long clippings. They will form unsightly clumps of dead grass. They may also be too long to filter down into the grass and break down.

Other steps for a Bee Friendly Lawn 

Contact us about our natural lawn care program

Now that you know how to mow to help bees, what else can you do to improve your lawn’s health? We can help. Our natural lawn care services focus on building the health of your soil and lawn.

We offer fertilization, aeration and overseeding, lime, corn gluten, weed management and more. We monitor your lawn and soil health and adjust treatments as necessary. Contact us for more information.

We will not use weed and moss killer on lawns that are not maintained properly. Integrated Pest Management guidelines say that pesticides should not be used without proper watering and mowing practices.

Read more about growing a Bee Friendly Lawn 

Here are more tips on how to grow a Bee Friendly Lawn. For details on each tip, visit Bee Friendly Lawn on our website.

Photo: Kevin Doncaster, Flickr.

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