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No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

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Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#91

Post by Auracle »

guepe wrote: post #9
kelnos wrote: post #5

> residents of Appleton, Wisconsin [...] convinced their City Council to suspend their weed ordinance for the month of May. This reminds me that there are many municipalities and homeowners' associations that essentially require you to mow your lawn weekly or bi-weekly, lest your grass gets too long and they fine you, because... reasons. It's really gross that we allow people to be such busybodies.

There is a strong advantage to regular mowing in my area (new england): way less risk of ticks. It's a real problem a'd with kids that spends time outside, ticks can be real scary. I got a few bites on myself and once on a kid, thankfully without side effects. What is impact of more natural landscaping wrt ticks in 'ew England?

It’s funny to me how people have such crazy reactions to ticks. Don’t get me wrong, they can carry some scary stuff - but a few bites? I get a few bites a month during the spring and early summer, and probably take off 10x that amount before they attach. Some are deer ticks. I’ve heard of people taking ticks that were attached to the doctor.

I guess my point is chances are you’ll be fine. Do what you can to prevent bites but don’t freak out about them.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#92

Post by Auracle »

Dylan16807 wrote: post #61
roflyear wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Takes a lot of time to maintain. Or like $300/m.

What kind of lawn needs that, rather than 1-2 hours of mowing per month? (I'm assuming an area where grass actually fits the environment. If grass won't just grow then that's a problem that doesn't need more explanation.)

I mean, our yard is large enough where each mowing session takes somewhere in that 1-2 hours on a riding lawn mower.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#93

Post by nakedrobot2 »

thenerdhead wrote: post #34

Yeah let’s not look at farmers, politicians, or Aggie corporations. Let’s make you feel bad about bees while we give more water to those using majority of the limited resources to begin with.

same as recycling. it makes me sick. no one with power gives a fuck and then someone has the idea that we should blame individuals for cutting their own grass?

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#94

Post by nakedrobot2 »

Auracle wrote: post #91
guepe wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a strong advantage to regular mowing in my area (new england): way less risk of ticks. It's a real problem a'd with kids that spends time outside, ticks can be real scary. I got a few bites on myself and once on a kid, thankfully without side effects. What is impact of more natural landscaping wrt ticks in 'ew England?

It’s funny to me how people have such crazy reactions to ticks. Don’t get me wrong, they can carry some scary stuff - but a few bites? I get a few bites a month during the spring and early summer, and probably take off 10x that amount before they attach. Some are deer ticks. I’ve heard of people taking ticks that were attached to the doctor. I guess my point is chances are you’ll be fine. Do what you can to prevent b…

you don't know anyone who got Lyme disease do you?

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#95

Post by RHSman2 »

dgacmu wrote: post #14
thatfrenchguy wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Never really understood why people have lawns in the first place, no-one ever sits on them. Really shocked me when I moved to the US, people value having backyards and just don't spend time there (yeah I'm watching you commenting down on how much you use it and challenge you to actual journal how much time your family spends in there)

I'm probably not normal. We use it all the time. Probably helps that we have a playset and a trampoline and a garden back there - we were in the yard for several hours today (adults gardening, kids and their friend on trampoline). Of course, we've also eliminated half of the grass that used to be here in favor of more garden + perennial shrub/flower space, and I'd like to eliminate more over time as the kids get olde…

You sound like me from another mother! I am 2 years into compost. I am obsessed with the concept and reality. Magical nature.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#96

Post by [deleted] »

Auracle wrote: post #91
guepe wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a strong advantage to regular mowing in my area (new england): way less risk of ticks. It's a real problem a'd with kids that spends time outside, ticks can be real scary. I got a few bites on myself and once on a kid, thankfully without side effects. What is impact of more natural landscaping wrt ticks in 'ew England?

It’s funny to me how people have such crazy reactions to ticks. Don’t get me wrong, they can carry some scary stuff - but a few bites? I get a few bites a month during the spring and early summer, and probably take off 10x that amount before they attach. Some are deer ticks. I’ve heard of people taking ticks that were attached to the doctor. I guess my point is chances are you’ll be fine. Do what you can to prevent b…

[deleted]

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#97

Post by CapstanRoller »

ThrowawayTestr wrote: post #66
bluefirebrand wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> More distance and acoustic isolation from neighbors. A larger property with a house in the middle of it separated from others by space means you hear your neighbors less and they hear you less. It makes your home a little more of a sanctuary. This purpose does not necessarily need to be serviced by a lawn , which is just a patch of grass. Lawns are stupid.

As opposed to a lawn made of asphalt?

I'd read this short story, where a strange asphalt-covered parking lot planet is discovered and subsequently herbaformed[0] by an eco-hippie expedition ship (probably named 'A weed is but an unloved flower' in Iain M Banks fashion[1])

[0] maybe there's a 'green' non-evil version of the Evil Gray Goo

[1] https://theculture.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_spacecraft

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#98

Post by lukas099 »

lukas099 wrote: post #54
0zemp2c wrote: post #2

Lots of people use landscaping services Most services want you on a weekly schedule because they make more money. Close-cut lawns are thirstier. It can take effort to find services that will only come twice a month but they are out there. Lawns aren't just ornamental for many...if you are on septic, the lawn is helping to recycle septic discharge, and trees would root too deep and break the lines.

I think tall grasses would filter a lot more than turfgrass.

And native grasses would support more pollinators.

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#99

Post by robocat »

munificent wrote: post #37
thatfrenchguy wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Never really understood why people have lawns in the first place, no-one ever sits on them. Really shocked me when I moved to the US, people value having backyards and just don't spend time there (yeah I'm watching you commenting down on how much you use it and challenge you to actual journal how much time your family spends in there)

> no-one ever sits on them. Doing stuff on your lawn is only part of its function. Much of the value it provides, arguably most of the value is a combination of: 1. More distance and acoustic isolation from neighbors. A larger property with a house in the middle of it separated from others by space means you hear your neighbors less and they hear you less. It makes your home a little more of a sanctuary. 2. A better…

The #1 reason for lawns is status signalling.

  Whether you were a nobleman in 17th century England or a suburbanite today, the lawn is a symbol of success — a reflection of who you are as a person. A good, clean, weed-free lawn is a sign you have the wealth and resources to devote to such a fundamentally meaningless project.
https://www.dailycal.org/2021/03/20/why-do-we-have-lawns-any...

Re: No Mow May, Low Mow Spring

#100

Post by zikduruqe »

thatfrenchguy wrote: post #8
kelnos wrote: post #5

> residents of Appleton, Wisconsin [...] convinced their City Council to suspend their weed ordinance for the month of May. This reminds me that there are many municipalities and homeowners' associations that essentially require you to mow your lawn weekly or bi-weekly, lest your grass gets too long and they fine you, because... reasons. It's really gross that we allow people to be such busybodies.

Never really understood why people have lawns in the first place, no-one ever sits on them. Really shocked me when I moved to the US, people value having backyards and just don't spend time there (yeah I'm watching you commenting down on how much you use it and challenge you to actual journal how much time your family spends in there)

>Never really understood why people have lawns in the first place

It is really dumb that we spend so much time, energy and costs on something that is only visual. Imagine if people spend the same amounts on something that produced food.

https://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-stupid-is-our-obsession...

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