No Mow May is something you may want to consider for your yard this month. Communities suspend enforcement of long-grass ordinances for the month, That allows owners to promote pollinator-friendly habitat early in the growing season.
“Yeah, it’s kind of like ‘no shave November’ for your yard,” said Mark Konlok, Director of Horticulture at Green Bay Botanical Garden, who explains that bees and other pollinators can really benefit, from leaving it be.
“And when we mow our lawn, if we have weeds and other things like that in there, we cut off all those flowers. Even dandelions are used by these newly emerging insects,” Konlok said.
Appleton adopted No Mow May last year, and is joined this year by De Pere, Fort Atkinson, Fox Crossing, Hortonville, Kaukauna, Oshkosh, Stevens Point and Wausau.
Konlok said that in addition to being good for beneficial insects, No Mow May can encourage us to think about our lawns.
“And start to think about, maybe we should transition some of that lawn to more plants, maybe native plants or things we don’t spend so much resources, time, energy, carbon dioxide, emissions, mowing, and maybe transition our yard to more of a habitat than just a turf grass area.”
When Appleton adopted Now Mow May last year, increases in bee populations and diversity were documented in the yards of participants.