Used to mow my yard every Saturday without fail, now I let it grow for a month at a time

I used to be that guy with the perfect 2-inch lawn every week, but last summer I decided to try the "no mow May" thing and just let the clover take over. The bees and butterflies went crazy, and I saved about 15 bucks a month on gas for my push mower. Has anyone else switched to a wilder yard and actually liked it more?

2 comments

2 Comments

black.mark25d ago

I read this study from some university back east a couple years ago that said letting your grass grow longer actually helps with weed suppression because the taller blades block sunlight from reaching weed seeds. I did the same thing with my yard last season, just let the clover and native plants do their thing. Cut it maybe twice all summer. My neighbor was not happy about it but honestly the yard was greener and I didn't have to drag out the mower every weekend. The clover stays soft too, no more crunchy dead grass in August.

hill.troy25d ago

So does the clover attract bees and stuff? I'm asking because I tried something similar last year, I let the dandelions and wild violets grow out in one corner of my yard. @black.mark was right about the shade thing, I definitely saw less crabgrass popping up in that spot. The bees went crazy over the clover flowers too, which was nice to watch from the porch. But my HOA sent me a warning letter, so I had to cut it back sooner than I wanted.