Good news for lazy gardeners: one labour-saving tweak could almost double the number of butterflies in your garden, according to a new scientific study – let the grass grow long.
In recent years nature lovers have been extolling the benefits of relaxed lawn maintenance with the growing popularity of the #NoMowMay campaign. Now an analysis of six years of butterfly sightings across 600 British gardens has provided the first scientific evidence that wilder lawns boost butterfly numbers.
The benefits of leaving areas of grass long were most pronounced in gardens within intensively farmed landscapes, with up to 93% more butterflies found and a greater range of species. Gardens with long grass in urban areas showed an 18% boost to butterfly abundance.
Sadly it also greatly increases the tick population. As in short grass will have none, long will have plenty.
There is room for both, nicly cut paths in long grass look great and are easy to look after.
i think the common response to that (biased, cause this is what we do in my lawn) is that by letting things get wilder, natural tick predators come out as well - possum, snake, bird, etc.
that being said, i’ve had to pick a few off me…the price for wild turkeys flocking in your yard is one i’m willing to pay!
Ticks end up hitching a ride on my pets. Until there is a vaccine for lyme disease I will keep mowing.
Think the tick threat grows with the grass? Not necessarily!