The Issue With “No Mow May”
Q: I recently heard about “No Mow May” on National Public Radio. The idea is to increase food sources for early solitary bees by not mowing early blooming plants like henbit, creeping Charlie, and dandelions. But these are weeds to my eyes and I don’t want them to get ahead of me. Further, shouldn’t it be “No Mow April” in Georgia? My fescue lawn starts growing rapidly in April and is covered with clover for the first few weeks.
A: It’s funny that we listened to the same story and had the same thoughts! You are correct that April is when all the “weeds” bloom. But “No Mow April” doesn’t have the same ring as “No Mow May”. One thing you could do to keep you, the weeds, and the bees happy is to mow the weeds as soon as you see the flowers fade. At this point the bees have no more use for them and you’ll remove the flowers before they set seed. Thanks for thinking about these helpful insects!
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