We all know that in the dead heat of summer, your lawn will not grow as quickly. During July and August, it can be exceedingly difficult just to keep your lawn growing as well. Considering how frustrating it is to maintain a lawn during the summer heat, a question many lawn owners have is whether it is okay to forgo mowing entirely. In this post, we review some of the potential benefits associated with deciding not to mow, and also discuss why it is ultimately necessary to keep mowing and watering your lawn.
What Happens if You Ditch Your Mower?
The benefits of not mowing
In the end, it is necessary that you continue to mow and maintain your lawn. However, when conducting a pros and cons analysis, there are some benefits of not mowing and watering. When you do let your lawn grow longer, (which admittedly is rather unlikely during the summer heat), your grass shields the soil from the sun. In addition, you save water, as well as all of the fuel that you would use to mow. When you consider that an hour of mowing uses up as much fuel as driving your car for 200 miles, this is not an insignificant amount of fuel saved.
Why you need to mow and maintain your lawn
You may find it tempting to ditch mowing and watering, but you really do need to keep up-to-date with your lawn care. When you mow and maintain your lawn, you ensure that your grass stays thick and healthy. Mowing on a regular basis is crucial for reducing stress on the grass, and the grass grows deeper roots as well. Regular mowing also serves the crucial function of keeping pests away from your lawn. If you’ve ever taken an extended hiatus from mowing, you may well recall that it doesn’t take snakes and rodents long before they begin to infiltrate an unkempt lawn. There’s also the issue of weed control. Weeds prey on lawns that aren’t mowed, so unless you want a patch of dandelions, you really need to keep to a regular lawn mowing schedule.
Anyone with a family knows how kids love to play on a lawn, and this is virtually impossible with lawns that are unkempt, as the tall grass is uncomfortable and offers poor visibility. If you plan on using your lawn for any summer entertainment, it’s necessary that you keep mowing.
Those of you who are concerned about the environmental effects of mowing should consider a reel mower, which uses no fuel and offers better exercise than riding mowers. Whatever you decide, however, it’s important that you keep mowing—your lawn will thank you for it.
