05/12/2026
Just say no to No Mow May! No Mow May is a tempting prospect, but what really happens when you skip a month of mowing turfgrass here in Central Ohio then mow it back down?
😬 Your lawn can get stressed! During the growing season cool-season grasses like turfgrass can suffer if you chop off more than 1/3 of the blade. This can result in your lawn becoming patchy later on which can lead to soil erosion.
🥀 Beneficial native wildflowers aren't supported. Most of our lawns in Franklin County don't have a seed bank for wildflowers that would support pollinators if we stopped mowing. Violets and non-native dandelions and clover that you might see flowering in your lawn during May can still thrive with regular mowing if your mower deck is set higher to ~4"
🚜 You risk damaging your mower at the end of May when you finally have to mow. A push mower may balk at the task of mowing the high grass combined with thicker w**d and woody plant stems that have had a whole month to grow.
🐁 Tall grass attracts rodents. In a rural or large open area where predators abound and there aren't concentrated food sources this isn't so bad, but in urban and suburban areas like Columbus it becomes a problem. Rodents have plenty of concentrated food sources here already- From trash to pet food and bird feeder spillage, and letting a monoculture of turfgrass grow tall is like setting up a housing development for mice and voles.
*If you really want to support pollinators, start chipping away at your lawn and replacing it with native plants that don't need mowed at all! Edges, corners or wet spots where turf has a tough time growing are great areas to start with. ✨Remember that creating habitat in urban areas needs to start with intention ✨ Just leaving a space unattended for a month is not a good way to support your wildlife or your human neighbors!*
