Is “No-Mow May” a good idea?
The goal of theNo - Mow May movementis to allow your lawn and efflorescence plants grow in spring to provide other - season forage for pollinator . But when May is over and it ’s time to mow again , it can be a bit of a jar to your turfgrass , and those habitats you ’ve make vanish overnight .
Whether or not you plant a bee lawn , making a few changes to your lawn sustentation program can still facilitate pollinator throughout the year rather of just in May . James Wolfin , conservation specialist for Twin City Seed , advocates for “ dim - hayloft summertime . ”Let your turfgrass grow up to 6 inches marvelous before you cut a third of it off . Why is this a good idea?It permit blossom plants mixed into your lawn to bloom and provender pollinators . If the flowering plant in your lawn are trespassing reseeders , such as blowball ( Taraxacum officinale ) , you may just need to check that that you mow as many as you may before they go to seed .
The buzz about bee lawns
It ’s no closed book that bee , butterflies and other pollinating insects need our service . Garden enthusiasts have been rolling up their sleeves planting pollinator garden and weaving native plant into their landscape to bewilder these all-important critter a lifeline . But have you ever think about demand it up a pass and swapping your regular turfgrass lawn for a bee - well-disposed reading ? It ’s like giving bees and pollinators their very own welcome mat !
As a Minnesota conservation specialist , James is all too well-chosen to enlighten others about the many benefits of bee lawns . And his cognition is n’t just theoretical : He and the team atTwin City Seeds in Minneapolishave facilitate homeowners across the United States plan , instal and maintain C of them in the last several class . Keep read to see if one might be correct for you .
What’s a bee lawn?
James says , “ A bee lawn still functions as a traditional lawn space , but is designed to be more beneficial to pollinator . ” While conventional yards are made up of only turfgrass , a bee lawn adds pollinator - well-disposed flowers to the mix . And these plants bloom at different clock time but convergence , so there ’s always something blossom in the grand to keep pollinators flow .
You might be mean , “ Do I already have a bee lawn if I allow my lawn weeds , such as blowball and creeping charlie ( Glechoma hederacea ) , efflorescence ? ” Probably not . While pollinators do confabulate these efflorescence , they are n’t the best farseeing - term choices because of their invasiveness . On the other mitt , the non - native white clover , which is often thought of as a lawn weed , is n’t aggressive enough to be consider invasive , and pollinators love it . The best mixture of plant in a bee lawn includes easy - turn turfgrasses and low - growing flowering plants . See a few of James ’ recommendation at the bottom of the article .
Related article : Native Bees Overwinter in Unexpected PlacesPollinator Garden Planting IdeasUse Flower Shapes to Attract Diverse Pollinators
Is a bee lawn right for you?
The goal of a bee lawn is to keep pollinator fed and flourishing from early outpouring until rime , especially when their usual buffet is in short supply . But there ’s a fillip for you too : Bee lawns require less mowing , piddle and fertiliser , which means more prison term for you to savor the outdoors !
Want to help the bees but still have elbow room for the kids and pets to run ? No problem . While you might opt to replace your existing turfgrass with a bee lawn , transforming your entire railway yard is n’t a must . Consider turn a little - used spot into a bee - well-disposed one . It ’s a good direction to give the concept a attempt , and it dodge concern about bee bombilate too unaired to where your kids or positron emission tomography maneuver . You could keep the backyard for those family BBQs and destine the front or side yard for your bee lawn . desire to have sex how to turn your traditional turf into a more hard - do work bee lawn ? Keep reading to meet the best plants and get out how to begin the shift .
How to Grow a Bee Lawn
Ready to start a bee lawn ? After you ’ve chosen a emplacement , you’re able to set about choose the plants . get down with the lists below to read which flowers and grasses will sour best for you .
Installing a bee lawn could be as easy as sowing the efflorescence ejaculate into your existing turfgrass , but in some cases , you ’ll have to transfer everything and replant . Find out which feeler will work easily for you in “ Do You Need to Start Over ? ” below .
Getting a bee lawn started
James prefers seeding in the fall mighty before the first rime in Minnesota garden because the seminal fluid remain dormant through the wintertime but are kept dampish as they ’re sprout by melting nose candy and springtime rain . In surface area where you do n’t get dependable snow cover , James sound out you’re able to take off your seeds in spring or late fall . As with all plant , seedlings might command extra care in the first year : piss new works enough that their still - evolve root systems do n’t dry out out , and pull weeds that might threaten to overcrowd the develop plants . By year three your bee lawn will be in full swinging .
How to maintain a bee lawn
Once it ’s base , taking care of a bee lawn is n’t all that different from your regular turfgrass : When the lawn is about 5 to 6 inches tall , it ’s time for its first trim . Rather than mop on a set docket , bear attention to the distance of the forage , never cut more than a third . For example , if you have grass originate to 6 inches , cut it to 4 inch . And when those bee - loving blooms are in full swing , let yourmowerrest a spot longer to give pollinators a chance to banquet . Established bee lawns do n’t require much fertiliser , if any . One light program program of lawn fertilizer in the spring or flow is enough to keep your bee lawn healthy . And lawn clippings exit on the soil to decompose act as natural fertilizer .
Related Articles : picture : How to Plant a Bulb Lawn for PollinatorsSpring industrial plant for PollinatorsThe Pollinator Collection
How to install a bee lawn
Do You Need to Start Over?
Grasses for a bee lawn
The dear grasses to integrate into your bee lawn are those that require small water or plant food and grow slowly so they wo n’t out compete their companions .
Cool - season Gunter Wilhelm Grass ; low water and plant food needs ; 9 to 24 in . marvelous and panoptic ; cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9Note that all other fine fescues , such as creeping red ( F. rubra ) , slender creeping ( F. rubra litoralis ) , chewings ( F. rubra commutata ) , and sheep ( F. ovina ) or a commixture are all good selection .
Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensisCool - time of year grass ; tends to necessitate more H2O and fertilizer compared to all right fescues ; 3 in . tall , 6 in . wide ; frigid hardy in USDA zones 3 to 7
BermudagrassCynodon dactylonWarm - season smoke ; drouth tolerant ; grows dumbly ; tolerant of foundation traffic ; 3 to 6 in . marvelous and wide ; cold hardy in USDA zones 7 to 10
Buffalo grassBuchloe dactyloidesWarm - time of year pasturage ; native ; drought - resistant ; 3 to 9 in . tall , 6 to 12 in . wide ; inhuman hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8
Blue grama grassBouteloua gracilisWarm - season sess ; drouth - broad ; grows in any soil type ; disease- and pest - resistant ; 9 to 24 in . tall , 18 to 24 in . wide ; cold fearless in USDA zones 3 to 10
Flowers for a bee lawn
Low - develop flowers that can tolerate the stress of mow and foot traffic and continue to flower work best in a bee lawn .
whitened cloverTrifolium repensWhite flowers bloom from spring to hang ; nitrogen - fixture legume ; high pollen and nectar content ; honeybee favorite ; adaptable to different soil type ; 3 to 6 in . tall , 12 to 18 in . astray ; cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 10
mouse thymeThymus serpyllumPink flower bloom from midsummer to fall ; mostly ambrosia but some pollen ; 3 in . tall , 3 to 12 in . astray ; frigid hardy in zone 4 to 9
Lanceleaf selfhealPrunella vulgarissubsp.lanceolataTubeshaped purple flowers blossom from midsummer to early gloam ; native ; high nectar substance ; grows in a broad ambit of grease types ; 6 to 12 in . tall , 12 to 24 in . astray ; cold stalwart in USDA zone 4 to 9
Yaak yarrowAchillea millefoliumvar.occidentalisWhite flowers blossom from summer to fall ; native ; high pollen and nectar content ; drought - large-minded ; does n’t ask much urine or fertilizer ; tolerant of sandlike soil ; up to 24 in improbable ; cold-blooded hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9
Tufted poppyEschscholzia caespitosaBright orangish flowers bloom in midsummer ; drought - liberal ; high in pollen and nectar ; grows in a motley of soil ; 12 to 18 in . grandiloquent and wide ; cold sturdy in USDA zones 8 to 9
Wild petuniaRuellia humilisLavender - purple heyday flower from fountain to fall ; high ambrosia contentedness ; drought - kind ; disease and pest resistant ; 18 to 24 in . marvellous and wide ; moth-eaten stout in USDA zones 4 to 9
Bee lawn seed source
Twin City Seed , twincityseed.com,952 - 944 - 7105
