No Mow May

[1srelluc]

I didn't realize. Good to know. I don't hate them because so far they haven't bit my dog. If they show teeth he stays back. And they play dead and he doesn't hurt them because he's a PBGV. Little bad ass but all bark.

 

[White 6]

I'm in manufacturing. People weren't buying new machines but my aftermarket sales kept our business afloat. I was furloughed 3 days and they called me back as an essential worker. How long were you off?

I retired in late 2016 having had a 21 year military career and 24 years full-time civilian employment, drawing military retirement, civilian retirement(s), social security, and healthcare assured, not owing anybody money or time, and having things I'd rather do than fix other people's problems or make their plans work. So I'm probably not a typical one to ask.

 

[Dekster]

If your city isn't down with this, don't participate. I understand. Liberal cities like Ann Arbor and Royal Oak, MI are letting people do this. It's a new thing called No Mow May. I started this thread to spread the word.

I am steadily reducing the amount of grass I have, but it has to be done at a snails pace. My property has two road fronts--one at either end--so I have to wait until the hedges I planted hide some prying enforcement officials' eyes before I rewild any of it. There is a spot in the middle that I am further along with because it is at the relative "back: of the property from either frontage (basically my land is L-shaped)

 

[Dekster]

Sounds like you need to move some possums into your area. They are big tick eaters.

I'm a believer in "take care of your possum and your possum will take care of you". I toss my resident possum scraps in the winter to keep it around....Nary a tick come this time of year either.

I have both possums and raccoons that come up on the back deck every night to eat whatever the cats didn't or somebody dropped. The possums actually get along better with other critters (like my cats) than the raccoons do. Possums are a tad slow-witted anyway. A few years ago we had some young ones of both that would share the finds if they got there at the same time, but as they aged the raccoons started to get more greedy. By the time they are adults the raccoons tend to scatter. One I saw a couple nights ago was the first time I had seen one in ages. The possums pretty much stay around awhile longer. In one of my phones, I have a pix I took of a mommas possum out there eating with at least 5 babies on her back. At first I thought she was covered in boils and then I realized those boils had eyes.

 

[1srelluc]

I have both possums and raccoons that come up on the back deck every night to eat whatever the cats didn't or somebody dropped. The possums actually get along better with other critters (like my cats) than the raccoons do. Possums are a tad slow-witted anyway. A few years ago we had some young ones of both that would share the finds if they got there at the same time, but as they aged the raccoons started to get more greedy. By the time they are adults the raccoons tend to scatter. One I saw a couple nights ago was the first time I had seen one in ages. The possums pretty much stay around awhile longer. In one of my phones, I have a pix I took of a mommas possum out there eating with at least 5 babies on her back. At first I thought she was covered in boils and then I realized those boils had eyes.

Coons are handy to have around the shop.

 

[daveman]

Where I live in Michigan, I think we could survive not moving for a month. I walk my dog in the school fields. The baseball fields, soccer fields none of it's mowed and it's May 21st. That grass looks like the grass in our backyards. I think we could go a month.

In Florida, they have this grass it almost seems fake. And it doesn't grow or need to be cut like our grass in Michigan.

In Kentucky, if you don't mow for a month, your grass is 2 feet high and gone to seed.

 

[Crick]

Where I live in Michigan, I think we could survive not moving for a month. I walk my dog in the school fields. The baseball fields, soccer fields none of it's mowed and it's May 21st. That grass looks like the grass in our backyards. I think we could go a month.

In Florida, they have this grass it almost seems fake. And it doesn't grow or need to be cut like our grass in Michigan.

We have Floritam, one of the St Augustine family. Obviously it does grow, but it tends to stay close to the ground. It has harsh, thick blades but is less dense than northern grasses. I don't care for the stuff at all. It's not nice to walk or play on. I recently had to redo a large chunk of my yard and chose to seed it with Pensacola Bahiagrass. W'll see how that works. Unless frequently watered - as with a sprinkler system I don't have - the Floritam gets weedy down here very quickly.

 

[sealybobo]

One time he jumped on a little raccoon trying to flee. Right as the raccoon was going to make quick work of him, I grabbed him by the back and picked him up. The raccoon was clung to him about to bite and dig in with those nails. I shook the dog like a pillow hard and the raccoon fell and scurried away.

I think my dog learns from these lessons. Like I think we saw a big ass porcupine last time we went up north in the middle of the night. We just got up there and I wanted to lay corn out for the deer before we went to bed. I saw something big slowly waddling into the woods. He smelled it and took off. I ran after him with my 410 shotgun and I could hear it and I'm sure he could see and hear it, but next thing you know he was right by my side and not running after it anymore. A year ago he got about 15 quills and I had to rush him to the vet and they knocked him out and took them out. I think he remembers that. I hope so.

My fear one day is he's going to run after a coyote. Especially if they pretend to be submissive. He will fall for that trick for sure. He stupid. LOL

I don't know anyone else who has a PBGV

Mine looks a lot like this one.

 

[sealybobo]

I retired in late 2016 having had a 21 year military career and 24 years full-time civilian employment, drawing military retirement, civilian retirement(s), social security, and healthcare assured, not owing anybody money or time, and having things I'd rather do than fix other people's problems or make their plans work. So I'm probably not a typical one to ask.

My brother has 65 acres up north. His neighbor is retired military. Maybe 20 or 25 years. Hell, he could have 30. Anyways, this guy doesn't have 65 acres, but he has a lot of land, a nice little house. I think he and his wife work too but I see him home a lot. He might actually be retired. Maybe in his 50's? I envy him. He's not rich but rich men wish they had what he has. He's into hunting as much as my brother and I. Great guy. If we need help getting a deer out of the woods, he comes. We help him with anything he wants too.

Isn't it funny how well we get along when we don't know who the other one voted for? Maybe we should go back to keeping that shit to ourselves.

 

[sealybobo]

We have Floritam, one of the St Augustine family. Obviously it does grow, but it tends to stay close to the ground. It has harsh, thick blades but is less dense than northern grasses. I don't care for the stuff at all. It's not nice to walk or play on. I recently had to redo a large chunk of my yard and chose to seed it with Pensacola Bahiagrass. W'll see how that works. Unless frequently watered - as with a sprinkler system I don't have - the Floritam gets weedy down here very quickly.

Yea Floritam is not nice to walk or lay on I agree. So they do mow that stuff?

 

[Crick]

Yea Floritam is not nice to walk or lay on I agree. So they do mow that stuff?

Yes. But you have to leave most varieties fairly long and, like I said, water it frequently if it's not pouring on a regular basis.

 

[Woodznutz]

Maybe No Mow May isn't such a good idea.

No Mow May could backfire: Here's why

No Mow May is a well-intentioned initiative that I fear could backfire. And there are much better ways to support pollinators. Here's how.

www.theimpatientgardener.com

 

[ABikerSailor]

Maybe No Mow May isn't such a good idea.

No Mow May could backfire: Here's why

No Mow May is a well-intentioned initiative that I fear could backfire. And there are much better ways to support pollinators. Here's how.

www.theimpatientgardener.com

Yanno, after reading the article and the points it's made, I gotta agree. There are much better alternatives than No Mow May.

 

[skookerasbil]

What is No Mow May? It encourages anyone with a yard to not mow their lawns throughout the month to protect pollinator habitats.

Lol...maybe 17 people care

 

[Woodznutz]

Lol...maybe 17 people care

Helluva lot more than that where I live. Of course, many use it as an excuse to get out of mowing their lawn for a month. They don't give a rats-ass about the bees.

 

[ding]

I would love to have a yard like this that you don't have to cut the grass.

View attachment 647729

Yale University has estimated that the United States uses more than 600 million gallons of gas to mow and trim lawns each year

At $6 a gallon? Are you rich? Do the math. And if you can afford to waste money like that, don't complain about inflation.

Go with a natural lawn, save the planet, and some money. Or don't.

That "lawn" is a ton of work.

 

[daveman]

That "lawn" is a ton of work.

Plus there's a strip of grass down the middle that needs to be mowed.

 

[Woodznutz]

Plus there's a strip of grass down the middle that needs to be mowed.

I dunno, looks like it's turning brown near the street. Place must be in the southwest somewhere. Hard to keep grass green in the summer.

 

[sealybobo]

Maybe No Mow May isn't such a good idea.

No Mow May could backfire: Here's why

No Mow May is a well-intentioned initiative that I fear could backfire. And there are much better ways to support pollinators. Here's how.

www.theimpatientgardener.com

Did you read your own article? Basically their only complaint is your neighbor might not like it. Everything else is fodder? In other words, nothing in your article says it not a good idea, unless you hate dandelions. And by the way? They are yummy. Want to lose some weight? Grow dandelions and pick them. Boil the stems, put lemon on and eat them like spinach.

 

[sealybobo]

Lol...maybe 17 people care

That was true on Crypton.