Gardening expert Monty Don has advised against mowing lawns until after June 21 — the date is key for your lawn's long-term health for a number of reasons.
As summer gets underway across the UK, countless gardening enthusiasts will be considering the crucial tasks needed to keep their gardens looking lush, vibrant and healthy.
With each change of season, gardeners typically assess their outdoor areas to determine which vital jobs require attention. By the time summer arrives, there's usually widespread agreement that lawns need cutting and tidying to maintain them in peak condition.
However, renowned horticulturist and BBC Gardeners' World presenter Monty Don has advised proceeding carefully when it comes to lawn mowing, drawing on his own personal experience with a widespread issue.
The gardening authority has revealed there's a specific date in June before which gardeners should steer clear of mowing their lawns entirely, as doing so could prove counterproductive — particularly as UK temperatures soar to record levels this year, reports the Express.
Gardening Task to Avoid Before June 21
Monty Don's celebrated Longmeadow estate sits in the charming village of Ivington in Herefordshire, England, and features an exceptional garden — frequently considered among Britain's finest.
Explaining how they keep the grass at Longmeadow so lush and healthy, Monty shares: "By June a million gardens are regularly humming - and at times unpleasantly roaring - with the sound of motor-mowers keeping the grass trim and under control. But at Longmeadow we restrict this to paths and try and let as much grass as possible grow long and planted up with spring bulbs and wildflowers. This looks beautiful and is so much better for insects and all forms of wildlife than a neatly mown lawn."
Explaining why the optimum moment to trim grass falls after the Summer Solstice, Monty elaborates: "It is important to time the cutting of this long grass to maximise the performance of the bulbs next spring and of the grasses themselves. Nothing should be cut at all until after the longest day on June 21. This gives the foliage of the bulbs time to die back and feed next year's bulb and subsequent flowering. The grass can then be cut if it has been hot and dry, although sometimes I leave this as late as mid-August."
According to the gardening expert, the main advantage of allowing grass to grow a little wilder is to reap the rewards further down the line. Monty reveals that leaving your lawn untouched for now will ultimately produce healthier, lush green growth come next spring.
The horticultural specialist also outlined what must be done with the initial cut of the longer grass: "Whenever you make this first cut of the long grass, you must collect it all up and take it to the compost heap to stop it adding nutrition to the ground which would encourage lusher, coarser grasses at the expense of the flowers."
Gardening specialists have issued a strong warning against mowing lawns and trimming grass during heatwaves or periods of extreme heat, as this could cause significant stress to the turf, potentially leaving it susceptible to disease, scorching and extended browning.
Additional Expert Advice
Another prominent figure in the natural world has reinforced this guidance, though he's recommended holding off until July 15. Featured on BBC's Wild Isles nature documentary about the UK, Sir David Attenborough advised: "It's all about the timing. Delaying mowing until mid-July allows birds and insects to complete their breeding and flowers to set their seed."
Reflecting on Britain's declining biodiversity, the renowned naturalist said: "Nowhere here is richer in wildflowers and insect pollinators than our traditional hay meadows. Sadly, in the last 60 years, we've lost 97% of this precious habitat. But with nature-friendly farming, meadows can be restored to provide a haven for wildlife."
Creatures including bees, butterflies and even wasps depend on lawns — particularly the daisies, weeds and wildflowers flourishing amongst them — to reproduce, pollinate and maintain a thriving ecosystem during this season. Trimming the grass excessively short undermines all of this, eliminating countless insects that represent a critical — and progressively threatened — component of our natural ecosystem.
