Cut Grass Is Not Green

Different strokes for different folks. I completely agree that people should be permitted to cultivate their property as they see fit.

But like all choices, there are consequences for every choice. An un-mowed lawn promotes ticks, chiggers and other pests. A mowed lawn permits the safer use of of the acreage for many recreational activities. Items left out on a well mowed lawn will be much easier to find than in a meadow.

So don't think that there's only one way to handle all land. Let the landowner choose what suits them.

redfred stated this:An un-mowed lawn promotes ticks, chiggers and other pests. A mowed lawn permits the safer use of of the acreage for many recreational activities. Items left out on a well mowed lawn will be much easier to find than in a meadow. ----------------------------------

Only a small proportion of the mowed lawns of the world are even walked upon. Most are just looked at, if that.

We could leave some lawns for people to have their Croquet tournaments or whatever, but the maniacal regulations, as they are now, force every lawn in every city to be chopped down.

``````` Nehmo

The point you're attempting to float is receiving criticism because you are seeming to overlook the possibility that reasons exist for having cut lawns. True in some areas the lawns are excessive but the reasons for keeping them cut is still pertinent.

Please do exercise your will and do develop a more efficient means to keep them cut.

<sub><sarcasm on></sub>

For nature to flourish, we humans, if we had any empathy and wisdom at all, should have the strength to gracefully end our existence and allow lower forms of life to rule mother Gaia.

<sub><sarcasm off></sub>

Mikerho sarcastically stated we commit suicide as a species to allow lower forms of life to thrive.

We we are talking about is something that produces perhaps 10% of air pollution (this is air that humans breath), contributes significantly to unnecessary noise (sometimes called noise pollution), causes thousands of injuries and a few deaths a year, eats into leisure time, unconstitutionally burdens the justice system, and is basically for appearance. The damage to humans alone is enough. The damage to the non-human part of the ecosystem can even be ignored.

``` Nehmo

While I agree that a perfectly manicured lawn is an extremely wasteful extravagance, there are reasons to not let it grow completely wild (unless it is farm land).

This doesn't work for everyone, but I choose to:

> use only AC electric (no batteries) or manual yard tools.
> set Electric mower at highest level of 4"-5" and cut every 2 weeks (7" max because City sends out notices and fines at 10").
> NOT use any pesticide or weed killers products.
> use natural fertilizers and only when absolutely necessary.
> compost all yard waste and all appropriate kitchen waste and use finished product to amend lawn and garden.
> use rain barrels to collect and disperse rainwater to yard and garden.
> keep a heavy clover mix in the lawn as it helps support local bees and improves soil nitrogen.

While the neighborhood lawn loons may frown upon my non-golf-course-like yard, I'm amazed by their weekly bags of grass clippings (and dozens of bags of Fall Leaves) stacked at the curb for disposal. The monthly ChemLawn trucks and little TOXIC warning sings posted near their sidewalks are familiar sights. Then there is that monotonous drone of gas mowers every 3-5 days. Almost forgot the thousands of gallons of potable water used per month for lawn beautification compared to my mostly rain supported system. OK, I DO use a couple hundred gallons of potable water a season, but only to keep the some veggies and herbs alive during a dry spell.

I'm comfortable with my own efforts to be "kind" to the planet. It's the best I can do under the current circumstances.

A "GA" to you! I mostly agree, although I have a small lawn (about 40% of the space)in front that I keep fairly green and short. That seems to be enough to deter the authorities from noticing that I also grow weeds native plants (a large stand of milkweed - "You mean that's not a decorative flower?"), herbs, and vegetables like tomatoes and peppers, though I haven't got up enough nerve yet to plant watermelons. I use no herbicides or pesticides since they're both hard on honeybees. I have a nice front porch with rocking chairs and, on an average evening, I can expect to sit out there and see at least a dozen hummingbirds, dozens of butterflies (Monarchs, Swallowtails, Red Admirals, etc), a few thousand million honeybees, nesting cardinals, chipmunks, and the odd snake (One of whom has the really rude habit of coming into the garage from time to time; I throw him out, but back he comes in a week or two).

We got close to 4" of rain last month (when I lost the white ash tree!) and I had almost no runoff, even though this is hilly terrain. That's the power of adding compost (I'm very cheap - a typical engineer - so I make my own from I find around) to soil.

It really helps that my closest neighbor is a nice Italian lady who admires our vegetables.

Okay.

Now for real reasons to cut the lawn

!. Activity in yard deters varmints, long grass hides snakes and snakes like it and they also like your house and basement and mowing is too busy for them an they stay away.

2 Mosquito love tall damp grasses and chiggers too yea they have wonderful time there.

3. use or lose it nature will just take over and move right in.

4. Though the blade area is reduced when cut during the act of regrowth more C02 is required by the plant

I hate cutting grass! Over the years I have been introducing low/slow growing varieties, i.e. zoysia, centipede, carpet grass, etc. They are really starting to take off. I also don't mind the clover and crabgrass that are prominent in my yard. As of this posting I think I've cut the grass three times this year. It's a necessary evil for me, I've got a small daughter and live in a rural area. Lots of copperheads and water moccasins! This is being worked on every day, don't forget. I'm confident that someone is going to come up with a strain of grass that is going to make lawnmowers practically obsolete, and personally, I can't wait! I wouldn't be surprised if the lawnmower manufacturers helped establish tall fescue as the lawn grass standard.

I am in agreement with many points made here. I have three mowable acres adjacent to my home made up primarily of native grasses.

Needless to say mowing has been a task especially during years when rainfall has been above average.

The solution I came up with was to fence in (on the cheap) approximately 2 acres away from my home, broken into three pastures.

I lend out these pastures to the area farmers for grazing/confinement land when the need arises.

It is a win win situation. The farmers have alternate land available to them when needed, I have all the manure I need for my multiple garden plots, and when the livestock are taken to market for slaughter, I receive wonderful unadulterated meat.

I still mow directly around the house for the obvious reasons stated in this thread but my time in the tractor seat has been greatly reduced as has my on site fuel consumption.

I find your claims to be outrageous! The only claim you make that has any merit is your claim about reduced CO<sub>2</sub> conversion, IMHO.

It's also foolish to claim, or believe, that running a typical lawn mower for an hour would consume as much gas as driving 100 miles in a modern car.

I have reduced the amount if grass I maintain over the years, but I'm keeping my gas powered tools, just the same.

I want one of those cars, I'll outfit it with a mower deck and use it to cut the grass!

Me too.

I have property in Arkansas, I know what you mean about snakes, etc. We give the hay away so someone will mow the pastures for free at least twice a year. The rest of the time I have to pay someone to do it.

Cheers.

lynlynch stated this: It's also foolish to claim, or believe, that running a typical lawn mower for an hour would consume as much gas as driving 100 miles in a modern car. --------------------------------------

http://www.peoplepoweredmachines.com/faq-environment.htm "A typical 3.5 horsepower gas mower, for instance, can emit the same amount of VOCs [Volatile organic compounds] -- key precursors to smog -- in an hour as a new car driven 340 miles."

http://www.mindfully.org/Air/Lawn-Mower-Pollution.htm "air pollution from cutting grass for an hour with a gasoline powered lawn mower is about the same as that from a 100 mile automobile ride, according to a new study from Sweden."

http://www.dirtworks.net/Lawn-Mower-Pollution.html "one hour of mowing is the equivalent of driving 350 miles in terms of volatile organic compounds."

http://learn.ecomowers.com/pollution-emitted-by-lawn-mowers/ "a typical gasoline mower with a four-cycle engine produced as much PAH [polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons] as driving a modern car about 150 km or about 95 miles. This means that unless you drive more than 95 mph, your mower actually produces more pollution per hour than your car!"

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/05/010529234907.htm "One Hour Of Grass Cutting Equals 100 Miles Worth Of Auto Pollution" [Title of the Article]

Actually, there are several different kinds of pollutants produced by gas engines (ozone, spilt liquid gas, and noise are ones seldom mentioned); lawn cutting equipment uses both 2 & 4 stroke engines; and cars come in an enormous variety; so it's complicated to make a direct contrast between a lawn mower and a car. But conservatively, an average piece of lawn mowing equipment produces more pollution in an hour than driving a typical car a hundred miles.

`````` Nehmo

Nehmo,

I'm sorry! I misread your statement. I somehow took your original statement to mean fuel used, not pollution produced.

I'm not going to refer to the sites you give, cause I know you are right.

Thanks, for making me re-read your original post. This time I got it right.

I'm still keeping my gas powered tools though.

I thought you, lynlynch, were disputing the amount of pollution produced not gas consumed. Sorry. But gas consumed is an issue too. Anything we can do to cut consumption should be considered. Regarding your gas-powered tools, it depends. I don't take issue with all gas powered tools. Sometimes a gas engine is the most practical engine to use. ```` Nehmo

That's fine but I'm still going to use the petrol-powered lawn edger to trim round the edges!