Gardeners told not to mow lawn in June as Sir David Attenborough gives worrying update
Gardeners are being urged not to mow in June after Sir David Attenborough issued an urgent update to the whole of the UK
Sir David Attenborough has issued a stark warning to gardeners not to cut the lawn before a date in July.
It has been a wet, windy and generally horrid spring with constant rain showers and even flooding which has made it pretty easy for a lot of gardeners to follow No Mow May and leave their grass long.
But nature expert Sir David Attenborough says mowing still shouldn’t be done in June either and has issued a stark warning over the damage it can cause.
It's because insects like bees, butterflies and even wasps and hornets use lawns and in particular, the daisies, buttercups weeds and wildflowers among them, to breed, pollinate and otherwise maintain a healthy ecosystem at this time of year.
Razing the grass down interferes with all of that, killing off lots of insects that are an essential - and increasingly threatened - part of our ecosystem which in turn prop up the entire food chain.
If those insects die off, we all die off eventually because food can’t grow without pollination.
Sir David Attenborough said on BBC's Wild Isles nature documentary about the UK: "Nowhere here is richer in wildflowers and insect pollinators than our traditional hay meadows. Sadly, in the last 60 years, we've lost 97 percent of this precious habitat.
"But with nature-friendly farming, meadows can be restored to provide a haven for wildlife.
"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."
Monty Don has previously given the date of June 21, whereas Sir David opts for mid-July, which would be July 15. Certainly, the longer you can go from now to July 15 the better.
This is backed by nature campaign group Plantlife.
It said: “We’ve lost approximately 97 percent of flower-rich meadows since the 1930s and with them gone are vital food needed by pollinators, like bees and butterflies.
"But your lawn can help! A healthy lawn with some long grass and wildflowers benefits wildlife, tackles pollution and can even lock away carbon below ground. With over 20 million gardens in the UK, even the smallest grassy patches add up to a significant proportion of our land which, if managed properly, can deliver enormous gains for nature, communities and the climate."
Of course, if you can’t hold on until mid-July, every week between May 1 and July 15 will help to boost the bugs.
