Blossoms Over Blades: Embrace “Slow Mow Summer” for a Buzz-Worthy Lawn

If you’re a fan of No Mow May, you’re going to love Slow Mow Summer

No Mow May is a wildly popular movement for pollinator conservation. Its appeal lies in its simplicity and accessibility—by not mowing your lawn in May, you allow lawn flowers to bloom, providing crucial food for pollinators waking from hibernation. At first glance, it seems perfect—you can support pollinators by doing nothing for an entire month! However, the movement has some notable drawbacks.

While No Mow May raises awareness about pollinator conservation, its benefits are limited to just one month. Additionally, the timing may not align with when bees emerge from hibernation across different regions. And cutting down a month’s growth all at once can be detrimental to lawn health. The appearance of tall, unkempt grass—which can grow to over a foot high during the month of May—is also not welcomed by all.

To address these issues, several spinoff initiatives have emerged, such as No Mow April, Low Mow May, Low Mow Spring, and Slow Mow Summer.

Among these, Slow Mow Summer stands out as particularly promising. Launched in 2023, this initiative stems from a collaboration among scientists at the University of Minnesota’s Bee Lab and Turfgrass Science Lab, and James Wolfin, a conservation specialist at Twin City Seed. “No Mow May has the absolute best intentions and goals in mind, but it’s not necessarily the best way to achieve those goals,” says Wolfin.