No Mow May
This project has been archived.
No Mow May supports all of Minnesota's pollinators, including native bees, butterflies, ants, flies, beetles, birds and more! Avoid mowing in early spring and during the month of May to protect overwinter habitat for threatened bee populations and other pollinators, while allowing flowering plants to grow rich in nectar and other key nutrients that serve as food for our pollinator friends during a time when needed most. In urban areas, like Edina, pollinator habitat and food sources are relatively sparse this time of year—by joining No Mow May, you can help support the health and diversity of native pollinator populations by providing the resources needed for pollinators to thrive.
No registration is required to participate in No Mow May. The City of Edina passed Ordinance 2023-07 on June 6, 2023 to allow planned landscapes and natural areas to replace turf grass on residential properties, including eliminating the enforcement of tall turf grasses and weeds for the month of May, plus a grace period of two weeks for residential properties. Residents can read the full updated ordinance and staff report here.
Yard signs are available first-come, first-served at Edina Public Works starting April 15. Visit Public Works 7:00 am-3:30 pm Monday-Friday to grab your sign: 7450 Metro Blvd., Edina, MN 55439.
Have a sign from last year? Reuse it! The sign is meant to be used for multiple years, so consider stowing it in a closet, garage or basement after May for future use in the years to come.
Attend a Resilient Yards Workshop and receive resources and one-on-one guidance for planting for pollinators and clean water, designing with native plants, redirecting runoff, and more. After registering, you'll immediately gain access to self-paced online learning modules that prepare you for a live session with expert landscape designers. Learn more and sign up on the Blue Thumb website: bluethumb.org/events
June Return to Mowing Tips: Lawns must come back into compliance by June 15. When you start mowing again in June, learn from the UMN about mowing best practices for a healthy lawn. Best practices for bringing your grass back down to a reasonable height while keeping it healthy include:
- Mow late in the day or when grass is dry.
- Mow down in small increments (never more than 1/3 of grass blade’s height at one time).
- Rake up excessive clippings to prevent them from going into streets. This protects your local water quality and keeps storm drains clear.
To Help Pollinators Year-Round:
- Plant native species of plants, trees, shrubs and more to provide the greatest benefit to pollinators. Flowering plants, grasses and sedges help to provide nectar for food and nutrition as well as habitat. Leave plant debris (fallen leaves, stems, trimmings, etc.) inside your garden beds or in a uncovered pile or bin kept outside until mid-June or later to provide shelter, allow hibernating pollinators the time to emerge, and a place for many of our threatened native bee species to nest (ground nesters and wood nesters).
- Mow less – instead of mowing your lawn every single week, or even multiple times a week, mow every 2 to 3 weeks. Mowing stresses your grass and creates unhealthy lawns if mowed too frequently. Lawns mowed every 3 weeks can have as much as 2.5x more lawn flowers, and support a greater number of pollinators (UMass-Amherst, 2018).
- Mow higher – consider keeping your lawn 3.5-4.5” inches in height. Taller grass holds more moisture, is less prone to stress, and better hides plants like clover and dandelion that pollinators need.
- Water your lawn about 1” (in volume) per week in the early morning or late evening, and avoid watering during rain events.
Water your lawn all at once rather than in smaller quantities more frequently. This can disrupt pollinators and other insects, and stress your lawn during periods of drought. - Allow some flowering plants to persist in your lawn; tolerate clover and dandelions. To provide plenty of food sources from spring and throughout fall, avoid de-weeding your entire yard – no need to pull up all those ‘evil’ patches of clover or rid your lawn of all those ‘pesky’ dandelions. These are a favorite food source for many of MN’s threatened pollinators, including several bee species.
- Limit or cease use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Use organic sources sparingly instead.
- Ready to re-seed your grass lawn? Consider prioritizing fine fescue over Kentucky bluegrass. Fine fescue is slow growing, while KY bluegrass requires more frequent mowing.
- Consider applying for Minnesota’s Lawns to Legumes program.