Three Dangers of Letting Lawns Go to Seed
Sometimes, you just don't want to pull out the lawn mower. It happens. Mowing grass can be tedious and time consuming, and it's tempting to let your grass grow"¦and grow"¦and grow. Unfortunately, your grass will eventually go to seed and the long blades won't just be tough on your mower; they'll also be tough on the entirety of your yard. Letting your lawn go to seed won't be the same as planting new grass seed that creates a brand new lush lawn. There are three specific dangers in letting lawns go to seed.
Elimination of Weed Control
Weeds are pesky. They grow quickly and can be tough as nails to remove and dissipate from lawns. When you let your grass go to seed, you're actually letting weeds grow, eliminating any control you had over them. Mowing frequently cuts the weeds down and weakens them in their ability to grow back. Letting them rise high and proud in your yard will ensure your grass will be filled with more broadleaf weeds and creeping Charlie than ever.
Weakening of Grass
While you may think lawn maintenance and frequent use of your mower is to keep your neighbors happy and pests away, think again. It actually helps your grass stay strong. When you forego mowing, and your grass grows to excessively high levels and goes to seed, you're doing more harm than good. Much of the grass seed that pops up on the tips of the blade may actually be sterile-so don't expect bare patches to miraculously fill in. And, when you do mow, you're not following the one-third rule, which lawn maintenance professionals know to be "not cutting off more than one-third of your grass blade during a mowing session." If you hack the mower blade through the tender grass and cut off more than one-third of the stem, it will significantly weaken your grass.
Seed Creation Zaps Energy from Grass
Creating the flowering seed is a lot of work for each blade of grass. When you let your lawn go to seed, you're letting it divert energy it would normally use to grow strong and healthy, and let it instead concentrate on flowering. It will also signal to the grass that it doesn't need to produce as many beneficial rhizomes, leading it to stop repairing itself, and essentially making your lawn look worse.
The next time you think you'll let your grass go to seed while on vacation, or are tempted to let your front yard turn into a prairie, remember these three dangers. If necessary, look into hiring lawn services to take care of your yard.
