Page 22 - GM Summer flipbook 2024

Average % Weed Coverge
DID #NOMOWMAY RESULT IN MORE FLOWERS?
Yes but no. On two out of eight recording dates in May (May 23rd and 24th) there were slightly more flowers in the unmown treatments, but when averaged over the whole season, the total number of flowers in both treatments were nearly identical (6.1 flowers/plot in #NoMowMay vs 6.9 flowers/plot averaged across 17 observation dates). Throughout the trial there was no difference in the number of weeds in each plot.
DID #NOMOWMAY DAMAGE THE TURF?
Slightly. The rating scale of 0–9, with 7 being minimally acceptable for a homeowner, quantified a significant difference between the treatments on May 15th and June 1st. Directly after the first mow, the #NoMowMay treatments were slightly stressed, and there was a notable volume of clippings produced, which decreased the quality rating from 6.5 to 6.0. Cutting the turf which was 11” tall down to 2.5” is not a practice we would recommend!
This result was surprising to me since I expected a bigger impact on turf quality due to damage by scalping. However, the turf quickly bounced back and there was no difference in turf quality for the rest of the season. This goes to show how turf can handle an extreme degree of stress, even under low inputs. This turf was not irrigated, fertilized, or treated with herbicides for the duration of the trial, which accounts for the relatively low rating throughout the trial (5.8 on average). Grass with a higher growth rate would be at a higher risk of damage during #NoMowMay treatments, which could occur in warmer/wetter/ higher fertility growing conditions.
IS THERE A BETTER WAY TO SUPPORT POLLINATORS? Absolutely. Planting native species which flower year-round will provide more plentiful and nutritious food sources for the wide variety of beneficial pollinating insects in your region. Early-flowering trees such as those in the apple, cherry, and willow families are huge pollen producers
Turf Quality (0-9 scale)
Weed coverage and turf quality of the treatments in the #NoMowMay trial at the Guelph Turfgrass Institute.
for bees and other pollinators. This tactic cannot be timed based on a calendar and requires careful observation to be able to cut the flower heads off just as they are beginning to close.
Two main flowering events were observed in our trial. First, the dandelions came in May. The #NoMowMay treatment had more flowers than the regular mowing treatment, but this was only evident if we counted flowers before and after mowing on the same day. Within a few days, the mowed dandelions were able to quickly reflower. The second peak in flower resources occurred in June, after the #NoMowMay treatment had been cut for the first time in the season. It wasn’t dandelions, but black medic – a weed often confused with clover. In the #NoMowMay treatment plots, each black medic plant had grown longer and more branched, which then resulted in more flowers per plant in each plot.
22 • CGSA • GreenMaster