Mowing the lawn: How to promote biodiversity in the garden with little effort!

Mowing the lawn: How to promote biodiversity in the garden with little effort!

Deutschland - In the summer months, mowing the lawn is an important part of gardening to keep the green area attractive. The Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation Germany (BUND) recommends mowing the lawn as rarely as possible. Ideally, the lawn should only be cut when it has reached a height of 20 centimeters. In addition, it is advisable to use the highest possible cutting height of the lawn mower to get flowering plants, which in turn represent a valuable source of food for insects such as wild bees and butterflies.

Another aspect is the time -shifted mowing that ensures that insects have the opportunity to flee from the cut. In order to promote biodiversity in the garden, it is important that part of the meadow always blooms. Islands or edge strips with flowering plants should therefore remain untouched. Particularly intensely used areas can be mowed more often, while the cut grass should be removed to avoid nutrient accumulation in the soil.

The advantages of a rarer mowing

A rarer mowing favors the growth of wild herbs such as clover, daisies and dandelion, which are some of the best sources of food for useful insects. These plants not only attract bees and butterflies, but also offer retreats for hedgehogs, garden sleepers and amphibians. Clear grass also contributes to better storage of moisture in the soil, which keeps the earth wet for longer and improves the soil quality. Gardeners therefore need less often water, which is particularly advantageous in hot summer months.

Over the years, robotic lawnmowers in many gardens have been widespread. These devices should make gardening easier by regularly keeping the lawn short. However, robots have a disadvantage: they do not recognize small animals and insects as an obstacle and can hurt or even kill them. Especially for hedgehogs who often instinctively lie, this can have fatal consequences. Therefore, garden owners should critically question the use of robots and weigh up the effects on biodiversity, such as Kraut and beet emphasized.

Environmentally conscious gardeners should also make sure that faded seed stands stop over the winter to offer insects protection. Drywalls and dead wood piles are also helpful, which create a variety of habitats. The creation of water supply points, such as small ponds or bird drinks, can also play an important role in the garden ecosystem. In this context, lwK Niedersachsen Workshops to promote biodiversity.