Why do we mow grass

Enter your address to find available services. Enter a New Address. This is where photosynthesis takes place and where the plant produces the necessary food for good root and shoot growth. The shorter it is, the less food that will be produced by the plant. In other words, the lawn does not have to receive as much supplemental water. Reduces weed growth. There are s of weed seeds in every lawn, just waiting for the right conditions to germinate.

One of those conditions is having enough sunlight to warm the seed to help it germinate. Their leisure time would not be consumed by the maintenance work required for the lawn. Interestingly, that time could be invested in gardens without the same sense of work—gardens were for leisure. These themes are reflected in our relationships to our lawns today. My home, for example, sits between two extremes: on one side, we have neighbors who meticulously care for their lawn—they have a sprinkler system and regularly scheduled lawn maintenance—and on the other, we have neighbors who let their lawn run wild and will mow once or twice a season—their lawn is riddled with dandelions and other weeds.

The homeowner in the former instance stopped by to tell us that she was seeing signs of crabgrass on her lawn. While this overall dynamic is common throughout our neighborhood—there is a mix of maintenance—she was specifically concerned on how this would impact and reflect on her.

Lawns continue to be markers of success. Many people do employ landscapers who provide weekly or monthly maintenance so that they do not need to invest their own time in the mundane tasks of cutting and bagging their grass, and edging their lawns. The sheer volume of resources required to keep lawns alive is staggering. And seems particularly wasteful in consideration of drought plagued places, like California. The significance of lawns persisted in the west for a long time, and was aided by water management technologies that helped transform arid landscapes into lush ones.

But that is changing as well, perhaps in part due to the awareness made possible by social media. Lawns require the equivalent of gallons of drinking water per person per day. Californians, who are acutely aware of this wastage, have taken to shaming droughtshame neighbors who persist in watering their lawns. We are at a moment when the American Dream, inasmuch as it still exists, is changing.

The idea of homeownership is untenable or undesirable for many. While green spaces are important, a large area of green grass seems to be a lower priority for many. With a growing movement that embraces a more natural lifestyle, there is a trend toward the return of naturalized lawns that welcome flowering weeds, and subsequently support a more diverse entomological ecosystem. Old habits die hard, however. And it is hard to also abandon this idea of a manifestation of material success, especially as it is so readily recognized as such.

As of , lawns covered an estimated 63, square miles of America. That's about the size of Texas. It's the most grown crop in the United States--and it's not one that anyone can eat; it's primary purpose is to make us look and feel good about ourselves. Americans have taken their landscape aesthetic around the world.

American communities in Saudi Arabia have lawns in the middle of the desert. American embassies and consulates around the world have lawns. And when the Cultural Revolution swept through China, any lawns that had been established under American and British influence were pulled out. Lawns are American. But they're also an anomaly.

And they may no longer fit the realities of the world we live in. How do you feel about lawns? Do you have one? Have you given up? Have you gotten into a war with a neighbor over maintenance? Comments have been disabled on Anthropology in Practice, but you can always join the community on Facebook.

Jenkins, Virginia Smithsonian Institute. Milesi, C. Turfgrass Manage 1 : Robbins, Paul Temple University Press. Why are Victorian Houses Haunted? Why does everything look the same? The Stories Our Refrigerators Tell. Why don't people return their shopping carts? What can the first weeds tell us? A Garden Series and Winter Sowing. The Seedlings are Coming!

Flower Power. Death and Destruction. Mowing a lawn when it is wet tends to cause the same problem, so try to avoid it if possible. As long as you have a healthy lawn already and no problems with thatch, feel free to leave the clippings when you mow. Mulching is good, but it is not a necessity. As long as the clippings are not excessive, they will not harm your lawn.

The clippings will break down within a short period of time and will provide nitrogen to your lawn. The longer the root system, the healthier and more stress resistant your lawn will be. The more stress and drought resistant your lawn, the less watering that has to be done.

Longer blades also have more surface area available for photosynthesis, which produces life-giving food and energy for the lawn. For the last cut of the season, make it a short one. Leaving the lawn short for the winter reduces the chance of matting that contributes to winter kill damage.