the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, in a post on April 25th we questioned , “No Mow May” and asked ,does it Really Do Anything or Just More “Yard Sign Environmentalism” ?
Allowing grass to grow uncut during the month of May can have several benefits for bees and other pollinators, as it provides a habitat and food source for them. However, there can also be some potential disadvantages to leaving grass uncut. Along with pollinators it brings in pests like mosquitoes, fleas and ticks (lyme disease).
Now a reader critiques “No Mow May” ;
“Many of us are happily participating in “No Mow May”. But we at The Blog have sat on our front steps and porches every day, and not once, ever, have we seen bees or any other insects busy in our tall grass. We have purposely watched for them. No flowers in bloom. Just lots of grass. Glad to do our part to help the pollinators, but honestly the bees are all in our flower gardens. The long LONG lawn does not seem to attract anything. Was this just a feel-good activity? Good optics but zero return? (Admittedly the lack of noisy, polluting lawn mower activity has been nice). Maybe it should be SOW MO MAY, as in plant (sow) more blooming flower seeds in your gardens. “
Waste of effort. All for show. Catchy name but it was senseless.
I like SO MO MAY. Let’s have more flowers
Yes, plant more flowers!! Bee Balm is a great perennial and attracts bees (hence the name). Also Butterfly Bushes (attract butterflys). Everyone should grow a perennial garden (I had one). You don’t need much space and it basically takes care of itself, aside from being very cost effective. And it looks and smells fabulous.
Any of the 5 council members participate?
Way to go Village Council and Pam picked Green Team! Total Flop! A little homework and 2 second Google search would have shown No Mow May is harmful for pollinators. Someone should OPRA how much this fail cost taxpayers? Green team used budget dollars to promote, create signage etc.
The money wasted should have been used for plantings. Provide more permanent habitats for pollinators; replacing lawns—or at least part of them—with native plants and trees that will feed pollinators all season long.
#PamPerron #PaulVagianos #SiobhanWinograd #EvanWeitz
Instead of encouraging #NoMoMay, what we need to do, URGENTLY, is to steward, tend and nurture landscapes for native biodiversity and ecological integrity. Stop destroying RIDGEWOOD. SAVE SCHEDLER!
Sell Schedler
I scratch my head in disbelief. How was this proposed and approved by the Ridgewood Green Team and Council without proper vetting. No Mo May was debunked long ago.
Without a doubt, the VOR mowed all grass in the Central Business District (Paul Vagianos’ businesses).
Well, admittedly the benefits of No Mow May are questionable given the research.
However, has anyone considered that the reason they have not witnessed bees yet, is due to the vast quantities of pesticides used during previous years, and the incessant use of “landscapers” who flout OSHA regs and unleash their leaf blowers at 180mph on the lawns in question?
The No Mow May initiative does appear to be a form of “green washing”, but the critics and neighbors who remain fearful of ticks and such, are invariably the culprits who spread ticks and pathogens through employing unlicensed and untrained landscape companies who are harming everything from our lungs to our general wellbeing.
Perhaps we need a good think on how we used to do things before we hired such people. I don’t remember it being more expensive or indeed anyone dying before the use of leaf blowers and industrial sized lawn mowers.
I AM A REAL HERO
I am NOT MOWING my lawn ALL YEAR.
I am doing my part to save the world.
I am a great person.
I have exceptional VIRTUE
…and anyone who opposes me is a RACIST by trying to impose their WHITE SUBURBAN PRIVILEGE upon me…
I see lots of RACIST downvotes!
I do like the wildflowers I must say, remember, in the past if you don’t cut your grass, you were issued a notice, and you might get a violation come on
Do what you want with your yard. Leave my yard out of it.
Who came up with the tree penalty? If I want to cut down trees on my property that is my right. Someone should challenge this ordinance.
No mow may is about the DUMBEST thing I have seen here.
It promotes tick habitats
TLM= Tick Lives Matter…
or…..
MRLLP= Make Ridgewood Look like Paterson
Lets wait for the spike in Lime disease now LOL