Ask Lyn: Why did they mow down those prairies?
Monday, August 25, 2025
Dear Lyn,
I’ve been learning about how important native plants and prairies are for wildlife, pollinators, and clean water. I love watching local businesses and schools add them to their properties. But I was disappointed to see that some of these prairies were recently mowed down! What can we do?
Sincerely,
Passionate About Prairies
Dear Passionate About Prairies,
I understand your concerns! It can be alarming to see established plants mowed down. And one of the benefits of prairies is that they don’t need as much mowing as turf grass. However, in the first few years, infrequent mowing is an important and cost-effective maintenance tool!
There is a term in gardening called “Sleep, Creep, and Leap” years. This means that it takes about 3 years for plants to really establish and bloom at their full potential. The first year they sleep and work mostly underground establishing their root systems. The second year, they creep. They are slowly extending their foliage and beginning to flower more. The third year they leap forward with significant growth, reaching their full foliage and flower potential. Until they are fully established mowing is used to help give them their best chance.
The first benefit of strategic mowing is to reduce annual weed populations. When mowed down before going to seed, we reduce the weeds’ ability to spread.
Another benefit is light! Prairie grasses and wildflowers grow much slower than their weedy counterparts. Because the weeds grow faster than the native plants, they can block out the sun. When we mow these weeds down it allows light to get down to the slower growing native plants to help them get established. In total you may need to mow 1-3 times in year 1, and once in years 2 and 3. This is much less than turf grass, and you get the benefit of creating habitat and helping to filter stormwater as well!
So do not be alarmed to see some mowing over the next few years! It’s all part of creating thriving prairies.
Thanks for asking,
Lyn
