Win - Win: Cut Your Lawn Less and Save the Bay

Keep grass 3 inches or taller, save your lawn and the bay

If you’re looking to save your lawn and the Chesapeake Bay, start with cutting your grass higher this summer.

The Audubon Society is part of a pilot project along with the University of Maryland on public attitudes and practices toward sustainable lawn care.

Organizers say studies show mowing at 3 inches prevents weed problems, contributes to a healthy root system and promotes drought, disease and insect resistance. It also prevents runoff of soil, fertilizers and chemicals.

Lawns are important to bay restoration efforts because grass covers more acres in the six-state bay watershed than any other crop. Many homeowners use fertilizer to help lawns grow, which harms water quality when it reaches the bay.

You don't have to convince me to mow my lawn less. I'd like to do it all in and get ground covers that don't require constant care.  If it weren't so hard to kill a lawn deliberately...

Incidentally, following the link at the bottom of the article (http://www.growinggreenlawns.org) got me to this link, which is where, in the bulletin on chiggers I found the following advice...

The easiest and most effective long term solution to chigger infestations is vegetation management. Keep lawns cut low and vegetation pruned to allow air circulation.

I guess one bureau doesn't know what the other is recommending...