Grassland Management
The Council is responsible for a considerable area of grassland across the Borough that needs to be cut between mid-March and the end of October. The cutting is carried out by the grounds maintenance contractor, ID Verde.
Why Relaxed Mowing?
In some areas, particularly where trees are being planted, the Council has started to cut the grass less often resulting in a more naturalised appearance. This is to help nature recover from ongoing decline. Relaxed mowing and tree planting are also nature-based solutions to combat climate change.
a. Helping nature recover
Letting grass grow longer has benefits for local wildlife:
• encouraging the growth of wildflowers that benefit pollinators like bees and butterflies
• producing seeds that provide food for birds and small mammals or germinate to become new plants
• providing habitats for insects and shelter for other small animals
b. Protect against climate change
Growing trees absorb the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere that causes climate change and relaxed mowing will benefit these trees in a number of ways:
• preventing the vigorous growth of newly cut grass that would increase competition for moisture and nutrients in the soil
• reducing the risk of mower damage
Where the cuttings are left behind they will provide mulch:
• replacing the need for herbicides such as Glyphosate
• fertilising the soil
• retaining moisture in the soil
• increasing the ambient temperature of the soil around the root system meaning a longer growing season
• helping reduce compaction of the soil
Reducing climate change is also important to protect the trees from the threats of climate change such as extreme weather and new tree diseases. Healthier trees will be more resilient.
Relaxed mowing will also increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil.
Less fuel will be used for the mowing equipment producing fewer emissions.
c. Adapt to climate change
Green open space plays an important role in helping adapt to climate change and relaxed mowing can contribute to this by:
• absorbing more rainwater to help reduce the risk of flooding
• improving water quality
The Relaxed Mowing Regime
If an area is being managed specifically as a wildflower meadow it will generally be cut once in late summer or early autumn and the cuttings will be collected and removed after they have dried out. This allows the flowers to bloom and then produce seed before the cut is made. The cuttings are removed to reduce the soil fertility. This benefits the wildflowers over more dominant species such as vigorous grasses, nettles, thistles and docks.
Other areas may be cut more frequently if required.
Getting the Balance Right
This new approach does not mean that all of the Parks and Open Spaces will remain uncut. It is an attempt to balance the many demands being placed on our green open spaces. There will still be plenty of mown space for people to sit and relax, play football and enjoy a picnic.