We all want a beautiful, lush lawn full of green grass that is thick and healthy. We have all also heard that we need to cut back grass in the winter for fuller grass in the spring. Though cutting back grass does allow it to grow back thicker, cutting back in spring may be a better option. Here are some benefits to cutting back grass in the spring.
Dormant Grass Helps Wildlife
The first benefit is that when you avoid cutting grass in the winter, those clumps of dormant grass are beneficial to the wildlife in the area where you live. Insects sometimes spend their winter months as eggs, and standing dormant grass is a great place to get that protection. This is also wonderful for ground foragers that do not migrate or hibernate for winter like robins and sparrows.
Dormant grass also provides a place for small animals like rabbits to hide and sleep and protects animals that might not hibernate. Uncut grass provides seed heads for food, cuts down on wind against your home, and benefits the animals that hang around during the cold winter months.
Landscaping
If you have grasses that you are looking to cut back like Pampas grass, this grass holds its form and can help make your landscaping less bare in the winter months. This grass makes the landscaping look a bit more filled out and helps make it look less bleak and drab.
Though these grasses may not be actively growing during the winter months, the fact that they keep their shape will add a bit of visual interest to the landscaping, keeping your landscaping interesting during the winter while other plants are underground and not growing.
Easier To Clean Up
When grasses go dormant, they are tougher, and they will become harder to cut and harder to clean up. As the grasses dry out and have stood for the winter, they are much easier to clean up. This is one of the best grass cutting tips to keep in mind. By waiting until spring, these grasses will be dried out and easier to cut, and the new grasses will have an easier time emerging.
These are just a few benefits of leaving grasses standing during the winter months and waiting to cut them back during the spring. Cutting back grass in spring will be easier, faster, and more beneficial than trying to cut them back at the beginning of the winter. These tips can help you get lush grass during the summer months that will be enviable. Grasses that are allowed to stand over winter can be a bigger benefit than you might imagine.