Sir David Attenborough issues urgent ‘do not mow’ your grass warning

TV legend Sir David Attenborough has made an urgent appeal to gardeners, calling them not to mow their lawns. The message has been backed by other TV stars too.

Sir David, who grew up in Leicester, has issued the message that he wants people to understand the role of protecting wildflowers and insect pollinators. The 98-year-old broadcaster says this role is even more crucial during the summer months, reports the Mirror.

He said: “Nowhere here is richer in wildflowers and insect pollinators than our traditional hay meadows. Sadly, in the last 60 years, we’ve lost 97 per cent of this precious habitat. But with nature friendly farming, meadows can be restored to provide a haven for wildlife.”

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Sir David’s warning has come with a message about timing. He does not want gardeners to never mow their lawn, but to hold it off for just a little longer.

He said: “It’s all about the timing. Delaying mowing until mid-July allows birds and insects to complete their breeding and flowers to set their seed.”

That message is backed by BBC Gardeners’ World host Monty Don who believes holding off is better. He said: “All spring-flowering bulbs should have completely died back so that long grass can be cut without affecting their display next year.

“At Longmeadow we often wait until August to do this because not all wild flowers have set seed, but by the end of July most wild flower meadows can be safely cut back. The important thing is to remove all the grass, raking up every last piece to compost so that it will not enrich the grass and thus limit next year’s wild flower display.”

Both Sir David and Monty believe it is also important to collect and compost grass clippings after the first mow to avoid enriching the soil too much. Without doing this, they warn it could lead to less desirable, coarser grass growth and potentially harm the diversity of wildflowers.

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