If you're tired of mowing your lawn or paying someone else to do it, here's a great excuse to skip a couple of days or even weeks.
Former BBC reporter Nigel Witham (@NigelWitham) showed on X why skipping the mowing routine during high temperatures might be a good idea.
Using an infrared thermometer to measure the difference in temperature between mown paths and the unmown areas in my garden pic.twitter.com/2OAjxg7EWP
— Nigel Witham (@NigelWitham) June 12, 2023
Pictures in the post show an infrared thermometer's readings with dramatic temperature differences between nearby areas of his yard. In the unmowed area of the yard, the temperature reached around 25.5 degrees Celsius (78 F). In contrast, the mowed section was a sweltering 34.3 degrees Celsius (94 F).
The heat island effect is what's responsible for this difference. Materials like grass (and lots of it) can keep cooler temperatures compared to metal or cement, which store heat.
While the mowed area got hot, an X user showed an even worse alternative. The temperature disparity between their grass and a neighbor's synthetic turf was a staggering 50 degrees: their neighbor's lawn hit a scorching 126.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
That can be bad news for pets and children who wander onto the turf. It can also make people more susceptible to dehydration and heat stroke on hot days.
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The conversation on X highlighted the benefits of letting nature do its part. Letting the grass grow a little longer is one way to do it. As a bonus, it'll save you a lot of noise and air pollution if you're reliant on a gas mower.
For an even more sustainable approach, homeowners may consider replacing traditional lawns with native plants, clover, buffalo grass, or xeriscaping. Such alternatives lower maintenance and water bills and support wildlife and improve environmental health. Even partial lawn replacements can offer these benefits.
Comments were surprised by the huge disparity on hand.
"Now this is interesting," one reacted.
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Would you be willing to let your yard grow wild? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
I already have 😎 "We need to keep grass longer to keep the soil cooler," another user suggested. "If the soil is too hot and dry it gets damaged and in some scenarios it won't recover."
"Left our lawn to grow and it was easily the coolest place to sit [on] the weekend," an X user shared before revealing a surprise. "Also good for white cats who think you can't see them!"
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