Reduction of grass mowing in Lviv: the first results
This year, in Lviv, following the European model, they took a course to reduce the mowing of grass on city lawns. At the end of spring, 14 test locations were identified in the city, where the grass was either not mowed, or the frequency of mowing was reduced.
The Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the city says that the effect is already noticeable: the city has become greener, and there is less dust on the streets. However, there are also locations where regular mowing is necessary.
“This year, we managed to reduce lawn mowing in parks and districts of Lviv. What is important, all mowings are coordinated with the gardeners. They are present at organizational meetings in district administrations and know where and when they plan to mow. Therefore, gardeners examine these areas and give their recommendations. We talked with the districts so that mowing was not carried out in hot weather, and increased the height of the mowing,” says the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Lviv City Council.
14 test locations have been identified in Lviv, where the grass will not be cut this year. This is Kulparkivskyi Square, the intersection of St. Stryyska – Rubchaka, str. Rubchaka, Kulchytska square (5 plots where grass is not mowed), industrial zone st. Lypinsky – Mykolaichuk, from St. Mykolaychuk to Holoskivskyi cemetery (the grass is not cut on both sides of the sidewalk).
They also reduced the number of mowing in the industrial zone of St. Shevchenko, on the street B. Khmelnytsky from building #198 to #202, in the park named after Verbytsky, in the park on Polubotka Street, street Kavaleridze, str. Polubotka, 29, str. Stryyska, 99. In addition, the grass was not mowed until August in the 700th anniversary park in several areas near the street. Torfyana and in the “Zalizna Voda” park, on the territory of the Reringa greenhouses. Therefore, at the end of the year, after analyzing their condition, they will determine whether to increase the number of such plots next year.
The arguments why you shouldn’t mow the grass are that lawns retain dust, as well as respect for biodiversity and the balance of the ecosystem, experts say. Although, as emphasized in the Department of Ecology, tall grass should not be left in all locations. There are areas where mowing the grass is mandatory. This applies, in particular, to parterre lawns.
“It is also important to understand that the city has specific lawns that require mowing. There are such lawns in the Halytskyi district and in several parks. This is, for example, the lawn on the square. The market, near TsNAP, and on Svoboda Ave. They have artificial irrigation and have a specially sown mixture of grasses that are “harmed” by the height. These lawns should be mowed once every two weeks. After all, if they are mowed too late, the grass may turn yellow and then it will be difficult to resuscitate it,” the management added.
Residents are also invited to give their suggestions regarding the expediency of mowing near their homes.
“For example, if there is a lawn near the house where children play and the residents do not like the fact that the grass is not mowed, they can contact the Hotline about this. Then the gardener will come, look and determine whether it is worth mowing and how to organize it correctly. Therefore, we encourage residents to join this process in order to make our city comfortable and green together,” explains the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the LMR.