Gardeners 'banned' from weeding in May after stark warning from experts
Gardeners have been 'banned' from weeding in May after experts warned it could have catastrophic consequences
It’s the time of year when weeds pop up on every surface, on driveways and in lawns and threaten to choke out your favourite flowers in raised beds and pots.
But gardeners have been ‘banned’ from weeding for the next two months - because of the devastating effect killing weeds could have.
The warning has been backed by wildlife experts like Sir David Attenborough and nature campaign group Plantlife.
It’s because important pollinators like bees, wasps and even flies and butterflies rely on the pollen in weeds, not just ‘good flowers’ to survive.
While some weeds - like Japanese knotweed - absolutely must be tackled because they are invasive and can even get you into legal trouble if not removed, other run-of-the-mill weeds like dandelions and brambles are hugely important for the food chain.
Insect numbers have dropped by 60 percent in the past 20 years, and if they continue to decline then the whole food chain could collapse because food needs to be pollinated in order to grow.
Dandelions support as many as 50 different species of insects including bees, moths, flie and wasps, and those in turn are eaten by birds.
To protect them, as well as taking part in No Mow May, you can also avoid pulling dandelions and other weeds out of raised beds.
The Wildlife Trust says: “There are an 239 dandelion microspecies recorded in Britain & Ireland and 58 of those are endemic which means that they are only found in the British Isles. Dandelions are central to garden ecosystems, supporting more than fifty different species of insects including bees, moths, flies and wasps. Some of those insects are pollinators and are eaten by birds, so they all play a vital role in the food chains that wildlife relies on.
“By avoiding frequent mowing, dandelions and other wildflowers such as daisies, selfheal, lesser celandine, cowslip, and bird’s-foot-trefoil have a chance to grow and flower, providing nectar and pollen for pollinators. Those without a lawn can still take part by creating mini lawns in containers and pots.”
Gardeners are being urged not to cut lawns until July 15, according to Sir David Attenborough, who asks people to refrain until ‘mid July’, but Gardeners’ World star Monty Don elects for June 21.
