Hi I’m Elliott. This is Mental Floss on YouTube. Today I’m going to talk about some
misconceptions about your lawn. Specifically, YOUR lawn. Isn't that crazy?
Misconception #1: Brown grass is dead. Brown can mean one of two things: dead or
dormant. Grass typically turns brown, a result of dormancy, over the winter. When spring
arrives, this can be fixed with water and it will go back to green. Usually all it takes
is the change in weather.
Misconception #2: If you cut your grass really short, it’ll take longer to grow back.
Some people try to save themselves from more mowing sessions by cutting grass super, super
short. But this actually has the opposite effect than intended. Many experts claim that
grass that’s cut too short grows back FASTER. Plus, doing this puts it at risk of becoming
unhealthy and then you have to worry about weeds taking over your lawn. And nobody wants
that. The best way to avoid this is by mowing more often and only removing like, one-third
of the grass’s length at a time.
Misconception #3: The best way to get a green lawn is by using fertilizer.
While fertilizer does help, there are other factors involved when it comes to having a
nice, pretty green lawn you can brag to your neighbors about. For example, there are different
turfgrass species and some are different colors than others. A good way to get the lawn color
that you actually want is to do some research. One organization to check out is the National
Turfgrass Evaluation Program, which works with the U.S. Department of Agriculture every
year to evaluate turfgrass color, quality, et cetera.
Misconception #4: Fertilizing should be done in the spring.
When you should fertilize depends on where you live. But, lots of people get way too
overeager and then do it way too early. Many experts recommend you wait until April, May,
or even early June. It’s best to let grass regrow itself naturally before piling on the
fertilizer. Which is another word for fancy poo.
Misconception #5: Dethatching should be done in the spring.
Depending on where you live, experts generally recommend that this activity wait until summer.
Some even claim that you can wait until fall. This is for the same reason that you shouldn’t
fertilize in the spring: the grass is in the middle of its regrowth process. You don't
interrupt it, y'all. You also shouldn’t dethatch while it’s very hot outside or
very dry.
Misconception #6: Lawns should be watered daily.
Again, keep in mind that lawns can be different based on your location. But a typical one
requires around 1 to 1.5 inches of water weekly. But that doesn’t mean that you have to water
it every single day or leave a sprinkler running at all times! Water your lawn a couple days
a week, but be aware of the conditions outside. On particularly rainy weeks, it might not
require any additional water.
Misconception #7: Clovers are useless and should be weeded immediately.
First of all, that's very mean. For a long time, clover has been considered a weed that
should be removed from lawns. But, nowadays, more people are embracing them and keeping
them around. Come on guys, join the clover movement. Clovers are both drought-tolerant
and unpleasant to pests. Plus, they help fertilize a lawn through nitrogen fixation -- they get
nitrogen from the air and store it in their roots. That's pretty cool.
Misconception #8: You should remove clippings after mowing the lawn.
Grasscycling is actually recommended. The leftover lawn clippings can do about 25% of
fertilization for your lawn. This makes sense when you consider the properties of grass:
around 80% water, plus a bunch of fertilizing nitrogen. And, grasscycling is super good
for the environment as it means less grass clippings taking up space in landfills.
Misconception #9: Wearing cleats while mowing will help aerate the lawn.
In theory, this makes sense. But, most cleats and golf shoes have spikes shorter than ½
an inch. That’s barely enough to make an impact in your lawn. Plus, according to experts,
5% of a lawn must be aerified for it to actually count. A typical person in cleats who’s
pushing a lawn mower around will only impact around .04% of the yard.
Misconception #10: Moles, ants, and/or worms are ruining my lawn.
Speaking of aeration, moles actually aerate your lawn better than you can with your cleats.
Also, contrary to popular belief, moles aren’t eating your grass or its roots -- they’re
just searching for insects to eat. It's just kind of what they do. So, maybe they’re
ruining the APPEARANCE of your lawn, but they’re keeping it healthy at the same time. As for
ants, they help aerate your lawn too. Plus, they help with water infiltration. Worms do
the same thing. And they leave behind lots of useful phosphorus. Plus, they're, like,
kinda cute. I mean, they're gross, but in a cute way.
Thanks for watching Misconceptions on Mental Floss on YouTube, which is made with the help
of all these wonderful people. If you have a topic for an upcoming Misconceptions episode
that you’d like to see, leave it in comments and we'll take a look at it. I'll see you
next week!