A lush, beautiful lawn looks like a dream come true until it’s time to mow. During the peak growing season, lawns sometimes need mowing as often as once a week, and the job is time consuming in the event that you have a huge yard. To mow less often, try planting slow-growing grasses, applying growth inhibitors, not fertilizing or installing artificial turf.
Slow Growers
Some grasses naturally develop more slowly than others, therefore replacing your current grass with these varieties may drastically reduces mowing frequency. Fescues, for example, need mowing just four times per year. Some species to attempt include hard fescue (*Festuca longifolia*), chewings fescue (*Festuca rubra var. commutata*) and creeping red fescue (*Festuca rubra var. Rubra*), all which thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 through 7, but can be grown successfully in a Mediterranean climate. You might also consider replacing your grass using a green alternative which doesn’t grow as tall, like clover (*Trifolium repens*), that rises in USDA zones 3 through 10.
Growth Inhibitors
Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are available at almost any hardware store and may be used to chemically slow the growth speed of your grass up to 50 percent. Ideally, you should start looking for PGRs labeled as Type I, as these slow plant growth by retarding cell division and are absorbed easily through the plant’s leaves. Common substances in this class include mefluidide, chlorflurenol, and maleic hydrazide. Avoid using other Type I inhibitors which are actually herbicides and may do more harm than good or Type II inhibitors which require root absorption and work more slowly. Plant growth regulators can easily be sprayed onto your lawn, but take your time and be thorough when applying, as any grass you miss will not be impacted. Keep children and animals away from the grass immediately after spraying and never spray on windy days.
Withhold Affection
If you fuss over your lawn, stop. Watering and fertilizing both promote faster growth and more mowing. Let your grass grow at its own pace instead of encouraging it. In many parts of the country, grass will go dormant during the hottest part of the summer if left unwatered and will slow or stop its growth on its own without the compound intervention of PGRs. Even though a watered and fed lawn looks great, it requires more upkeep than you may be able or willing to supply.
Fake It
Unless you have a stringent homeowner association to contend with, there’s absolutely no reason that your grass has to be real. Artificial turf grasses are available in a wide array of green hues along with varying degrees of softness. Artificial turf looks much more realistic than it ever used to, so you really can have a gorgeous lawn that looks amazing and remains soft on your bare feet with no requirement to mow at all.