About No Mow Lawn
A Drought Tolerant, Low Maintenance Lawn Alternative
Prairie Nursery developed the original No Mow Lawn seed mix in 1994, as a sustainable alternative to the traditional high-resource-input lawn. A specially designed blend of fine fescue grasses, No Mow forms a lush green carpet of grass in full sun or partial shade.
No Mow Lawn withstands moderate foot traffic. The dense fescue root system inhibits weed growth. Deep-rooted – up to 9" deep – the fescues in No Mow enhance drought resistance by reducing water loss and reaching deeper water reserves. The complementary blend of bunch-forming and creeping fescues makes No Mow Lawn Seed Mix a versatile choice for a wide variety applications. The bunch grasses are exceptionally drought resistant, thrive in low nitrogen soils, and have moderate tolerance to heavy foot traffic. The creeping fescues spread gradually by underground rhizomes to help fill in between the bunch grasses to create a weed-resistant sod. The creeping fescues help fill-in areas that may experience turf damage.
A cool-season lawn, No Mow grows during spring and fall, when the temperatures are cooler. Because of this cool-season growth, mowing twice a year is a popular approach – once in late spring when the seed heads appear, and then again in fall. The minimum height for mowing is 3.5 - 4 inches. Mowing shorter than the recommended height can damage and kill the fescue grasses. Left un-mowed, the fescues in No Mow will lay down and form a soft, attractive mat of deep green grass. Once established, No Mow is a slow growing, low maintenance lawn for large or small landscapes.
No Mow Lawn:
- Establishes Quickly
- Forms a thick flowing carpet of grass
- Reduces mowing to twice a year
- Requires little if any watering, once established
- Inhibits weed invasion with its dense root system
- Requires no fertilizers or chemical treatment
- Withstands moderate foot traffic
- Thrives in full sun or partial shade in any well-drained soil
An Eco Lawn Alternative
A truly healthy lawn is one that can be enjoyed by all, without worrying about the effects of contact with weed-killing chemicals or aggressive fertilizers. The application of nitrogen fertilizers can actually damage fine fescue turf, and is strongly discouraged. No Mow grass is particularly well suited to growing on dry, sandy or rocky soils with low nitrogen levels. Additional fertilization is not needed to support the growth of a healthy No Mow turf.
Next article: No Mow Planting Zones, Conditions and Seeding Rates