Mowing
Our teams use several methods to care for plants and manage vegetation. Mowing is one of these methods.
Mowing management
Mowing schedules and methods vary based on the type of land, location, weather, plant growth, safety needs, and nearby properties. Mowing practices for open spaces and parks can be broken down six ways:
| Mowing category | What is mowed | Frequency | Width | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Open space trail mowing |
Vegetation along the edges of open space trails | At least 3 times per year, depending on the growing season | 2 to 4 feet | May-October |
|
Parks native perimeter mowing |
Vegetation along sidewalks and trails on unirrigated park property | 4 to 6 times per year | 4 to 6 feet | May-October |
|
Open space perimeter mowing |
Vegetation between select City-owned open space and private property | 2 to 3 times per year, depending on the growing season | 12 to 30 feet, depending on the location and appearance | Mid-June Mid-October. May also take place in August |
|
Parks area native mowing |
The full area of unirrigated park property | 7 to 9 times per year | Edge to edge | May-October |
|
Parks area bluegrass mowing |
Irrigated turf areas in parks | Once per week | Edge to edge | April-October |
|
Parks median maintenance |
Native grasses in renovated street medians | As needed for sight lines and grass height, about every 4 to 6 weeks. | Varies | May-October |
Please note: The new medians are a mixture of buffalo grass, blue grama grass, and annual rye grass and are maintained at approximately 6-8" tall.
City of Louisville mowing map
Other management methods:
Additionally, the team employs other management methods, including:
- Regenerative grazing by cattle and goats (Spring and Fall).
- Mechanical Vegetation Management. For example, mowing, trimming, and excavating.
- Native seed sowing (Spring and Fall).
- Vegetation bio-control by insects and fungus (Spring).
- Maintenance of trees and urban forest canopies. For example, branch and plot thinning.
- Solarization of vegetation.
Questions
For questions about mowing practices, email Miranda.