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This is the third in a series of posts about creating a greener, healthier yard for your family and the planet. Catch the whole series for more.
Now that we've learned about greener methods for making your grass grow and pondered the necessity of a perfectly groomed yard, let's think about what to do when the grass grows too long. While not mowing it at all might be the greenest way to go, it might not be the best option if you want to use your lawn for anything except a wild neighborhood insect reserve. So, if mowing is part of your green lawn, we recommend using push-power and going with a reel mower. These devices, also sometimes called "cylinder mowers" are manually operated, and use blades that rotate around a horizontal axis. Many people believe that they provide the best and healthiest cut a blade of grass can receive, resulting in the greenest lawn around.
Reel Mowers: A Cleaner Choice
Why go for push power over electric or gas? According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average gas-powered lawn mower pumps out as much pollution per hour as 11 automobiles do; while some newer gas-powered mowers use four-stroke engines, many older ones (and some newer models) still employ the dirtier two-stroke variety, belching carbon and particulate emissions at alarmingly fast rates. The Electric Power Research Institute estimates there are 1.3 million gas-powered mowers in the U.S.; if half of these mowers were replaced by reel mowers (or electric mowers charged by renewable energy) it would save emissions equivalent to taking 2 million cars off the road. You can use the EPA's lawn mower exchange program calculator to determine how much pollution you could save by exchanging your gas mower for a human-powered version.
Real World Experience With Reel Mowers
You don't have to take my word for it. Over at TreeHugger, Cars and Transportation editor Mike tested one a reel mower on his parents' lawn. "I expected it to [have] more problems, or at least [be] slower, than their regular gas-powered mower (a noisy and polluting beast, yuck), but was pleasantly surprised," he says. "In fact, I'd say that it went faster than with the gas mower since it's a lot lighter and you can almost jog with it (or at least walk pretty fast). Grass cuttings went back to the lawn, the way it should be, and I did not disturb the neighbors with horrible noise." Since then, he's become a reel mower addict, even doing it "just for fun." In the TreeHugger Forums, users have nothing but good things to say about these push-powered mowers; one user has even been using one for 20 years, and says he'll never go back.
Ready to get started? There's not one but two reel mowers available in the Planet Green shop.
Difficulty level: Easy to moderate
More Lawn Care-Related Reading in Planet Green and TreeHugger
Green Your Yard, Part 1: How Green Is Your Grass?
Green Your Yard, Part 2: Rethinking the Backyard
Minimize the Water You Use on Your Lawn
Use Less Water in Your Garden
How to Go Green: Gardening
Confessions of a Reel Mower Addict
Testing a Human-Powered Lawn Mower
TreeHugger Forums: Guide to using a reel mower
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