A new study says mowing a vacant lot once or twice a year can actually lead to more allergy-causing weeds than leaving it untouched. University of Michigan (UM) researchers collected ragweed pollen counts from several neighborhoods in Detroit, which has one of the highest percentages of abandoned properties in the nation. The scientists found that lots that were left alone had less ragweed than those that had been mowed annually or semi-annually. Ragweed is one of the most common triggers for seasonal allergies.
"When we surveyed vacant lots, we found that some mowing is worse than no mowing," said researcher Daniel Katz, in a University of Michigan news release. "This is because occasional mowing, say once a year or once every other year, creates the disturbed conditions in which ragweed plants thrive."
According to the release, the Detroit Blight Removal Task Force reported 114,033 vacant lots in the city in a May survey. Detroit property managers typically try to mow each vacant lot once or twice a year, but the UM researchers are advocating against that practice.
While 70 percent of the semi-annually mowed properties harbored ragweed, only 28 percent of the lots that were never mowed did. Experts say that mowing must be relatively constant to keep ragweed at bay. Allowing total "reforestation," in which no mowing takes place, forces ragweed to compete with other naturally growing plants. Periodic disruptions, on the other hand, knock down other weeds and create ideal conditions for ragweed to thrive.
The UM's School of Natural Resources and Environment conducted the research.
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