What Did I Learn? - Height of Vegetation

What I Learned? – Height of Vegetation

Hi Rock Hall Brandee, here with some more information I learned. The topic of the day is the height of vegetation, or how most of us know it by mowing the lawn or cutting the grass. Driving around town the past week I have noticed a lot of beautiful well-maintained lawns, and some that need some extra attention.

As most of you are aware, Rock Hall has an ordinance about the height of vegetation not being taller than 12 inches. So, it got me thinking, why would a town have such an ordinance. Some reasons are obvious like, having an unkempt and unattractive yard diminishes property curb appeal, and we all want our town to look attractive, but there are so many other reasons.

Not maintaining your lawn leads to overgrowth, thatch buildup, and increased pests.  Cutting your grass will help in root development, giving you a healthier and stronger root system. This helps the grass to withstand stresses, such as drought, extreme temperatures, and heavy foot traffic. Cutting your grass is a great practice for weed control and thatch prevention. By preventing thatch buildup, you allow proper airflow, and the nutrients can soak in for a healthy lawn.  Cutting your grass can be an effective pest control method, tall grass can be a breeding ground for insects, so by cutting tall grass you can reduce their habitats and less appealing for those critters.

Plus, there are environmental benefits, did you realize leaving your grass clippings on the lawn acts as a natural fertilizer, they call it grass-cycling. Also cutting your grass can reduce carbon dioxide levels and increase oxygen production and can prevent soil erosion by allowing water to get deeper in the ground, this benefits local ecosystems and water quality.

These are great reasons for us to have this regulation in our ordinance. And…here’s a few tips; mow regularly, sharpen blades often, change up your pattern, and don’t forget to mulch clippings or grass-cycling.

I invite you to read more about Height of Vegetation in Chapter 157, Article 2 L(2) of the town code. You can find it on our website, https://ecode360.com/10149313, or I have attached the PDF below for your convenience.

If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to give me a call at 410-639-7611, ext. 104 or shoot me an email at bvaughan@rockhallmd.com

Stay tuned for more of What I Learned?