7 ms·

> I thought that was really interesting (and obviously wouldn't work in other countries). I don't know about other countries, but in Poland you're just not req

by badpun 1mo ago

> I thought that was really interesting (and obviously wouldn't work in other countries). I don't know about other countries, but in Poland you're just not required to cut down your lawn at all, unless it's a fire hazard (you have a lot of dead and dried up plants).

graemep 1mo ago
I think legal requirements are a US thing. I had only heard of it in HOA run places though. Here in the UK there are no usually legal requirements, but it might be a social problem as your neighbours will not like it.
- voakbasda 1mo ago
  Not just HOAs. Talk grass allows insects and vermin to move more freely. In cities, this contributes to their spread, so some places have city-wide ordinances that require lawn maintenance.
  - nsvd2 1mo ago
    How terrifying that a bit of nature may be near a person! Better cover it with roundup so they don't have to suffer the horror of seeing a spider
    - FuriouslyAdrift 1mo ago
      Rat and mice infestations are not fun. I have had enough trouble dealing with my pollinator and monarch butterfly habitats and mice. I actually TRY to get rabbits and squirrels but mice go after their babies.
    - horsawlarway 1mo ago
      I mean, I get it - I somewhat agree with your take, but this is somewhat of a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" case. I think you undermine your argument when you don't understand the complaint. Because I'd also like to see a lot more native plants, and less manicured, mono-culture yards with poison sprayed all over them. But at least in my area, the problem isn't "oh look a spider"... it's "oh shit, that house is collapsing because of termites", and "Oh shit, my neighbor's mom's house just burned down because rats chewed through the wiring in the walls", and "Fuck me! That's hogweed growing in that yard! Time to call the city". Pests are a real concern - they cause lots of monetary damage, and can seriously injure or hurt people if not monitored. Does that mean we should nuke everything with chemicals and make a sterile hellscape? No - I don't think it does. But it doesn't pay to be dismissive either.
      - anon84873628 1mo ago
        The complaint is not well founded and doesn't explain how native landscapes make the problem any worse. A healthy ecosystem with owls, snakes, and coyotes will keep rodents in check. But well before that point, the ubiquitous feral domestic cats usually wreak havoc on pests and songbirds alike. Not to mention that most of the problem starts with bad food storage and waste management in the first place, not tall grasses or a few fruit trees (hence the flocks of pigeons and seagulls around parking lot dumpsters). Plus, no one is trying to stop you from tenting houses for termites, which are meditated by landscape practices like mulch and irrigation rather than the types of plants themselves.
        horsawlarway 1mo ago
        The above post fails to distinguish between unmaintained and native. Native is great. I'm with you entirely. Failure to maintain the space is not. That causes expensive and annoying problems.
    - quickthrowman 1mo ago
      Most city code about turfgrass lawns mandates cutting them if you have one. If you don’t want to maintain a lawn by keeping it trimmed, rip it out. It’s a non-native monoculture, allowing it to grow un-maintained is uh, stupid. Rip the sod out and plant clover and daisies, problem solved. My city also requires “noxious weeds” to be removed, which is a state requirement that the city inherited/adopted: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/minnesota-noxious-weed-list https://www.mda.state.mn.us/minnesota-noxious-weed-list It’s comprised of invasive species like Japanese knotweed and buckthorn and others I am unfamiliar with. Our State Parks and also private landowners use goats to get rid of buckthorn similar to other places. That being said, city code in my city would allow you to replace a grass law with clover or native plants/grasses or landscaping or wooded areas, etc. The code simply says “If you have a grass lawn you must cut it if the grass generates seeds or is 8” long.”
- tobinfricke 1mo ago
  Apparently this text is part of the "International Property Management Code", which is incorporated into the municipal code of many cities? https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IPMC2024P1/chapter-3-general-requirements?utm_source=chatgpt.com#IPMC2024P1_Ch03_Sec302.4 https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IPMC2024P1/chapter-3-gener...
  - graemep 1mo ago
    So not just HOAs but very much US?
    - quickthrowman 1mo ago
      Generally, property in places where the landscape is well-maintained is worth substantially more than property where half the lawns are uncut and the fence lines are overgrown with weeds. The US is a land of individualists who also have most of their wealth tied up in their homes so property ordinances are popular, despite the “I can do whatever I want” attitude of American culture.
    - CRConrad 1mo ago
      Obviously, as can be seen from the word "International" in the name. (See also: "World League", etc, etc ad nauseam.)
- quickthrowman 1mo ago
  There are municipalities in the US with lawn ordinances, mine has one. > Tall Grass and Weeds > Weeds or grass more than eight inches high or that have gone to seed must be cut or mowed. Noxious weeds, as defined by the state Department of Agriculture, must be controlled or destroyed completely. Source: https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/safety-inspections/rent-buy-sell-property/maintaining-your-property/property-code-enforcement https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/safety-inspections/rent-b... A lawn is not required, but if you have one, the grass must be cut if it seeds or is more than 8” long.

by badpun 1mo ago

graemep 1mo ago

I think legal requirements are a US thing. I had only heard of it in HOA run places though. Here in the UK there are no usually legal requirements, but it might be a social problem as your neighbours will not like it.

voakbasda 1mo ago
Not just HOAs. Talk grass allows insects and vermin to move more freely. In cities, this contributes to their spread, so some places have city-wide ordinances that require lawn maintenance.
- nsvd2 1mo ago
  How terrifying that a bit of nature may be near a person! Better cover it with roundup so they don't have to suffer the horror of seeing a spider
  - FuriouslyAdrift 1mo ago
    Rat and mice infestations are not fun. I have had enough trouble dealing with my pollinator and monarch butterfly habitats and mice. I actually TRY to get rabbits and squirrels but mice go after their babies.
  - horsawlarway 1mo ago
    I mean, I get it - I somewhat agree with your take, but this is somewhat of a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" case. I think you undermine your argument when you don't understand the complaint. Because I'd also like to see a lot more native plants, and less manicured, mono-culture yards with poison sprayed all over them. But at least in my area, the problem isn't "oh look a spider"... it's "oh shit, that house is collapsing because of termites", and "Oh shit, my neighbor's mom's house just burned down because rats chewed through the wiring in the walls", and "Fuck me! That's hogweed growing in that yard! Time to call the city". Pests are a real concern - they cause lots of monetary damage, and can seriously injure or hurt people if not monitored. Does that mean we should nuke everything with chemicals and make a sterile hellscape? No - I don't think it does. But it doesn't pay to be dismissive either.
    - anon84873628 1mo ago
      The complaint is not well founded and doesn't explain how native landscapes make the problem any worse. A healthy ecosystem with owls, snakes, and coyotes will keep rodents in check. But well before that point, the ubiquitous feral domestic cats usually wreak havoc on pests and songbirds alike. Not to mention that most of the problem starts with bad food storage and waste management in the first place, not tall grasses or a few fruit trees (hence the flocks of pigeons and seagulls around parking lot dumpsters). Plus, no one is trying to stop you from tenting houses for termites, which are meditated by landscape practices like mulch and irrigation rather than the types of plants themselves.
      - horsawlarway 1mo ago
        The above post fails to distinguish between unmaintained and native. Native is great. I'm with you entirely. Failure to maintain the space is not. That causes expensive and annoying problems.
  - quickthrowman 1mo ago
    Most city code about turfgrass lawns mandates cutting them if you have one. If you don’t want to maintain a lawn by keeping it trimmed, rip it out. It’s a non-native monoculture, allowing it to grow un-maintained is uh, stupid. Rip the sod out and plant clover and daisies, problem solved. My city also requires “noxious weeds” to be removed, which is a state requirement that the city inherited/adopted: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/minnesota-noxious-weed-list https://www.mda.state.mn.us/minnesota-noxious-weed-list It’s comprised of invasive species like Japanese knotweed and buckthorn and others I am unfamiliar with. Our State Parks and also private landowners use goats to get rid of buckthorn similar to other places. That being said, city code in my city would allow you to replace a grass law with clover or native plants/grasses or landscaping or wooded areas, etc. The code simply says “If you have a grass lawn you must cut it if the grass generates seeds or is 8” long.”
tobinfricke 1mo ago
Apparently this text is part of the "International Property Management Code", which is incorporated into the municipal code of many cities? https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IPMC2024P1/chapter-3-general-requirements?utm_source=chatgpt.com#IPMC2024P1_Ch03_Sec302.4 https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IPMC2024P1/chapter-3-gener...
- graemep 1mo ago
  So not just HOAs but very much US?
  - quickthrowman 1mo ago
    Generally, property in places where the landscape is well-maintained is worth substantially more than property where half the lawns are uncut and the fence lines are overgrown with weeds. The US is a land of individualists who also have most of their wealth tied up in their homes so property ordinances are popular, despite the “I can do whatever I want” attitude of American culture.
  - CRConrad 1mo ago
    Obviously, as can be seen from the word "International" in the name. (See also: "World League", etc, etc ad nauseam.)
quickthrowman 1mo ago
There are municipalities in the US with lawn ordinances, mine has one. > Tall Grass and Weeds > Weeds or grass more than eight inches high or that have gone to seed must be cut or mowed. Noxious weeds, as defined by the state Department of Agriculture, must be controlled or destroyed completely. Source: https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/safety-inspections/rent-buy-sell-property/maintaining-your-property/property-code-enforcement https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/safety-inspections/rent-b... A lawn is not required, but if you have one, the grass must be cut if it seeds or is more than 8” long.