Final answer:
The concept that turfgrasses need at least one month of no mowing annually to produce seed is generally false, as frequent mowing in managed areas often prevents them from reaching the flowering stage necessary for seed production.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that at least one month annually turfgrasses should not be mowed so that seed can be produced is not entirely accurate and is generally considered false. Grasses have developed various strategies regarding the timing of seed production, often in response to environmental pressures like mowing.
A land manager noticed that the mowing is preventing the grass from reproducing, causing the mowed field to adapt by flowering earlier. However, mowing stabilizes the flowering time, and this adjustment can counteract the expected behavior of grasses flowering later as they age (d).
In grass fields where regular mowing occurs, grasses may indeed flower earlier in the season in anticipation of being mowed. This is the grass's way of ensuring that it can reproduce before the mowing occurs.
However, in most situations, regular lawn care regimens involve frequent mowing that does not allow for the grasses to reach maturity and produce seeds, especially in managed turfgrass systems like lawns and sports fields. As such, continuous mowing throughout the growing season typically prevents seed production.