Mowingmower in the park

We mow 4,660 acres of grass or turf throughout the Park System through:

  • Periodic mowing of general park turf
  • Mechanical trimming around all trees, shrubs and other structures
  • Mowing, fertilizing and aeration of high visibility/high usage turf or where ice rink operations kill the turf

We divide turf areas into three management standards:

Athletic Field Turf

We maintain 430 acres of athletic field turf on a daily to weekly basis, depending on usage.

  • Baseball, softball, football, soccer and cricket fields
  • Basketball, horseshoe, shuffleboard, tennis and volleyball courts
  • Archery ranges

Grass height is maintained at a height of 2.5 to 3 inches for designated athletic fields.

General Park Turf

We maintain 2,080 acres of general park turf less frequently than athletic field turf.

We cut grass to a height of 3 inches on a regular basis as time and weather allows, but grass height may exceed 5 inches at times. This standard applies to most of the Park System including neighborhood parks, boulevards, parkways and active use areas within regional parks.

Reduced Mow Areas

We maintain some park lands through mowing on an infrequent basis. These areas include steep hillsides, erosion prone slopes, shorelines and park lands that are not intensively maintained.

Goals for reduced mow areas include:

  • Maintaining park user safety and sight line visibility
  • Reducing the spread of invasive and problem plant species
  • Reducing mowing frequency in erosion prone areas

Storm Response

Learn how our forestry crews respond when severe storms damage trees.

Pest and Herbicide Management

We use natural and least-harmful ways to reduce pests and their effect on our parks. Our Integrated Pest Management [PDF] strategy focuses on controlling or preventing pest problems with the smallest possible impact on human health, the environment and other organisms.

Mosquitoes

Metropolitan Mosquito Control monitors and controls mosquito populations in the seven county metro area including Minneapolis. Call 651-645-9149 or visit www.mmcd.org for more information.

Call 612-230-6400 or email maintenance@minneapolisparks.org for more information or to report a concern.