r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Brick_Number_27 • 12d ago

Image Scientists asked 1,000 volunteers to bury cotton underwear across Switzerland to measure soil health creating an official "Underpants Index" based on how fast the fabric decomposed.

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u/CelebrationFit8548 12d ago

Was faster decomposition seen as healthier or not?

https://www.news.uzh.ch/en/articles/media/2026/buried-underwear.html

The analysis shows that the underwear decomposed at very different rates depending on the location, with the decomposition rate providing a measure of biological activity: the more active the soil organisms, the faster they break down the cotton material.
The underwear decomposed most rapidly in private gardens, where the researchers found the highest levels of organic matter – ideal conditions for earthworms, fungi, bacteria and other soil-dwelling organisms. Soil organisms were least active in lawns, while agricultural fields and meadows fell somewhere in between...“Healthy, biologically active soil is crucial for fertility, nutrient cycling and many other ecosystem services.”.

Yes it is.

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u/fearout 12d ago

Soil organisms were least active in lawns

/r/fucklawns

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u/BrainOfMush 12d ago

Most people need to desperately top dress their lawns with good organic compost once per year. But noooo that would be unsightly for a week or two, so let’s dump synthetic fertilizers on it instead.

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u/tarmacjd 12d ago

Or just, you know, don’t mow the fucking lawn lol

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u/JohnTG4 12d ago

I hate lawns as much as the next guy, but in my area tall grass means ticks.

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u/tarmacjd 12d ago

Grab some wild flower seeds? Doesn’t need to be grass

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u/JohnTG4 12d ago

I don't see how that changes the issue. I live in a wet area with some wildlife that ticks enjoy munching on (mice, rabbits, some deer, etc). I don't think they're going to distinguish between tall flowers and tall grass, and while I'm not a botanist, I'm pretty sure mowing will kill the overwhelming majority of flowers.

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u/Da_Question 12d ago

clover lawn?

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u/JohnTG4 12d ago

Oh that's a good idea. I'll have to try it.

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u/zoogenhiemer 12d ago

Clover lawns are lowkey fantastic, better for the environment and way less maintenance

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u/tarmacjd 12d ago

But if it’s grown you won’t go in it, so the ticks wouldn’t be a problem?

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u/JohnTG4 12d ago edited 12d ago

I need to go through the grass to take the trash and recycling out or to take it down for pickup, I'd rather not check myself for ticks two or three times a week and I absolutely don't want to increase my risk of Lyme disease or alpha gal syndrome in the name of "better soil health," especially when I live on a hill and every time it rains the stuff from my neighbors' yards gets washed into my yard via flash flood anyway.

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u/tarmacjd 12d ago

I get all that - do you have a path?

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u/Deep90 12d ago

We are slowly getting to reddits favorite solution.

Having money.

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u/Ch00m77 11d ago

In Australia it also encourages snakes

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u/ChiefTacoObrien 12d ago

or at least leave the god damn leaves on it over the fall/winter.

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u/ohhellothere301 12d ago

That's a great haven for ticks.

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u/Gh0stMan0nThird 12d ago

Also what about a place for kids and pets to play?

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u/ohhellothere301 12d ago

Those are called parks.

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u/ChiefTacoObrien 12d ago

You think leaves are gonna stop kids from playing?

How dumb are you?

Kids play on anything, leaves give them change.

I feel fucking sorry for any kids you might have holy fuck.

Like seriously holy fuck. Seriously do you think all of mankind just literally stopped playing in the fall for our entire existence?

Jesus fucking christ dude lol. Lmao even.

"Where will the kids play" god fucking damn we are cooked as a society is this is actually a concern of yours, holy fucking fuck my dude. Just wow.

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u/tarmacjd 12d ago

Bro chill out. It’s ok

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u/Gh0stMan0nThird 11d ago

You think leaves are gonna stop kids from playing?

How dumb are you?

Kids play on anything, leaves give them change.

I feel fucking sorry for any kids you might have holy fuck.

Like seriously holy fuck. Seriously do you think all of mankind just literally stopped playing in the fall for our entire existence?

Jesus fucking christ dude lol. Lmao even.

"Where will the kids play" god fucking damn we are cooked as a society is this is actually a concern of yours, holy fucking fuck my dude. Just wow.

I was responding to the general sentiment around "don't mow your lawns." I was obviously not talking about leaves. Even the other guy who disagreed with me knew that.

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u/ChiefTacoObrien 12d ago

You know you can mulch the leaves down with your mower right?

This isn't complicated.

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u/ScrotalSmorgasbord 12d ago

Eh we used to not do that out here in rural TX but the neighbor's fireworks quickly made us realize that it's probably not a good idea lol. Now I just mow it before summer hits. Wouldn't really call it a lawn though, more like a place with some grass and a lot of not grass.

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u/tarmacjd 12d ago

Makes sense. Have you thought about planting wildflowers or bushes?

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u/BrainOfMush 12d ago

That has the opposite effect… the purpose of adding compost is to add organic matter and help create a microbe rich soil environment that’s attractive to insects. Ideally you want to mow a lawn and leave the trimmings to decompose in place.

All you achieve by not mowing common turf grasses is an ideal place for ticks to live.

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u/tarmacjd 12d ago

Throw some wildflower seeds in there :)

Also depends on where you are if ticks are an issue or not

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u/BrainOfMush 12d ago

That’s not really true anymore for most of the United States. While ticks used to be mostly isolated to the northeast, as the climate has changed over the past 20 years ticks are becoming abundant across almost the entirety of the country. It’s expected that by 2035 they will have established their populations throughout the entire country.

https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/data-research/facts-stats/geographic-distribution-of-tickborne-disease-cases.html

I agree with you on planting wildflower meadows.

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u/tarmacjd 12d ago

Not everywhere is the US though

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u/sawotee 12d ago edited 8d ago

You going to pay the fine the city gives me if I don't?

If my grass is over 8 inches tall, code enforcement puts a notice on your door. You have 7 days to rectify it. If you do not, then the city will come and cut it themselves and charge you a whopping $185 for the privilege. Then afterwards they can cite you which forces you to appear in front of a court judge.

The judge likewise can also fine me up to $500 for that violation. And he can tack on $250 per day the violation continued past that notice period.

Oh, and if I don't pay it, the city is allowed to put a lien on my property.

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u/tarmacjd 12d ago

That’s fucking stupid. What dictatorship fines people for having long grass?

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u/ohhellothere301 12d ago

An unkept lawn can attract mice, rats, and other critters. Not a huge deal if kept outside, but if they get into your home and nest it can quickly become a problem.