Question:
We are trying to follow shmita as best we can. We aren’t planting any crop nor pruning any our perennial crops. The question we have is what about the flower beds and lawn grass. Thanks in advance.
Answer:
If the grass is fully grown and covered with full grass, if the purpose is to maintain a nice shape and desired height of grass, The mikel to cut the grass has some to relay on, especially if performing high mowing.
But ‘young’ grass that has not had time to spread throughout the territory, or that has bald spots, its mowing inevitably causes the spread of roots, and it is forbidden to mow it on a shmita year.
And the picking of flowers in the during shmita, is allowed, and it is also allowed for a person who is not an expert to cut branches from a tree for the purpose of schach for the sukkah, or to use them for the decoration of the house, as well as when disturbing passers, and even cut by a tool.
As well as flower beds – which you intend to prune in order to maintain a desired height, there is a place to be ‘maykel’ and allow it, but if you intend to make them grow better, it is forbidden.
And all this if your place of residence is in the Land of Israel, but abroad there is no law of land strike and all land crafts are permitted.
