Following proper mowing techniques will also help you avoid big clumps. Grass clippings are made mostly of water, so they should break down quickly and be out of your way. If you are mowing your lawn correctly (like only cutting off the top 1/3 of the blade, avoid mowing when the lawn is wet, and keeping your blades sharp) you shouldn’t have an issue with this. If you’re hesitant to mulch because of those pesky grass clippings getting in your shoes or tracked into your home, don’t worry. If you leave your clippings they can feed your lawn up 30% of the food they need each year! These clippings have many of the same elements as fertilizer nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. While the professionals at My All Green recommend that you fertilize your lawn a few times a year, you can give your lawn a free and easy boost each time you mow by leaving the clippings. When you mulch, you save on fertilizer, and your lawn gets an added boost of nutrients. That’s right, mulching is basically free fertilizer! When given back to your lawn, grass clippings will save you money on fertilizer. With mulching, you won’t have to worry about hauling bags to the curb or disposing of them yourself.Īs mentioned above, bagging your glass clippings requires some extra supplies – like buying bags to put all those clippings in. And if you’re lucky enough to have a mower that collects the clippings for you, you’ll save the time it would have taken to stop throughout the mowing process, empty the grass catcher, and transfer the clippings to another bag. You’ll save a nice chuck of time by leaving those clippings be as mulch. You don’t really want to have to go back and collect all those clippings. You’ve just spent your time cutting every blade of grass in your lawn. Which is better? Here are some facts about mulching that may help you decide which is better for you. We touched on one aspect, but there is more that you should know when it comes to bagging your lawn clippings vs. "In most cases, thatch increases as mowing height increases.Last week we reviewed the basics of lawn mowing. "Virtually all research conducted with turf has shown that grass clippings do not increase thatch," Cook said. Clippings break down quickly, often in a matter of a few weeks. A sharp blade will also help chop the clippings into smaller pieces as you mow over the lawn time after time.Ī mulching mower works even better, because it is designed to chop up clippings very fine and then deposits them down in the turf canopy.ĭespite rumors to the contrary, clippings do not promote thatch build up. You need to rake them or the grass underneath may be smothered.īe sure the mower blade is sharp and cuts, not tears, your grass. Your grass should be cut often enough so that not more than one-third of the grass blade is removed at any one time.ĭon't leave piles of heavy, wet clippings on the lawn. If clippings are removed, then the only way to keep fertility up is to keep adding more fertilizer." "I consider mowing more important than fertilizer if clippings are returned via a mulching mower. "Frequent mowing, about once a week during the growing season, will have a greater impact on turf quality than any other lawn care practice except irrigation in the summer," he said. If you plan to leave the clippings, mow the lawn often. 5 percent phosphorus and 2.5-3.5 percent potassium, said Cook. Grass clippings contain up to the equivalent per weight of 3-4 percent nitrogen. "And on lawns growing in clay soils, I have produced acceptable quality turf for as long as 12 years without adding any fertilizer at all." "Our research has shown that we can cut the fertilizer application rate almost in half when we return clippings with a mulching type rotary mower," explained Cook. Leaving clippings helps save fertilizer costs and thereby prevents ground and surface water contamination. Unless you've let the lawn grow excessively long, or the clippings are in thick clumps, grass clippings are a good source of nutrients. CORVALLIS - In case you've been wondering what to do with your grass clippings, just leave them on the lawn, advises Tom Cook, turf grass specialist at Oregon State University.
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