Mulch, Don’t Bag Those Clippings

Save yourself time and energy and improve the look of your lawn by mulching not bagging your grass clippings.

Grass clippings do not cause thatch.  Short clippings break down quickly adding nutrients, moisture, and organic matter to the soil.  In fact, a season’s worth of clippings is equal to one fertilization, saving you a bit of time and money.

No mulching mower? Don’t worry.  We all should mow our lawns often, removing no more than an inch of the grass with each cutting.  It’s better for your lawn and results in short clippings that break down quickly.  Mow over longer clippings to bring them down to size. 

Or put those long clippings to work in the garden or compost bin.  Spread a thin layer of herbicide-free clippings over the soil surface in your garden to suppress weeds and conserve moisture.  Do not use clippings from treated lawns.  These can damage, and even kill your desirable plants.

A bit more information: Further improve your lawn’s health by using a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer, like Milorganite.  It encourages slow steady growth instead of lush succulent growth that needs to be mown more often.  Plus, the organic nitrogen won’t burn your lawn even in hot dry weather.

Tags

sustainable-gardening lawns mulch clippings mowing

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