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Grasscycling
Sustainable living › Natural gardening › How to garden naturally › Grasscycling Grasscycling
Want a simple, natural approach to lawn care? Consider grasscycling – leaving the grass clippings on the lawn.
Because grass clippings are 75 to 85 percent water, they quickly decompose and release nutrients back into the lawn when you grasscycle.
Save time and effort
Grasscycling means you don't have to bag it. You don't have to stop to empty the mower bag or spend time raking grass clippings off lawn. You can also save money by not having to put out extra yard debris at the curb.
Free fertilizer
Grass clippings can generate more than 50-percent of fertilizer needs and can reduce the time and money spent fertilizing. One application in the fall of a slow-release or organic fertilizer is all most lawns need. And by using less fertilizer and you reduce pollution runoff into our waterways.
Grasscycling tips
If you follow these suggestions your lawn will develop a deeper root system making it green and healthy.
- Mow at the right height
- Mow lawn when the grass is dry
- Mow regularly
- Mow with a sharp blade
- Use a mulch mower, push mower or electric mulching mower
- Compost or mulch excess grass
- Grass clippings don't cause thatch
Generally, you should cut your grass to about 2 inches.
Mowing dry grass allows better distribution of clippings and is less likely to clog the mower.
A basic rule of thumb is to remove only 1/3 of the growth at one time. Prolonged rains sometime make it difficult to mow regularly. In these cases, raise the mower for the initial cutting and then lower it to cut again. Repeat until lawn is desired height. If you only cut once, recycle the clippings into your compost pile.
Dull blades can give the lawn a ragged appearance and increase the potential for disease.
When it's time to buy a new mower, consider purchasing a mulching mower. Push mowers and rechargeable electric mulching mowers can do a good job of grasscycling without the noise and exhaust fumes produced by gasoline-powered mowers.
If the lawn is too long or wet, use clippings in your compost pile or as mulch. Grasscycling will save room in your curbside yard debris container for branches or other yard debris that can't compost quickly.
Thatch is not made up of grass, but of roots, dead leaf sheaths and rhizomes that decompose slowly. Grass clippings decompose rapidly and can help make your lawn more vigorous and durable.
Need assistance?
Related Internet links
- Regional Coalition for Clean Rivers and Streams
(http://www.cleanriversandstreams.org)