qfert.blogg.se - Leaving grass clippings on lawn

Sometimes clippings do not fall into the canopy but remain on top of the lawn. During stress periods, such as summer drought, raise the mowing height, but continue mowing regularly enough to avoid excess leaf removal. If the grass becomes too tall between mowings, raise the mowing height for the first cutting and then gradually lower it with subsequent mowings until the proper height is reached.

Mowing often enough to remove no more than one-third of the plant heightįor example, if tall fescue is maintained at 3 inches, it should be mowed when it reaches 4 inches.

Cutting the grass at the recommended height.

However, some manufacturers sell mower attachments that chop clippings into finer pieces and can improve a mower's grasscycling performance. All mowers can be “grasscyclers,” and no special equipment is needed. Proper mowing is the key to successful grasscycling. Depending on the grass variety, soil conditions and type of nitrogen applied as fertilizer, the amount of nitrogen recovered from grasscycling could be as much as 20 percent.

One study suggests this process takes less than one week. These nutrients can then be absorbed by the turfgrass.

Homeowners who practice grasscycling aid soil fertility because grass clippings rapidly decompose, returning nitrogen and other valuable nutrients to the soil. However, research has determined that thatch buildup is caused by grass stems, shoots and roots - not clippings. It has been a commonly held belief that grass clippings were a major cause of thatch, and that removing clippings would slow thatch development. After six months of grasscycling, homeowners who took part in the study reduced their time spent doing yard work by an average of seven hours. Grasscycling saves time, effort and, when done properly, is good for the environment and health of the grass.Ī study in Texas, the “Don?t Bag It Lawn Care Plan,” found that grasscycling required one extra mowing per month, but that mowing time was reduced by 35 minutes at each mowing. Grasscycling is the natural recycling of grass clippings by leaving them on the lawn after mowing.

This publication describes the process of grasscycling, a practical and environmentally responsible way of recycling grass clippings in the landscape. Although some municipalities accept these organic materials and recycle them as mulch or compost, others do not accept them at all. In fact, many counties throughout Georgia discourage homeowners from putting landscape trimmings, leaves and grass clippings in landfills. Most homeowners can easily deal with leaves and grass clippings by recycling them on their own property instead of bagging them and setting them curbside for someone else to handle.