If you are like most people, you probably started up your lawnmower as soon as you could this season. Even when you cut your lawn frequently, you still have the question of what to do with the grass clippings. It is a concern, no matter what size your lawn is. Here are two great alternatives to consider:
Benefits Of Leaving Your Grass Clippings on Your Lawn
When you leave the trimmings as they fall, then you do not have to decide if you will rake or bag them up:
Leaving yard trimmings on your lawn provides valuable nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and others. You will see a greener and healthier lawn.
Raking or bagging yard trimmings is a lot of work. Leaving them on the lawn saves time and a lot of back aches.
You will save some cash by not having to buy as much lawn fertilizer. You may not have to fertilize your yard as often as you usually do.
Mulching mowers dice the trimmings up to a fine coverage that is safe to stay on your lawn.
You do not have to worry about the myth that yard trimmings cause thatch. It is simply not true. One of the only times that you should not leave your yard trimmings is when your lawn has grown high and they are too thick. The other consideration is wet trimmings. It all clumps together and can cause damage and brown spots in your yard.
Unlike some commercial fertilizers, yard trimmings nourish your lawn without chemicals that can be dangerous for people, animals, and the environment.
Some cities have “Don’t Bag It” campaigns and encourage their residents to leave the trimmings.
If you raise the height of your mower, you will deal with more manageable yard trimmings and may not have to cut the lawn as much. Lawn experts recommend that you cut no more than 1/3 of the grass’s height. Lawns that are a little higher can also help with weed control.
Benefits Of Composting Your Yard Trimmings
Some people do not care for the look of yard trimmings left on their lawns. It is easy for children and pets to track it in all through your house. You still have the option of conserving this organic treasure in your compost pile:
Compost piles need some green matter (trimmings, leaves, stems) to complement the brown matter(bark, twigs). Using your yard trimmings gives your compost the healthy balance that it requires.
There are some states and municipal governments that ban any yard waste from local landfills. Composting is the natural solution.
Since yard trimmings are water-based, they will help the rest of your compost pile decompose faster.
Remember that you should not compost yard trimmings that are too wet or have been chemically-treated. It will ruin your whole compost bed.
No matter which method you choose, you will not be stuffing landfills with a valuable source of plant nutrition. It can be used to make your lawn and garden beautiful for the whole season. Just a few grass clippings from your mower or tractor is all that it takes.
