As always, if you are planning to put your hands under a mower, disconnect the spark plug or electric cord to prevent accidental starting. Grass falls into the green portion of what is necessary for successful composting, said Michael, whose site includes a compost bin guide. We thought bagging was better and believed grass clippings contributed to. So next time you mow your lawn you will know if you should keep the grass clippings on or not.. Learn about this simple way to turn your landscape from blah to beautiful. Watering is efficient,and maintenance of a large area is made mucheasier. Not only that, but it can also save you a huge amount of time and what can amount to a significant amount of money too. Mowing the lawn isnt the most exciting garden maintenance practice, but its a necessary one. Fertiliser can be expensive, especially if you have large lawns. Honda mowers offer superior mulching design, and our twin blade system often makes a bag unnecessary. Try one of these excellent blade sharpeners to get the job done. Helps prevents weeds A 2 to 3-inch layer of mulch naturally helps prevents weed from sprouting and taking over the landscape by blocking their growth and access to sunlight. 5 0 obj Your layer of lawn clipping mulch will be less than an inch thick, but regular mowing and mulching provide a barrier to weed seeds, preventing them from taking root. Mulching grass clippings helps your garden retain moisture by reducing evaporation. Use Up and Down arrow keys to navigate search results. Let's explore lawn mulching benefits. Then theres plastic packaging which we all know has a devasting impact on the environment. Don't put them on the curb, especially if they are bound for the landfill. Andy Gibson. Planting holes are cut at different spacings for different crops. These materials break down over time, adding valuable nutrients back to the soil. When mulched grass clippings decompose, they add nutrients back into the soil. Garden care > What is mulching What is mulching and mulch mowing? 6 0 obj How Do You Get Rid of Weeds? Beard, "Turfgrass: Science and Cluture". To improve aesthetics and speed up the decomposition process, you can also cover the cardboard with a thin layer of another mulching material, such as straw or grass clippings. The Benefits of Mulching Your Lawn - Mowers at Jacks If you notice an infestation, address it promptly with organic or chemical controls. simple living ideas for everyday life.. Are you tired of dealing with the constant upkeep of your lawn? The benefits of mulching your lawn are extensive. Lay down overlapping sheets on your garden beds, leaving gaps for plant stems and watering access. Robot mowers arent technically mulching mowers. Honda Lawn Mowers | Benefits of Mulching Factors to consider when purchasing mulch are cost, availability, ease of application, and what it looks like in the garden. Read this article for some more information on how to protect your lawn from the summer sun. This could mean mowing every day or two during the growing season. LawnStarter makes lawn care easy, affordable, and reliable. Decomposing leaves enhance the soil with valuable nutrients that feed the microbes and worms present in any healthy lawn. However, straw may contain some weed seeds, so make sure to source weed-free straw for mulching purposes. Follow this blog to stay up to date with what you need to keep your lawn in tip-top shape year-round. Prevents crusting of the soil surface. Andy Gibson. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. "Mulching re-introduces essential minerals to your lawn that would otherwise be lost," O'Rourke said. Americans have come to make mulch ado about composting. In this section, well explore different types of mulch, along with specialized mulching techniques for trees and vegetables such as tomatoes. endobj When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Mulching is a fundamental part of gardening to plants looking beautiful and productive through the year. But if you are looking for finer, clump-free mulch, consider a mulching blade kit or a mulching motor. The grass consumes it, along with water and sunlight which it photosynthesises to produce food. Perhaps the most obvious advantage is that youre getting your machine to do the hard work for you. These cool tools are equipped with mulching mower blades. Mulch instantly adds rich color and a manicured look to your landscape beds, along the foundation of your home, around trees and shrubs, and between garden beds. Spade full of bark chippings to be used as mulch underneath raspberrybushes. To avoid sour mulch, ensure proper ventilation of your compost pile and avoid using materials that have been exposed to excess moisture. World rights reserved. Learn how to mulch, when to mulch, and about the many different types of mulch to use in yourgarden. Therefore it wont be mulched very well. Returning the clippings to the lawn can effectively cut out one full fertilizer application, saving time, money, and labor. Not only is it better for your lawn, but you can be happy in the knowledge that youre not contributing to the environmental issues we all face. When mulching, its important to avoid contributing to thatch buildup. If you dont already know how to mulch, its important to learn when to mulch, the right depth for mulch, and the right type of mulch. However, mulching your grass clippings on your lawn can create a natural barrier that helps prevent weeds from taking hold. Do a Germination Test, Best Perennial Flowers for Your Summer Garden: Top 12 You Must Try, EASY MEATLOAF RECIPE | The Best Recipe Ever, How to Make Pomander Balls: a Traditional Natural Air Freshener, EASY HOMEMADE BONE BROTH RECIPE | Healthy and Nutritious. Grass with a high moisture content can also have this problem at times. The primary purpose of mulching grass cuttings is to conserve soil moisture, reduce yard waste, suppress weeds, regulate soil temperature, and enrich the soil with nutrients as the material decomposes. It will spread those weeds all over your lawn and make the problem ten times worse. %# , #&')*)-0-(0%()( C Clumps can create a moist environment thats conducive to mold growth. Fresh, organic matter causes a spike in microbial activity which is essential in the breakdown and control of lawn thatch. Youre reducing landfill waste by not bagging, and cutting back on plastic, since the bag will inevitably be plastic, Michael said. Water moves more readily into soil covered with mulch instead of runningoff. During colder months, mulching provides insulation, maintaining a stable soil temperature and protecting plant roots from freezing. Hydroseeding: What It Is and How It's Beneficial - The Spruce link to Centipede Grass vs Zoysia Which One is Better For Your Garden? You may not need to fertilize as much, since you'll be gaining so much from the mulched clippings. Limits the chance of damaging trees trunks when mulch is placed around them instead ofgrass. The benefits of mulching lawn clippings are too numerous and valuable to ignore. June through August is the most stressful time for grasses, and they need all the help they can get. In addition, overgrown grass is often quite coarse and difficult to break down. Insecticides for grub prevention can kill much more than the target pest and can render a lawn almost lifeless. Custom programming and server maintenance by Reinvented Inc. How to Mulch Your Garden | Types of Mulch, 12 Natural Ways to Get Rid of Garden Weeds. However, mulch does give landscapes a beautiful and finished appearance. And when the clippings start to decompose, theyre going to release the holy trinity of Nitrogen, Prosperous, and Potassium, which creates a lovely natural fertilizer for your existing grass and soil. When choosing the type of mulch to use on your lawn, consider factors like your lawns specific needs, the desired visual appearance, and your ecosystem. Instead of collecting grass clippings in a bag, theyre chopped up into tiny pieces and blown down into the base of the turf where theyre decomposed by the bacteria and micro-organisms which live in the soil. Benefits of Mulching Grass Clippings Instead of Bagging Them - WrightMFG Even organic lawns still benefit from an organic fertilizer application as mulched leaves are an amendment for the soil, not a replacement for fertilizing. Care should be taken to avoid clumping and address it when it occurs to avoid smothering the grass. Again, the grass consumes them and so the cycle continues. Spread organic mulch evenly around the plant, leaving some space around the stem so that water can reach the roots easily. . To minimize this risk: Ensure your grass clippings dont clump together. For example, a mulch of small stones usually only needs to be an inchdeep. Cedar Mulch in the Garden - Uses, Pros & Cons, and Problems The insulating properties of grass mulch also regulate soil temperature. Dedicated mulching mowers tend to have larger engines better able to handle the multiple cuts, and decks (the metal awning over the blade) designed to facilitate the process. Just by mulching, you increase soil moisture, reduce weeds, improve crop quality, and feed the soil. Read on to discover the top six benefits of mulching grass. Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe for Perfect Pizza! Or, lay down a layer of cardboard before adding your organic matter. Let me know your thoughts in the comments especially if you have any mulching tips and advice you could share from your experience. The verdict is in from gardeners, environmentalists, and scientists: Dont bag your grass clippings. Thats a considerable amount when typical recommendations suggest 2 to 5 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn annually, notes Oregon State Universitys Extension Service. To prevent this, always make sure your lawnmower blade is super-sharp. Mulching with your mower means you don . Mulching is a practice that has been used for centuries to improve the health of plants and soil. Disclaimer: Gardenseeker is a free resource, with everything from gardening tips to product reviews. Mulch helps slow moisture evaporation so more water remains in the soil and available to thirsty plant roots. Mulching kits are usually an option available to mowers at the time of purchase, but mowers can easily be retrofitted as well. Poor mulching practice can also lead to an unsightly lawn, with large clumps of grass that will take time to break down. If done correctly, it also doesnt reduce the neat appearance, either.. While the study somewhat reveals a negligible effect of mulch on the lawn, mulching the leaves back into the lawn is cost-effective and labor-saving compared with other methods of dealing with leaves. Avoiding the bagging of cuttings will help the environment avoiding the need for this waste material to enter landfills, said Thomas ORourke, of the garden advice site DeckingHero.com. This would save untold quantities of money, labor, and resources. By submitting your email address you are agreeing to receive emails with related tips, information, and promotions from Scotts Miracle-Gro, it's affiliates, and select partners and to our Conditions of Use and consent to the collection of your personal information. I mulched my herb garden yesterday. Are there any fertilizers that are compatible with mulching? Did you know every time you mow the lawn and chuck the clippings in the green waste bin, youre wasting a valuable fertiliser? You could also use shredded leaves. Grass mulching is a beneficial practice for your lawn, but you may not be aware that mulching has various advanced applications that can help keep your landscape, trees, as well as tomato and vegetable plants healthy and thriving. << /Type /XRef /Length 72 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Columns 5 /Predictor 12 >> /W [ 1 3 1 ] /Index [ 2 26 ] /Info 16 0 R /Root 4 0 R /Size 28 /Prev 252720 /ID [<08b647da26a81a708298cfc0a483c5bb><08b647da26a81a708298cfc0a483c5bb>] >> Similar to mulching leaves into the lawn in the fall, lawn clippings add valuable organic matter to the soil. Many people who share negative views on mulching leaves in the fall have stories about their lawn being smothered or grass becoming weak and thin. By using organic materials like grass clippings, leaves, and wood chips to cover the soil around plants, mulching can help retain moisture, suppress weed growth, regulate soil temperature, and encourage beneficial microorganisms. Clippings can be collected, rather than mulched back into the lawn, if there are an abundance weeds such as dandelions and crabgrass in the lawn. Fast forward a few months and any grass and weeds below will have rotted down, while earthworms will work to gradually incorporate the organic matter into the soilbelow. The Benefits of Mulching & How to Pick the Right Type of Mulch - Scotts Provide Nutrients The fine pieces of grass from a mulching mower easily fall between the grass blades on your lawn onto the soil surface below. Scotts Nature Scapes Color Enhanced Mulch, Scotts Nature Scapes Triple Shred Mulch. Remember, moderation is key with fertilizer usage; over-application can cause nutrient imbalances and harm your lawn. Excessive thatch can make your lawn more susceptible to pests and diseases. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. This is one of the main differences between mulching and side discharge. Each spring, summer, autumn and winter, you spend good money applying lawn feed. Keeps plants clean and off the ground, especially tomatoes and melons, to avoid plantdisease. Weed control is important. So sorry if this sounds like a plug but I know there are plenty of others out there that are tired of seeing weeds and pests take over their gardens! endobj Mulching is a great way to recycle your mulch clippings that offers benefits for both your lawn and yourself plus mulching saves time! Your neighbors wont thank you for scattering the property line with your grass waste. Ill also bust a myth or two about mulching and lawn thatch. Time is a valuable resource, and grass mulching offers you the benefit of saving time. Read our. The overall goal should be to avoid raking, collecting, handling, and disposing of all leaves offsite. EARN EXTRA HOMESTEAD INCOME | Vacation Rentals. By creating a barrier of organic matter on top of the soil, mulching suppresses weed growth by limiting the amount of sunlight that reaches the weed seeds. A proper mulching mower will cut the clippings repeatedly, sending them through the cutting deck multiple times to create a finer mulch. Use a quality lawnmower, and if you have particularly challenging terrain, Id recommend one of these awesome riding mowers to tackle it. To get the benefit of improving the soil (in addition to the rest of the mulch benefits), youll want to select a wood mulch variety. A layer of mulched leaves needs nitrogen found in lawn fertilizer to assist in the breakdown process and to avoid a mat layer of mulch which can inhibit nutrient, water, and air from penetrating into the soil. Mulch volcanoes will encourage rot at the base oftheplant. In other words, the landscaping fabric works only once, but remains forever. For one, says ORourke, If you havent cut your lawn in a while, dont be afraid to bag some of your clippings. Also, state governments have taken action to keep yard trimmings out of their landfills. "Mulching grass clippings provides your lawn with 25% of its annual nitrogen . In the opposite corner is bagging. Let them mulch your yard. The Benefits Of Mulching Grass - Should You Mulch Or Not? the best grass growing that I've ever seen and the garlic has begun to sprout up too. I now have one in each of my three raised beds and couldn't be happier. Its lightweight, easy to spread, and can provide a good layer of insulation for plant roots, thus helping to maintain a stable soil temperature. Apply the mulch around the trees base in a 2-4 inch layer, keeping a distance of at least 3 inches from the tree trunk to avoid rot and fungus issues. And in the fall, you can use the same technique to clear your lawn of leaves and debris so its a win-win. It can take years of topdressing with compost, mulching leaves, and recycling grass clippings to increase the organic matter by even 1 percent, so there is no better time to start than now. Done correctly, mulching feeds our soils living microorganisms with nutrients and the waste from these tiny microbes creates healthier soil structure for plants, limitingcompaction. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Otherwise, do not apply mulch to your landscape in autumn. Thats 69.4 trillion pounds. Now we dont know what to put down in our flower beds. Reduces weed growth by keeping light from reaching the soilsurface. Anchor black or red plastic down around plants using earth anchor pins. Do I Need Any Special Equipment For Mulching? ~.i5} M/Mj\2Tm -VQQnzW]hiKx&%0C[# od{4qA8B!O*P:Po?d%:z.[RMbkeWr#lh| RdGq[MA X L;HKTz!Rrn,u)@b$f^#Z[9-}udA&(f,Ele$6Hh@atqR8g84cn&S"zlHmns*. Get daily tips & tricks to help make your best home, Situations to Skip Mulching With Clippings, The 8 Best Battery-Powered Lawn Mowers of 2023, Tested and Reviewed, Mulching Grass Clippings Back Into the Lawn, 12 Products to Keep Your Yard Growing Strong All Summer Long, The 11 Best Lawn Mowers of 2023, Tested and Reviewed, What Is Micro Clover? Hydroseeding comes with the mulch already in the mix, which helps grass seed germination and produces a more uniform lawn. We are reader-supported: 2000 - 2023 GardenSeeker.com - All Rights Reserved, It Helps to Reduce and Control Lawn Thatch, If You Have Weeds or Weed Grasses in Your Lawn. Mulching re-introduces essential minerals to your lawn that would otherwise be lost, ORourke said. There is usually another factor, though. The disadvantage is that they must be replenishedperiodically. This protects plants from the cycle of freezing and thawing (which can heave them out of theground). Some research and a bit of technology overcame both of those objections. Reduces water loss from the soil surface, which helps maintain soilmoisture. When it comes to sprucing up your landscape and improving your plants environment in a short period of time, adding mulch is a simple and speedy solution. Cedar mulch can be used for various reasons, both functional and aesthetic. Counter this effect by adding a nitrogen-rich fertilizer, such as soybean meal, alfalfa, or cottonseed meal, to the mulch. Use finished compost: Your compost should be ready for use in three to six months. Mow down grass or cut back weeds to the ground. Pine needles can cause the soil to become more acid so keep an eye on that. If you only use your bin for grass clippings, you could save up to an additional 70 per year. Benefits Of Mulching Grass - Explained | Why Mulch Grass? - Lawn Care Pro Top with 6 inches of straw mulch. Colored mulches, such as Scotts Nature Scapes Color Enhanced Mulch or extra-fine Scotts Nature Scapes Triple Shred Mulch, do a wonderful job of complementing the hues of both your home and flower gardens. Come find ideas and inspiration for creating your own, unique, handcrafted lifestyle no matter where you live! The mulch may clump a bit and create larger pieces, but for ordinary lawns, thats fine. Benefits of Using a Mulching Lawn Mower For best results, mulching during the growing season is a natural way to increase your soil loam and structure. Keep an eye out for signs of pests such as white grubs or cutworms. The Benefits of Mulching Leaves to Your Lawn. The states are: Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, New York and Wisconsin. A mulching mower will be put under even more stress as it tries to chop up clumps of wet grass into tiny pieces. Reduces water loss from the soil surface, which helps maintain soil moisture. Inorganic mulch is often more shallow. This lessens the risk of soil particles being washed away, protecting your lawn from erosion and preserving its soil structure. What is Lawn Mulching? Mulching your grass recycles these nutrients returning them to your lawn, providing feed to make your grass green and thick. For whatever reasons, the health of the lawn is blamed on the mulched leaves. By dicing up the lawn material, youre significantly reducing the amount of yard waste or at least chopping it up to a manageable size. These clippings break down quickly and provide your lawn with valuable nutrients. In an organic lawn care environment, mulching makes perfect sense as the benefits are agronomic, financial, andenvironmental. In part, thats because the norm has changed, and people either mulch or compost their trimmings from grass plants. According to the Missouri, Grass falls into the green portion of what is necessary for successful composting, said Michael, whose site includes a, 9 Spring Lawn Care Tips for the Northeast. If you did not plant a winter cover crop (which you would till under in the spring), you should spreada thick layer of soil-conditioning compost or well-rotted organic matter over the bare soil. How Do I Mulch Leaves With a Mower? Its important to apply enough mulch in winter to keep the frozen ground completely covered so the plant remains dormant until spring no matter what type of warm or cold spellsoccur. In hydroseeding, grass seed, water, fertilizer, mulch, and a bonding agent are combined in a large tank to create a loose slurry. Along with water and some browns, such as paper, cardboard, sawdust, or leave clippings, you have the makings for successful composted soil. Dry leaves, wood, and straw are other browns that will balance out your grass clippings. ;m!MUZo It just sticks and clumps together which blocks the mulching plug. We also use organic mulch including straw, leaf mold, grass clippings, wood chips, and shredded leaves for crops that like itcooler. When youre dicing up your grass clippings and leaving them where they lie, you will save so much time stopping and starting in order to empty the lawnmower bag and clean the bagging chute. Grass clippings may add to an existing thatch problem, but as long as the lawn is mowed regularly and a mulching mower is used, mulching lawn clippings into the lawn will not cause thatch buildup. of organic mulch over tops for best . % Soil Preparation: How Do You Prepare Garden Soil for Planting? If these extra steps do not increase the overall costs of a lawn care service, it certainly contributes to labor, fuel, and machinery maintenance budgets. Biodegradable materials are just effective in preventing the initial on slot of weeds from seeds already in the soil, cost less, and are much more eco-friendly. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful home and garden ever. Remove winter mulch in the spring when all danger of a hard frost is past so that the ground can warm and new growth wont beinhibited. Some cities collect yard waste for composting, but usually it just ends up in the landfill.. For example, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are all preserved by utilizing the mulch, reducing the need for artificial fertilizers to keep your lawn looking healthy.. Dry grass may require sprinkling some water on the compost pile. 9 general benefits of mulch. Soil Enrichment: Mulching with organic materials, such as grass clippings, gradually decomposes and releases essential nutrients into the soil. A 2018 report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, shows Americans generate about 34.7 million tons of yard trimmings per year. The experts allow for some exceptions to the general dont bag your clippings rule. Some of the main benefits of mulching are: Retains moisture in the soil. This is called humus, which is the name given to the organic component of soil, and not to be confused with the delicious Greek/Turkish/Middle Eastern dip. Water's only part of what you need to fix those dead spots in your lawn and keep them from coming back. On the whole, mulching is far better for the environment. Breaks down and feeds the soil (if organicmulch). Lets explore these plus points in a bit more detail, below. Weve gathered all of our best beginner gardening guides into a step-by-step series designed tohelp you learn how to garden! Here are the three primary concerns: Thatch Buildup, Pathogens and Pests, and Anaerobic Decomposition. Adding some lawn fertilizer each year can help ensure the essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium at met. Why Should I Mulch? According to the Missouri Extension Service, A layer more than 1/2 inch thick will prevent clippings from coming into contact with soil microorganisms, preventing the clippings from breaking down. Mulch, mulch, and mulch! Microbes and insects in the soil naturally consume the mulch over time, adding the by-products back to the soil in the form of organic matter.. Mulch acts as an insulator, helping to regulate soil temperature to keep plant roots cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Go ahead and bag the clippings if your lawn has a thick layer of thatch a half-inch or more. Warms the soil in spring, allowing the gardener to plantdays or weeks before the soilwould normally beready. Tall Fescue vs. Bermuda What Are the Differences? By addressing these potential challenges, you can ensure that your grass mulching remains beneficial and avoid potential pitfalls. In the not-too-distant past, the standard advice was the opposite. Easy tips to discourage weeds in your lawn. Different Types of Lawn Aerators Explained Holy Lawns, Batman! You wont be harvesting until summer. And although its a mulching mower or lawn mower with a mulching attachment are best, you dont strictly need one. Almost without exception, lawn clippings should always be mulched back into the lawn. The Pros and Cons of Robotic Lawn Mowers Is it Worth it? Mulching helps fertilize your yard in a natural way. Try using news paper or cardboard. Inorganic Mulches: On the other hand, inorganic mulches are made from synthetic or mineral materials. Never try to mulch when the grass is wet or too high youre asking for trouble. This improves soil fertility and promotes healthier plant growth. The ideal mulch should be dense enough to block weed growth but light and open enough to allow water and air to reach the soil. To avoid a thick "thatch" of grass clippings on the lawn, be sure you have a reasonable grass-mowing height. The grass clippings act as a natural fertilizer, potentially reducing the need for commercial lawn fertilizers. You cut and fertilise all at the same time. Organic mulches are generally recommended for most lawns due to their nutrient-contributing properties and support for a healthy soil ecosystem. 2023Yankee Publishing, Inc., An Employee-Owned Company The Benefits of Leaf Mulching - Cornell Cooperative Extension