People that have yards will need to mow them at some point. There’s just no getting around it.
However, some people don’t realize they can make use out of their clippings. It’s a simple habit once you start doing it. As you will soon discover, properly recycled clippings will improve your lawn’s health while reducing the cost of your lawn care expenses.
So, for those who have been pondering the possibility of using those grass clippings, you can wonder no more. The following information will give you valuable information on why composting your grass is beneficial in many ways.
The Fundaments of Composting Grass
And now the important question: After mowing my lawn, what’s the best way to get rid of the grass clippings?
Your best option for getting rid of your grass clippings after mowing your yard is composting! And here’s what you need to do to get started: nothing. Just cut the yard and leave the clipped grass in your yard. There’s no need to have a bag attached to your mower because you are leaving the grass where you cut it. It’s just that simple!
How your lawn benefits from recycling your grass clippings?
1. Reduced yard time
Composting takes at least a half hour off your mowing time. According to research done by Texas A & M, composting your grass clippings will reduce your overall lawn mowing season time by 7 whole hours! That’s a work day’s worth of time cut!
2. Eliminates need to get rid of waste
Now that you are recycling your grass, you have just gotten rid of 20% of solid waste in the environment. This should make you feel good knowing you are reducing the impact of waste production on the environment.
3. Your yard will require less fertilizer
Your grass will absorb the phosphorous, nitrogen, potassium and other nutrients left behind when your grass clippings start decomposing. Now that your grass has more nutrients, you can skip one of your fertilizing times of the year except the fall.
4. Improve your yard’s water retention
The structure of the soil your grass grows it will be enhanced from the composting. According to research done by the University of Minnesota, it will be able to hold a maximum of 12% more water since the soil’s structure is improved.
You can also recycle your grass without worry because your grass will not have thatch because of the grass clippings. If you bag your grass to compost later, that will work also.
It’s so easy for you to compost your grass clippings
If you’re going to do it in the yard itself:
But no more than 1/3 of your grass’ height with a sharp mower blade. If mowed properly, your grass should be between 2 to 3 inches in height (with 2 inches being preferable for the hotter months). Do this every seven days for proper maintenance.
Those who have seasonal grass in the winter…
…may not have to do any maintenance of their grass!
When the summer season is at its hottest, expect to mow your yard every five days. Studies from the University of Idaho reveal that regardless of the increased frequency of times you mow the lawn, you will spend lesser time doing so, which means you won’t have to work as hard for each cut.
And now, all you do is let the clippings stay in the yard. Any clippings that are piled up can be smoothed out some by raking them. The clippings tend to decompose faster when they are not piled up.
Traditional Composting (in bin or pile)
1. Trap grass clippings in an attached bag to a mower
2. Grass that has not been treated in the past two weeks can be added to the pile
3. Add 1-part brown (like twigs, pieces of newspaper or brown leaves) to 30 parts greens (clipped grass)
What’s the timeframe for decomposing?
It will only take a few weeks for the grass to decompose if the clippings are just left in the yard.
For the more traditional compost, it may take a couple of months.
What’s the quickest way to get grass to compost?
For compost piles, make sure your brown-to green ratio is accurate, turn your pile every week and keep it moist when it becomes dry. If you choose to compost your grass directly in the yard, then make sure you mow your lawn every five days.
