Did you know that by allowing your spent grass clippings to stay on your Rockland County, NY or Bergen County, NJ lawn after each mow benefits your lawn?
It’s true. Grass clippings return up to 25% of nitrogen back to your soil. Plus, this yard waste is also a food source for the beneficial bacteria that resides in your soil—which contributes to healthy soil and less thatch.
Yet, there is a catch to successful “grasscycling,” such as:
- Don’t allow your lawn to grow more than 2”-3” between mows, and only take 1/3 off each time you mow. Longer grass clippings don’t decompose as well as shorter ones. And longer grass clippings will mat on your lawn. These matted clumps could cause disease and death to your once healthy turf.
- Do leave grass clippings where they fall during each mow. Smaller grass clippings will quickly decompose back into the soil.
- Save yourself up to 38% less mowing time by not bagging your grass clippings.
There’s no doubt about it, grasscycling not only helps feed your soil, adds nitrogen back into your lawn, and keeps yard waste out of landfills; it also saves you time from having to rake and bag after each mow.
Here are some other grasscycling facts that you need to know:
- Grass clippings don’t cause thatch. That’s an old wives’ tale that was popular during the 1950s and 1960s. Turf scientists have since disproved that theory and actually encourage homeowners to grasscycle. If you want less thatch, use less fertilizer throughout the season to avoid grass from growing too quickly.
- Grass clippings contain 90% water which means they quickly break down into the soil.
- A mulching mower will even make grass clippings smaller for faster decomposition.
- If you don’t want to leave your clippings on your lawn, you can still use them as mulch in your beds and vegetable gardens, or you can add them to your compost bin.
- In Rockland County, NY, it’s against the law to put yard waste out with your trash. And in New Jersey, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection encourages “Cut It and Leave It.” You can read more in their brochure.
Would you like to avoid the hassle of dealing with grass clippings and mowing your lawn? At Majestic Lawn Care and Landscape, we use mulching mowers that will ensure your grass clippings are finely chopped to be easily absorbed back into the soil. We serve homeowners and businesses throughout Rockland County, New York and Bergen County, New Jersey.
Are you looking for a lawn care company that will only take 1/3 off your lawn with each mow and will gladly grasscycle? If you live in Rockland County, NY or Bergen County, NJ, call us today at (845) 708-2988 or fill out our contact form.
Sources:
Allen, Phil, S. and Donald B. White. “Garden: Lawn Clipping Management,” University of Minnesota Extension: http://goo.gl/WrkwY7.
EPA.gov. “Give an Inch, Save a Yard: Grasscycling and Mulching.”
Lawn Institute. “Mowing—Grasscycling.”
New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection. “Grass: Cut It and Leave It,” (pdf).
Rockland County, NY. “Waste Management.”