It is common to wonder whether or not you should bag your grass clippings or mulch them by leaving them in the yard. Many people incorrectly think that leaving clippings on the yard will leave unsightly clumps of clippings, or even worse, cause thatch buildup. These results are only a possibility if you aren’t mulching properly. Proper mowing and maintenance is the key to successful mulching, or “grasscycling.”
You do have to mow more often in order to mulch properly, but each mowing takes a shorter amount of time. More frequent mowing amounts to only one more mowing per month, so it isn’t that bad. This is because you must be careful to only cut 1/3 of the height of the grass. This makes small enough pieces for the grass to break down quickly, and it does not stress the remaining grass.
One of the greatest benefits of mulching vs. bagging is that it returns nutrients to the soil, and this can take as little as one week. As grass clippings decompose, they return nitrogen to the soil along with any other nutrients available. Your grass will love it.
Your grass may need more water in the summer, but mulching grass back into the lawn helps it to maintain its moisture. This is crucial when trying to keep your lawn from going dormant during severe weather.
If you compost in your own backyard, you may welcome adding grass clippings to the mix. However, if you must resort to putting clippings in the garbage can or adding them to a waste bin for public collection, mulching removes this hindrance.
Lastly, there are no bags to deal with. Mowing with a bag is awesome in some circumstances, but it always amounts to having to dump a heavy bag, no matter how you get rid of it. With mulching, there is no bag, which saves time and back strain. You can rinse off your mower and store it much more quickly when you don’t have to deal with a bag.
Ultimately, mulching is ideal, but that is only if you can keep up with it. It is a commitment, and if you fertilize regularly, you’ll end up mowing more often due to rapid growth. If you can’t keep up with it, don’t do it, or you’ll end up stressing your yard with an abundance of longer clippings.
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Greenfeet Lawncare Provides Service to the Following Areas.
770-619-2929
North Fulton, East Cobb, Cherokee, Forsyth Counties - including Alpharetta, Canton, Cobb, Cumming, Dunwoody, Gwinnett, Johns Creek, Marietta, Milton, Roswell, Sandy Springs
