Helping the Environment and your Lawn: Reusing your Grass Clippings vs. Bagging them for Disposal
Reuse your grass clippings
Grass clippings will always be a part of our yearly lawn care. Did you know that as a general rule, grass clippings of an inch or less in length can be left on your lawn where they will filter down to the soil surface and decompose quite quickly. The many benefits of leaving your grass clippings on your lawn include; helping the environment and our landfills, lessening the effort and time you put into bagging and transporting, offering a source of nutrients which can reduce your fertilizer needs and save you money and improves your soil.
Throwing out bagged grass clippings as yard waste ends up in our landfills and transfer stations and emits methane (a harmful greenhouse gas). It also contributes to leachate which is a harmful liquid that has to be removed from the landfill – which can result in increased landfill costs and higher tipping fees.
Help improve the environment, the health of our landfills and your lawn by incorporating these different ways to use grass clippings. Remember, grass clippings are a great source of nitrogen and potassium and they break down quickly!
- Add to compost
- Use as mulch in garden beds
- Use as a mulch for grass
- Use as a mulch for planting containers
- Make into a liquid feed
- Layer in a raised bed
Tips to get started on a healthy lawn:
- Cut it high and let it lie – adjust your mower height and do not cut off more than 1/3 of the grass height
- Mulching mower/blade – using one of these options reduces the size of the clippings which results in quicker break down and nutrient release
- Mow regularly – this will help keep your grass at that perfect height
- Keep blades dry and sharp – sharpen mower blades annually and mow when the grass is dry
- Alternate mowing direction – this prevents the grass from sun damage and constantly being pushed in one direction
By reusing your grass clippings you can have a beautiful lawn, save money on fertilizer and you won’t have to spend time bagging your grass!