The Grass Doctor

Will Cutting and Bagging Clippings remove Fertilizer i had spread down eariler?

I used a chemical fertilizer (Scotts) on my lawn about 4 days ago and i want to cut my lawn. I plan on cutting and having my lawnmower's bag capture it so i can toss it out. I wonder, by cutting and bagging will the lawnmower blade be sucking up the fertilizer pellets from the soil, removing the fertilizer nutrients from my lawn?

Public Comments

1. I'm not sure how they work, but don't you water the lawn to break down the pellets? If so, they might already be absorbed into the lawn.
2. My advise and that from professionals who don't belive in needless waste is DON'T bag....espeically just 4 days after fertilizing....BTW the time to fertilize was 6 weeks ago or early September/late August....grass in most of the US is about to get ready for summer dormant. BTW the profound ingredient in Scotts and other grass fertilizer is nitrogen....that's exactly what the grass clippings contain. So as they decay they too release back into the soil the very element you are buying and spreading on your lawn! Don't bag and get FREE fertilizer!!!!
3. If you have watered the lawn since putting down the fertilizer it should have dissolved into the dirt. I have a mulching mower and there is nothing left to bag and dispose of. Much better than using fertilizer.
4. no
5. you will not pick up the fertilizer, but the clippings you pick up have nutrients in them so you lose those nutrients. If you may regularly with a good mulching mower, you can return those nutrients in the clippings back to your soil.
6. Actually the clippings would be a much better (not to mention much less costly) source of fertiliser for your lawn than chemicals. You should leave the clippings on your lawn to feed it.