The Grass Doctor

When cutting cool season grasses...?

When cutting cool season grasses, should i bag the clippings or use the side discharge?

Public Comments

1. Always remove the clippings they will only leave your job looking unprofessional.
2. Keep 'em on your lawn! It's called grass cycling, http://www.american-lawns.com/lawns/grass-cycling.html the fastest easiest and most sustainable way to add nitrogen to your lawn. If you have a mulching mower blade you won't even be able to tell that the clippings weren't collected and they'll do a heck of a lot more good on your turf than in a landfill somewhere..
3. discharge to middle, then remow clippings
4. you may choose either method. if you chose to discharge, your mower should have a mulching blade and a plug for side discharge. a mulching mower cuts each blade of grass an additional 4 to 5 times. the advantage to this is that your turf will need less fertilizer to keep it healthy and green as it should be. if you bag , you should fertilize 4 to 6 times per year depending on the product you use. also in the warmer climates make sure you mow at a height of 2" in spring and summer months, this will protect your turf when temps exceed 90 degrees.
5. Managing grass clippings is a balancing act. If you are fertilizing with artificial fertilizers, don't over apply nitrogen to make the grass grow too fast and produce more clippings per mow cycle. Natural fertilizers like chicken manure, fish by-products, and compost teas (extracts) will help your soil become more alive with microorganisms that will break down the clippings to self fertilize the lawn. Mulching mowers help because they chop up the clippings into smaller pieces to break down faster. More important is the population of small insects in the grass called shredders. They feed on dying grass and are the first step toward decomposition. They can also be killed by lawn insecticides. If you have a chemical lawn and spray pesticides regularly these shredders are nonexistent. This can be a problem. Manage your nitrogen levels and let the lawn and soil develop naturally without chemical fertilizers and pesticides for less clippings and less work. Good Luck! Wells Rawls EcoLandscape Group