What do with grass cuttings

If you have bagged up your lawn clippings, spread them across the grass to provide a natural fertilizer. Try to thinly spread the cut grass so ensure you do not block light underneath the clippings and kill the grass underneath.

Smaller clippings will break down faster and it does not create a thatch dry grass stuff you need to rake in your lawn. In the hot weather we experience in the summer, containers dry out very quickly as the whole container is heated up by the sun.

A thick layer of grass clippings in the container around your plants will help retain a bit more moisture. Liquid organic fertilizers are seemingly more popular year on year in the store but you can make your own liquid plant feed by steeping a couple of handfuls of cut grass in a bucket of water. Keep the water indoors to reduce mosquitoes or use an organic mosquito control option. After about 2 weeks, it look like the image above and will smell pretty terrible, but the plants will love adding a dash of this to the watering can as you water.

You can also use the same technique for perennial weeds. If your grass is cut with an electric or hand-push mower, you could use the cut grass to supplement diets of herbivores. I have fond memories of grabbing handfuls to feed the guinea pig and rabbit as a child and how excited they would get.

You would not want to use wet clippings since they spoil quickly and can make animals sick. If you are building a raised bed or a hugelkultur bed, you can use a thick layer of grass clippings to provide nutrients and build up the bed which will use less compost to make up the volume. The added bonus is that the grass clippings help to break down the carbon rich fibrous material in a hugelkultur bed.

Emma Raven has been gardening, cooking, canning and home brewing for most of her life. Formulation scientist, blogger, home brewer and avid gardener. Born in a village on the northern east coast of England, she now calls the Wasatch Mountains of Utah home. How to Grass Cycle Your Lawn Grasscycling is an easy way to harness the natural fertilizing power of your grass clippings. To get the most out of grasscycling, follow these tips when you mow: Choose the Right Length.

For a 3-inch tall lawn, you want 1-inch long clippings, so mow when your grass is roughly 4 inches tall. Use the Right Equipment. Push mowers and mulching mowers both work well for grasscycling.

If using an electric or gas mower, choose one powerful enough to cut your grass evenly. Keep Your Blade Sharp. Rotate Directions. Mow back and forth instead of in a single direction, to distribute clippings more effectively.

Leave Clippings on the Ground. There is no raking required with grasscycling. Instead, let your grass clippings fall naturally. Uses for Grass Clippings If you choose to bag your clippings instead of leaving them on the lawn, you might be wondering what to do with the grass clippings.

The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Home Yard and garden Lawns and landscapes Lawn care What to do with lawn clippings. Quick facts Lawn clippings usually do not need to be bagged. Recycling lawn clippings can reduce your fertilizer needs and improve your soil. Recycling clippings to the lawn does not contribute to thatch.

If you must remove clippings, they can be composted or used as mulch. Do clippings increase thatch? When should you pick up clippings? Using clippings as mulch In general, putting mulch around flowers, vegetables, shrubs and trees helps reduce weeds, conserve moisture and moderate soil temperatures. Grass clippings are a good mulch option with a few conditions: Do not apply more than 1 or 2 inches of grass clippings at one time.

Use dry clippings. Wet grass clippings can mat down, reducing reduce oxygen and moisture from getting down into the soil.