How to Mulch Trees With Grass Clippings

Recycle your grass clippings as mulch.

Bagging up and hauling grass clippings away during the spring and summer months when lawns are thriving is not only time consuming, but wasteful. A number of areas encourage homeowners to recycle their grass clippings instead of filling up the local landfills with them. Grass clippings left on the lawn add vital nutrients to the soil, but there are other uses as well, such as for mulch around trees.

Things You'll Need

• Rake
• Shovel

Instructions

1. Rake up the grass clippings after mowing the lawn, or collect the clippings with mower attachments.

2. Spread a thin layer of grass clippings approximately 1 inch thick around the base of the tree. Wait until this layer dries before adding additional layers to prevent foul odors.

3. Pull the grass clippings back at least 6 inches from the tree’s trunk. Keep this area next to the trunk free of mulch to deter trunk rot.

4. Extend the grass clippings out in a circle surrounding the tree. Cover the entire area underneath the tree’s canopy or drip line. Most tree roots extend beyond this point, so this is a minimum, not a maximum suggested area to mulch.

5. Apply additional 1-inch layers of grass clippings until they are 4 inches deep. Reapply through the season as needed to maintain this depth, but always allow each 1-inch layer of grass to dry completely.

Tips & Warnings

• Add any excess grass clippings not used in your lawn or as mulch to a compost pile.

• Never use grass clippings as mulch if the lawn was treated with fertilizers or herbicides. Wait for at least two or three mowings after the treatment.

References

• University of Missouri Extension; Don’t Bag It Lawn Care; Brad Fresenberg, et al.; May 2003
• Trees Are Good: Proper Mulching Techniques
• Colorado State University Extension; Eliminate Grass Clipping Collection; C.R. Wilson, et al.; April 2004

Resources

• University of Minnesota Extension; Composting and Mulching; Carl Rosen, et al.; 2008
• Colorado State University Extension; Mulching With...Grass Clippings...; David Whiting, et al.; December 2009