How to Grass Cycle

Chelsea's Lawn

You can grass cycle all those lawn grass clippings and grass cycling saves time and money. Short clippings decompose quickly and release their nutrients into the soil as natural fertilizer. Nitrogen from the recycled clippings helps the grass grow green and healthy. The clippings help the soil retain moisture so the lawn does not dry out as quickly. Grass cycling also reduces thatch, the layer of root buildup and rhizomes that prevent water and fertilizer from reaching grass roots. These easy tips put those clippings to work on your lawn.

Things You'll Need

• Lawn
• Mower

Instructions

1. Clippings. For best grass cycling, cut only one-third of the grass blade. Short clippings less than 1 inch long decompose on the lawn very fast. Use either a conventional mower or a mulching mower.

2. Conventional. A regular lawn mower can be used for grass cycling. Take off the grass catcher so the grass cuttings are blown onto the lawn from the mower. Set the mower so that only about a third of the grass blade is removed. For best results, remove up to 1 inch of grass. The clippings decompose in 7 to 14 days. More frequent mowing may be necessary due to the short amount of grass cut off.

3. Mulching. A mulching mower chops clippings in small pieces before discharging them. Set the mower so that only about a third of the grass blade is removed. The mulching mower can remove 1 to 2 inches of grass. The shredded clippings decompose very fast. Normal mowing schedules may be used because the mulcher can cut taller grass and shred it.

4. Mowing. Use a sharp mower blade and cut when grass is dry. If the grass is too tall for grass cycling, bag the clippings as they will not quickly decompose. Dump the clippings into a compost pile or use them as surface mulch around other plants.

5. Care. Do not over-water or over-fertilize the grass. The clippings are adding moisture and fertilizer for healthy lawn. The clippings may replace 1 or 2 fertilizer applications per season. When you grass cycle, you save time, money, water and fertilizer.

Tips & Warnings

• A regular mower can usually be easily converted to a mulching mower. Check the owner's manual or talk to a lawn care specialist.

• Short grass clippings on the lawn do not cause thatch.