Can i use grass clippings as mulch

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.

When oxygen is limited, anaerobic decomposition of the clippings may take place, leading to the production of offensive odors. Mulch for garden beds Grass clippings can be used in garden beds and as a mulch for vegetable gardens.

Liquid fertiliser Place your grass clippings in bucket of water and allow them to steep. Livestock feed Grass clippings can be turned into silage for feeding cattle. Leave them on the lawn It is ok to leave your clippings on the lawn every now and again, as clippings are a great source of nitrogen and can act as a natural fertiliser for your lawn. Share Pin 1. Credits plus minus. Presenter Millie Ross. Presenter Josh Byrne. Presenter Sophie Thomson.

Topics Soil Mulching Harvesting. Are you a gardener in your 30's? Costa Makes a House Call. In a 3-year Swedish study , grass clipping mulch improved yields of cauliflower while reducing damage cause by root maggots. Grass clipping mulch requires special handling, because it tends to form slimy mats when applied too thickly or left in wet piles. But if you are managing certain turf areas for mulch production, you are unlikely to commit these errors.

Grass clippings become a much too valuable a resource to waste. The most fundamental step I have taken is to actively cultivate three areas of my landscape for the specific purpose of gathering mulch.

Rather than have them in solid turfgrass, I am growing a mixture of vigorous grasses and perennial clovers, especially Dutch white clover.

The clover helps provide soil-borne nitrogen for itself and its neighbors, and changes the texture of the clippings so they are less likely to compact. In terms of maintenance, I repair damaged places with plugs of sod or clover, and broadcast a balanced organic fertilizer over the turf in spring, just before a soaking rain.

I also invested in a walk-behind mower with grass clipping management in mind.