Mowing the Lawn – Is It Always Necessary To Remove The Clippings?
 (Read 500+ times)
By Jonathan Yaakobi
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Each time you mow the lawn, and spend time emptying the clippings from the box into a bin, have you never wished you could just leave the clippings on the ground as the mower cuts the grass? You may well be in the habit of collecting them all the same from fear that not doing so will damage the grass. Well it may do so, if the act of lawn mowing is carried out incorrectly, but if performed in a certain way, not only is it possible to leave the cut grass where it is, but it is actually advantageous to do so.
Mowed grass clippings dry out so quickly that just a day after mowing, the residues should have disappeared. If clippings are still clearly visible, then the sign is that you’ve been late in mowing and consequently cut too much. This by itself damages the grass, quite apart from the fact that it is obviously undesirable to smother the lawn with dead matter. A lawn in its growing season should be cut to a frequency and at a height, that not more than about 40% of the leaf is removed at any one time. This means that you should be mowing every 3-5 days or so. Under such a regime, it is perfectly safe not to collect the clippings.
Leaving the clippings to dry out on the lawn does not contribute to the build up of thatch – the layer of organic matter that prevents water and air from entering easily into the soil. Thatch is caused by those parts of the grass such as the stems and roots that break down extremely slowly, and not by lawn clippings that as previously mentioned, break down rapidly.
The benefits of not collecting the grass
*Less waste matter is deposited in the land-fills – a significant environmental benefit.
*As grass leaves are rich in nitrogen, less fertilizer is required for the lawn as a whole. Remember that high concentrations of nitrogen fertilizer encourage the development of a thatch layer. Together with the nitrogen being released as the clippings degrade, slow release fertilizer can be applied at relatively low levels. In this way another environmental benefit is achieved, as nitrates leaching into the water table (a consequence of spreading immediately soluble nitrogen fertilizer) is a major source of pollution.
Finally, mowing more often while removing less grass each time, is not only a major factor contributing to a successful lawn, but should save you time overall, as mowing actually becomes easier and can be carried out more efficiently. Oh! And you won’t have to collect and empty the grass clippings anymore!
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Author Bio Box: Jonathan Yaakobi
 My name is Jonathan Ya'akobi.
I've been gardening in a professional capacity since 1984.
I am the former head gardener of the Jerusalem Botanical Garden, but now concentrate on building gardens for private home owners.
I also teach horticulture to students on training courses.
I'd love to help you get the very best from your garden,
so you're welcome to visit me on http://www.dryclimategardening.com
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