Making the Most of Your Lawn

Over 15 years ago, Ohio House Bill 592 reduced the amount of landscape refuse we can deposit in our landfills and it is up to us to find an alternative means of dealing with leaves, stems, branches and especially lawn clippings. Much of our landscape refuse can be added to compost piles. However, many people are still concerned about what to do with grass clippings and mulching mowers are an option for those of us who simply don’t want to take the time and be bothered with bagging lawn clippings anymore.

It was once thought that leaving grass clippings on the lawn led to the build up of thatch and was ultimately harmful to the appearance and health of our lawns.. In past years, as well as more recent research, this has been scientifically disproved. In fact, leaving clippings on the lawn can actually be beneficial since it is responsible for a significant return of nitrogen and other nutrients to the soil. Therefore, there is no real sense in wasting time and effort gathering and disposing of clippings that are more beneficial when left where they are.

So, how do mulching mowers fit in? They work on the premise that the smaller the particles of lawn clipping, the more rapid its decomposition. The mulching mower’s purpose then, is to hold the clippings in the cutting chamber for a longer amount of time in order to chop and re-chop the clippings and then inject them back into the lawn. It’s similar to what happens to vegetables in a food processor.

With regular mowings, it’s possible you’ll never have to bag clippings again. But, by regular mowings, I mean often enough to trim only one inch or, at the outside, not more than one third of the grass blade’s length. This way you don’t shock the grass plants by scalping them or suffocate the lawn with extra-long clippings. It has been shown that it is better to mow even when the lawn is wet rather than to wait and remove more than 1/3 at each cutting. I understand, though, that regular mowings are not always possible in the real world. That’s why I actually prefer a mower that gives me the option of mulching or bagging. I use the bagger the first several times I mow in the spring to lift debris out of the yard. I use it when I’ve allowed the lawn to get too tall, and I use it in the fall in place of raking leaves. It’s much quicker and much easier on my back. The rest of the time, I simply let the mulching mower do its thing. Certainly, when you buy a new mower, look for one that has the full mulching capabilities along with the bagger option.

If you’re not in the market to purchase a new mower right now, there are ways to upgrade your current mower to give you a certain degree of these mulching benefits. A mulching blade for your old mower in no way duplicates what a mulching mower does, but it can yield a shorter clipping. This, in turn, takes you one step closer to a mulching mower and is definitely more effective than an older flat blade. For many older mowers, you can also add a blocker plate to the side discharge area which will cause the clippings to be held inside the housing and be chopped many times before being expelled. As always, be sure to keep personal safety your top priority in making any modifications to your mower.

By looking into some of these mower options and mowing more often, you can make complying with House Bill 592 work for you, your lawn and our environment. These thoughts about our environment can also give us good reason to do more composting and then return the by-product to our landscape as a wonderful soil amendment when adding to our landscape.