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Proper mowing keeps lawns healthy

03.06.11

But along with lawns comes mowing, and mowing means figuring out how to properly deal with the grass clippings that creates.

If you don't use a bag and mow infrequently or improperly, the clumps of cut grass left behind are unsightly, yellow the grass beneath them and are unhealthy for the lawn.

Using a grass-catcher attachment on your lawn mower presents its own issues. The bagging and handling of grass clippings extends the chore of mowing, because you have to frequently stop and empty the grass-catcher.

If we manage our lawns correctly and use proper cutting practices, we can have nice lawns and rarely be bothered by clippings.

Clippings can then fall down into the turf without creating a problem. In fact, if recycled back into the lawn, grass clippings can supply about half the nutrients needed by your lawn in the form of a slow-release, organic fertilizer.

You've already got it, why throw it away?

Properly managed, unbagged grass clippings will not contribute to a buildup of thatch -- the layer of dead plant material located between the green shoots and the soil. All lawns should, and do, have some thatch in them. But too much thatch may cause excessive sponginess, uneven scalping and difficult mowing, and provide a haven for diseases and insects to flourish.

Source: NOLA.com