lawn mulching benefitslawn mulching benefits

In fact, I was so passionate about the product I joined the company! By mulching, youll never over fertilise again. There is really no need for raking, bagging, or hauling away either leaves or clippings. A lack of microbial activity and earthworms may inhibit the amount of decomposition necessary to break down lawn clippings. By dicing up the lawn material, youre significantly reducing the amount of yard waste or at least chopping it up to a manageable size. If you or your lawn care pro mow frequently with a sharp blade, a regular lawn mower with a standard 2 in 1 blade is sufficient for most mulching needs. A collection system needs to be emptied, and the clippings then need to be put somewhere, either on-site or taken away. Mulching grass clippings provides your lawn with some of its annual nitrogen requirement and supports a healthy ecosystem of bacteria, fungi, and worms. Organic vs. Inorganic Mulch - Lawn Care Blog | Lawn Love As always, if you are planning to put your hands under a mower, disconnect the spark plug or electric cord to prevent accidental starting. has a devasting impact on the environment, cut and mulch the grass at the best time of day. When choosing the type of mulch to use on your lawn, consider factors like your lawns specific needs, the desired visual appearance, and your ecosystem. For more on mulching, read about mulching to control weeds and save water, and check out our guide to composting. In part, thats because the norm has changed, and people either mulch or compost their trimmings from grass plants. Like mentioned above, the grass clippings can provide your lawn with up to 40% of its annual lawn fertilizer especially the nitrogen requirement. Mulching lawn clippings helps lawns stay hydrated in high-heat and drought conditions, said Cassy Aoyagi, president and co-owner of FormLA Landscaping of Los Angeles. Scotts Nature Scapes Color Enhanced Mulch, Scotts Nature Scapes Triple Shred Mulch. If there are lots of weeds on the ground where you want to grow, consider a permeable landscape fabric on many of thebeds. Collecting the clippings around the time the weeds go to seed may help reduce the spread of weed seeds throughout the lawn during certain times of the year. Benefits of Mulching Grass Clippings Instead of Bagging Them - WrightMFG In fact, mulching grass clippings provides your lawn with 25% of its annual nitrogen requirement. Keep reading until the end to find out which one is better. Try one of these excellent blade sharpeners to get the job done. Its easy, practical, environmentally-friendly and cost effective! Do I Need Any Special Equipment For Mulching? Learn about this simple way to turn your landscape from blah to beautiful. Different Types of Lawn Mowers Which One is Right for You? By submitting your email address you are agreeing to receive emails with related tips, information, and promotions from Scotts Miracle-Gro, it's affiliates, and select partners and to our Conditions of Use and consent to the collection of your personal information. Cedar Mulch in the Garden - Uses, Pros & Cons, and Problems Prevents crusting of the soil surface. Mulch is very versatile and can also be used to keep the soil warm in the winter and cool in the summer and prevent erosion. Which is Better Mulching or Bagging? Come Learn Why - The Green Pinky Mulch nearplant stems is the perfect place for, Mulch can bake your plants with excess heat in midsummer if not done properly. I now have one in each of my three raised beds and couldn't be happier. A 2018, In part, thats because the norm has changed, and people either mulch or compost their trimmings from grass plants. Honda Lawn Mowers | Benefits of Mulching If done correctly, it also doesnt reduce the neat appearance, either.. The output or chute is blocked to trap the clippings underneath the deck. Moreover, enhances soil conditions, your yard will require less maintenance in the long run. If they are kept on site and used in a compost pile, care must be taken with regards to pesticide usage and composting chemical pesticides. Done correctly, mulching feeds our soils living microorganisms with nutrients and the waste from these tiny microbes creates healthier soil structure for plants, limitingcompaction. By mulching your lawn, you create a healthier environment on the soil surface for your grass to thrive in over time. Then we cover the hoses with a fabric to speed up the change in soil temperatures and warmthe soil for earlierplanting. See our GarlicGuide:https://almanac.com/plant/garlic. Your email address will not be published. List of contents What is mulching? Also, many councils in the UK charge for the privilege of having a green waste bin. Trees roots do not need mulch because the tree roots are mature; the mulch blocks the rain the roots need; I see this alot around towns in Conn.; harms the trees; Like many of your readers, I struggled using mulch in my vegetable gardens, I would rather have weeds than watch some new pest move in and devour my plants. How Do I Mulch Leaves With a Mower? Types of Lawn Fertilizers How to Choose the Right One, Types of Weed Killers How to Choose the Right One, Types of Grass Seed: How to Choose the Right One, Best Lawn Care Tools for Beginners (What You Need and How to Use Them). Straw is another excellent mulching material that can be used in both your lawn and garden. I write about everything about lawn care and gardening and the dread-it-but-still-need-to-do-it chores around the yard, like cleaning out the gutter guards. In the opposite corner is bagging. 40% of its annual lawn fertilizer especially the nitrogen, Mulch for Gardening Success: Best Garden Mulch, How to Keep Chipmunks Away with Natural Coffee Grounds, Best Hummingbird Food Recipe (& feeder care), Seeds Not Sprouting Properly? (this is wonderful). If you notice it becoming too thick (more than 0.5 inches), consider dethatching your lawn to maintain proper aeration and drainage. Your email address will not be published. To mulch your clippings, you then simply close the side discharge chute and remove the bag if applicable with your particular mower. The 6 Benefits of Mulching Grass (Why You Should Do It) - YardThyme Image: Mulching around salvia. In fact, its been shown that mulching short mulched lawn clippings can provide your lawn with 25% of its annual nitrogen requirement. The latter alternative can be done by a mulching mower. Follow that link for some more expert advice on how to achieve a luscious lawn, with our easy-to-follow guide. Each spring, summer, autumn and winter, you spend good money applying lawn feed. Remember, though, that black mulches tend to reflect heat, so choose a lighter color if you live in a warm region and are concerned with overheating your plants. This could mean mowing every day or two during the growing season. We also use organic mulch including straw, leaf mold, grass clippings, wood chips, and shredded leaves for crops that like itcooler. She founded Gaia's Farm and Gardens,aworking sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column. A few newer mowers even allow you to control the level of mulching so that some of the grass returns to the lawn, and some is diverted to the bagger. I chose cedar because we have a lot of that in our area. Great article in mulch except we started mulching 3 years ago and our wood mulch created something called artillery fungus. Both organic and inorganic mulches can be used effectively in thegarden. They are designed with multiple cutting edges and aerodynamic shapes that keep grass suspended under the deck of the lawn mower. Weve had to pick up all the old wood mulch and bring it to the burn dump. In addition, overgrown grass is often quite coarse and difficult to break down. Protects plants from the harsh conditions of winter freezes, thaws, andwinds. /vEE1qP: :z~Xdi)aaz}-BOI(XY`L4pMI2Xho+hV|\s+ [q^#3j2Tvfrj@tg--i1GWe\^D({E}pf)ad oXcqm:11WOo6$8JAjV**KeZoA;79>`C}-m`Bj5w) G&?&2Kbx9Cin!u$e5=OeScRU|W[3-)\#(WWII,_&X7#cq {di~q lYaMOb=n%1%:pwO& u vQ9- Go ahead and bag the clippings if your lawn has a thick layer of thatch a half-inch or more. Mow down grass or cut back weeds to the ground. It helps retain moisture in the soil, which reduces the need for watering. Plus, you have the expense of the bags and the disposal of the clipping. The benefits of mulching lawn clippings are too numerous and valuable to ignore. When you mow and mulch on a regular basis you keep this microbial activity high. This improves soil fertility and promotes healthier plant growth. Mulching your grass recycles these nutrients returning them to your lawn, providing feed to make your grass green and thick. Grass mulching not only improves your lawn and gardens health, but it saves you money as well. Protects bare soil, reducing erosion and soil compaction. There may or may not be a switch that you set to mulch, depending on your machine. My name's Gibson. The Benefits Of Mulching Your Lawn Reardless of your reason, if you do decide to remove the trimmings from your lawn, you can use grass clippings as part of a compost pile. Benefits of mulching include: Grass stores food, moisture and nutrients in its leaves. 4. The clippings are left to decompose, providing essential nutrients and moisture back into the soil. If it does find its way onto the lawn, the clumps smother the grass and youll need to clear it up. I want to help you create the garden of your dreams. It will spread those weeds all over your lawn and make the problem ten times worse. Mulching is a practice that has been used for centuries to improve the health of plants and soil. Mulch instantly adds rich color and a manicured look to your landscape beds, along the foundation of your home, around trees and shrubs, and between garden beds. stream Benefits of Grass Mulching | Ariens As they break down, the clippings will release nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. Box 520 | Dublin, NH 03444. Remove longer clippings because they can shade or smother grass beneath, causing lawn damage., Shorter grass bits will break into the soil more easily, unlike longer ones, said Pol Bishop of Fantastic Gardeners, a London-based lawn service company. Mowing wet grass and leaving as a mulch can do more harm than good, as the cut blades will clump firmly together. Wood chips help insulate the soil, retain moisture, and suppress weed growth and are great around trees, shrubs and in flower beds. Standard mowers collect the clippings in that attached box. ~.i5} M/Mj\2Tm -VQQnzW]hiKx&%0C[# od{4qA8B!O*P:Po?d%:z.[RMbkeWr#lh| RdGq[MA X L;HKTz!Rrn,u)@b$f^#Z[9-}udA&(f,Ele$6Hh@atqR8g84cn&S"zlHmns*. A typical lawn needs up to 4 pounds of nitrogen annually for healthy growth. With a good . Insecticides for grub prevention can kill much more than the target pest and can render a lawn almost lifeless. It is a solar power weeding robot that weeds your garden all season long. If mulching your lawn is so good why dont we do it all the time?! Organic Mulches: Organic mulches consist of materials derived from plants. Dont mulch clippings if your lawn is overrun with weeds especially if theyve gone to seed. Wet grass clippings tend to clump and decay more slowly, increasing the risk of anaerobic decomposition. For more details, visit my disclosures page. You may not need to fertilize as much, since you'll be gaining so much from the mulched clippings. Mulching is quieter and cleaner. By mulching, you reduce your lawns fertilizer needs. There, they break down quickly and release essential nutrients to the soil. - Control & Prevention. Benefits of Mulching. A mulching mower will be put under even more stress as it tries to chop up clumps of wet grass into tiny pieces. You should always avoid mowing wet grass whenever you can. The mulch may clump a bit and create larger pieces, but for ordinary lawns, thats fine. Tonight it is going down into the 20's. By mulching your lawn, you create a healthier environment on the soil surface for your grass to thrive in over time. Mowing the lawn isnt the most exciting garden maintenance practice, but its a necessary one. The organic matter from grass clippings feeds beneficial bacteria, fungi, and worms that contribute to a healthy soil ecosystem, ultimately improving soil fertility and promoting vigorous plant growth. Limits the chance of damaging trees trunks when mulch is placed around them instead ofgrass. Also, mulching in the fall keeps the soil wet, which can lead to root rot and plantdeath. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. If you dont have a mulching mower, you can mulch clippings with other types of mower. YFCe2bR`8]B Y49S;dY$VC,HmU|m5[/%4b02 =Mx.Ci\lzJ]3&Z'Q{m]m Ackkm}7'-5ClqyBw8HtHR%?% A[_!=CWU!-R\y[Ss}m6:O?mZk:y=L-iy s3>,LtsGCy\m)eO*I5JZ 1rjP_e])miEh0j. Grass Mulching Benefits for a Healthier Lawn: But Why? Feed the tiny creatures on your lawn (the good ones, anyway) and they will pay you back in kind with a healthy, balanced soil that you could grow Jacks beanstalk in. 1. For anyone just wanting to get to the good stuff, the seven biggest advantages to mulching grass are: Yard waste reduction, moisture retention, fertilizing, time saving, helping weed prevention, and promoting healthy soil. The insulating properties of grass mulch also regulate soil temperature. Arguably, the . Its lightweight, easy to spread, and can provide a good layer of insulation for plant roots, thus helping to maintain a stable soil temperature. Mulch has been called the gardeners friendand for good reason. Care should be taken to avoid clumping and address it when it occurs to avoid smothering the grass. Landscaping fabric will prevent the seeds that are in the soil already from sprouting, but it does nothing to stop seeds from blowing in and landing on top of the soil. Side discharge, bagging, or mulching are the options, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. For whatever reasons, the health of the lawn is blamed on the mulched leaves. The Pros and Cons of Robotic Lawn Mowers Is it Worth it? 9 general benefits of mulch. endobj For one, says ORourke, If you havent cut your lawn in a while, dont be afraid to bag some of your clippings. It also keeps the soil moist and covered to keep the temperature down. Emily Estep is a plant biologist and journalist who has worked for a variety of online news and media outlets, writing about and editing topics including environmental science and houseplants. Makesgardens spiffed up and attractive, giving a uniform appearance and rhythm to gardendesign. Its important to apply enough mulch in winter to keep the frozen ground completely covered so the plant remains dormant until spring no matter what type of warm or cold spellsoccur. It sends out small fungus spores that attaches to everything within 20 feet including the siding on our house. It needs to go somewhere, and landfill is often where it can end up. I like to think of myself as the Bond of the backyard, that is if yard work ever became sexy. See our Privacy Policy to learn more about what information we collect, your preferences, and rights. What to Do With Lawn Clippings. Hydroseeding: What It Is and How It's Beneficial - The Spruce link to The Pros and Cons of Robotic Lawn Mowers - Is it Worth it? Kelly Burke is a professional turf manager who is accredited in organic land care and a licensed pesticide applicator. Mulching lawn mowers will also force the clippings down into the grass, and ensure an even distribution of your clippings. No matter which blade you have, keep it sharp. Mulching mowers cut the grass clippings up into tiny pieces and blow them back into to sward where they break down, re-fertilising the lawn. The mulch helps protect the soil surface from excessive heat and wind which helps reduce moisture loss. %PDF-1.5 However, straw may contain some weed seeds, so make sure to source weed-free straw for mulching purposes.