Hambledon/Hambledon Estates/Briarchase/Briarchase 2/Estates

Grass Recycling

Jun 01, 2004

Leave it on the Lawn

With Spring and Summer fast approaching, it is almost time to return to the once weekly lawn mowing that the Gulf Coast growing season requires. I would like to share an idea that will reduce your time caring for the lawn ?– Grass Recycling.

If you will ?“Leave It On The Lawn?”, it will benefit the environment, improve your lawn, save time, and save landfill space. It has been estimated that grass constitutes up to 70% of collected trash volume in some communities in the Houston area during the growing season. In addition to unnecessarily filling needed landfill space; it takes some effort to bag the clippings and to place the bags at the curbside for trash collection. By not trashing grass, you can reduce your mowing time by at least 25%.

About 10 years ago, I bought a small mulching mower for no other reason than to reduce my own time and effort in the yard. I quickly discovered that my lawn was healthier as a result. Grass clippings are 80% water and contain 2-4% nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other nutrients. This should typically translate to one less required fertilization annually and a significant reduction in water usage.

You do not have to purchase a ?“mulching?” mower. Any mower can recycle grass clippings. Just remove the grass catcher. Ask your lawn mower dealer if you need a special safety plug or adapter kit to convert your mower into a ?“recycling?” mower. Installing a mulching blade (which chops the clippings into smaller pieces) also is helpful, since longer clippings take longer to settle into the soil.

A few other helpful tips:
?· Never cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade in one mowing.
?· Mow when the grass is dry.
?· Keep your mower blade sharp. Dull mowers tear the grass blade, injure the plant and cause a brownish cast to the turf.
?· If the grass gets too high, mow over the clippings a second time to further shred and scatter them.
Do your part for the environment while giving yourself additional time for recreation and relaxation. LEAVE IT ON THE LAWN.