You are most likely starting to mow your lawn now, and you may have a lawnmower that’s either bagged or bagless. Regardless of which kind you have, the clippings have to go somewhere. Do you throw them in the garbage, toss on an area with tons of weeds, or do you leave them on the lawn? Today, we’ll discuss what’s better, to bag your clippings, or to leave them on your lawn, where they then decompose over time.
Should I Mulch?
Many professional lawn service companies make a case for mulching your clippings instead of bagging them. One, it saves you time and energy, and two, it returns valuable nutrients into your lawn. Since lawns need to be fed, grass clippings that contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium nutrients are as beneficial as fertilizer. Furthermore, clippings can provide as much as a third of the annual feeding requirement for your lawn.
When you leave grass clippings on your lawn, they decompose over time and add essential nutrients to the soil. When you increase the mulching, it increases the nitrogen. In return, you won’t need as much chemical fertilizers. If you have a large lawn, it frees up your time since you need to repeatedly stop, turn off the mower (depending on the kind of mower you have) and dump the clippings in a compost pile or your garbage can.
To successfully mulch the lawn, you need to chop the grass into smaller pieces. So, you either need to mow more often, cutting only a third of the grass blades, or bag your clippings
Tip: If you decide to mulch, keep your mower blade sharp and mow often so your clippings don’t get too long. Avoid mowing when the grass is wet since wet grass tends to clump more easily.
Should I Bag?
Some homeowners want a neat look after mowing their lawn. When clippings are left on the grass, it can look unappealing. If you don’t mow as much and your clippings are long, it’s probably best to bag them. Large clumps of grass clippings can rot on your lawn, especially in the heat of summer. Once they’re left too long, they will start to kill parts of the living grass underneath.
Also, you can bag your clippings and then dump them in a garden for plant protection or in an area that is full of weeds. Dumping grass on top will tamp down their increase and prevent them from sprouting up as much since the sun can’t get to them.
Also, an important note is that fungus can be a big problem if you mulch your lawn. If you don’t bag the clippings, it can spread the disease. In the summer heat, it may be best to mulch grass clippings because they break down in the heat and humidity.
Tip: It’s typically wetter in the spring and fall, so it’s best to bag your clippings then, so they don’t stick to your shoes or bare feet or stain your kid’s clothing, which can then get tracked inside the house.
Need Help This Summer? Contact Us
If you need lawn and pest control service in Orem and surrounding areas of Utah County, reach out and contact Summit Lawn & Pest Control today. We offer the best services from our dedicated and experienced team of technicians that are experts at what they do. Call us and see the difference for yourselves.
