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Using a mulching mower leaves grass clippings on the lawn, provides a natural alternative to harmful chemical fertilizers, and keeps grass clippings out of overburdened landfills.

How to use a mulching mower

When buying a lawn mower, your first decision is whether you want to buy a gas mower or choose an electric or push mower. Your next decision is whether you want a mower that bags the grass clippings, mulches them, or discharges them out the back or to the side. Many models will do all three.[1]

A mulching mower uses a special blade and enclosed deck to cut grass (and dried leaves) multiple times before depositing it back onto the lawn as fine clippings, which decompose in just a few days. Unlike conventional mowers, mulching mowers, which account for 85 percent of lawn mowers on the market, don't leave thick clumps of grass.[2] Mulching grass clippings is sometimes called " grasscycling."

Two of the three most popular lawn mower options are mulching and bagging (the third is self-propulsion). Mulching is a necessity for a chemical-free lawn. It's a good idea to have both a mulching and a bagging option. While mulching is the way to go most of the time, there are a few times of the year when it's best to bag (or rake) grass clippings:[1]

1. The first mowing in the spring: This removes snow mold, leaves, and other winter debris. Add the bagged clippings to your compost pile.
2. When dandelions go to seed (about mid-May in northern climates): After you see the telltale white "puffballs" of dandelion seeds, use a bag on the mower to collect the seeds rather than dispersing them throughout the lawn by mulching. Don't add the bag's contents, with the dandelion seeds, to the compost pile unless you have a "hot heap": spread them in the woods to decompose.
3. The last mowing at the end of the season: Some people prefer to gather up fallen leaves, rather than mulching them and leaving them on the lawn. If lawn weeds haven't gone to seed, add these clippings to your compost pile as well.

One caveat: If the lawn is long, you may have to spread clippings around with a rake or add some of them to the compost pile. Thick clumps of mown grass will suffocate grass growing underneath.[1].

Find it! Mulching mowers

Compare models and prices of Sears Craftsman, Black & Decker, Yard Machines, and other electric and manual mulching mowers at ConsumerGuide Products' Electric Lawn Mower Guide. Below are some other choices to consider:

Using a mulching mower helps you go green because…

• It fertilizes your lawn naturally, without the use of harmful synthetic chemical fertilizers.
• It keeps lawn clippings out of overburdened municipal waste systems.
• It saves on plastic garbage bags used to contain and transport yard waste.

In the US, people generated 251 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) in 2006, with yard trimmings—including grass clippings—contributing 32.4 million tons, or 12.9 percent.[3] The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends leaving grass clippings on the lawn as a means of "source reduction," meaning that the material never enters the waste stream. Instead, it's managed at the source.[4]

As municipalities try to combat the practice of throwing yard waste into the trash, many communities will no longer collect grass clippings with trash pickup. Some localities, such as St. Louis Park, Minnesota, offer cash incentives to reduce the practice: Residents who don't set out bags of grass clippings receive a $3 credit against each quarterly garbage bill.[5]

In addition to lessening municipal waste, mulching allows a natural method of fertilization as opposed to using synthetic fertilizers that gradually increase the acidity of the soil until it begins to impede plant growth, and produces runoff of agricultural chemicals into local waterways.[6] Studies at Ohio State University showed that grass clippings left on the lawn supply nutrients equivalent to a fertilizer with a 4-1-3 N-P-K ratio. In other words, 100 pounds of grass clippings provide about 4 pounds of nitrogen, 1 pound of phosphorus, and 3 pounds of potassium. Leaving grass clippings on your lawn will provide a quarter to a half of your lawn's fertilizer for the year.[1]

Controversies

When mulching mowers first became popular, there was debate that mulching grass clippings would lead to thatch. Studies at the University of Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station quelled fears that leaving grass clippings on the lawn causes thatch buildup. By tracking the nitrogen with isotopes, researchers discovered that clippings start to decompose almost immediately. Within a week after mowing, nitrogen from the clippings began to appear in the new growth of grass.[7]

Glossary

• grasscycling: Naturally recycling grass clippings by leaving them on the lawn when mowing.
• mulch: A protective covering (as of compost, wood chips, or grass clippings) spread or left on the ground to reduce evaporation, maintain even soil temperature, prevent erosion, control weeds, enrich the soil, or keep fruit (as strawberries) clean.
• mulching mower: A mower with special blades to cut grass into fine clippings, which remain on the lawn and act as a fertilizer.
• N-P-K ratio: The percentage of the nutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) by weight; for example, a fertilizer listed as 5-10-5 is 5 percent nitrogen, 10 percent phosphorus, and 5 percent potassium.
• thatch: A layer of dead or dying grass roots, stolons, and rhizomes, comprised of fibrous lignin, which is slow to decompose; if thatch gets too thick, it can prevent water absorption, and harbor insects and disease.

External links

• Sunset Magazine - Mulching mowers are coming back Learn how mulching mowers work.
• Seattle Public Utilities - Grasscycle! Learn grasscycling facts, how to shop for a mulching mower, and how to grasscycle with a conventional mower.
• California Integrated Waste Management Board - Grasscycling Check out grasscycling tips, FAQs, and recommended growing heights.