If you've never heard of grasscycling, let me start by saying that you and your lawn will love it. All you do is mow your lawn, and rather than bagging or raking up the clippings, leave them on the grass; they'll disappear in a few days, if not immediately. It's the healthiest thing you can do for your yard and our environment. By allowing the clippings to settle around the stems of your grass, you are applying a free natural fertilizer to your lawn (grass clippings are high in nitrogen -- that's why bagged clippings will get an ammonia smell if they're left to sit for a while). Not only that, but the clippings help the soil beneath retain moisture, so you don't have to water as often. And leaving the clippings to feed the soil means you don't have to "drag your grass" around -- hee hee! It requires a lot less time and effort, and you're saving the planet from the fossil fuel emissions required to truck your grass away.
Some people have the idea that if they leave clippings on their lawns, they're creating thatch, or they'll end up with mushroom fairy rings. The fact of the matter is that thatch is a root-based issue that can be solved by deep raking in the spring and aerating as required. Grasscycling doesn't cause fairy rings either -- that's more of a moisture issue. You're more likely to end up with lawn diseases if you have a dull lawnmower blade or mow too low (lawns are healthier if they're kept between 6 to 7.5 cm long... that's about 2.5 to 3 inches for non-metric thinkers).
For more information, check out this link: http://www.edmonton.ca/for_residents/garbage_recycling/grasscycling.aspx
Hmmmm. Looks like the blades need a little sharpening.
1 comment:
The lazy way is the best way! I adore how something I'd do because I forgot to rake or didn't feel like it, is so helpful to the Earth:)
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