• If you need or want to collect your grass
clippings, recycle them as a mulch in the
garden or in planting beds. Mulching
reduces weed problems, modifies soil
temperature, and retains moisture.
Mulch also helps maintain good soil
structure and minimizes erosion by pro-
tecting the soil surface.
• However, avoid mulching with grass
that's been treated with weedkillers.
These could harm your desirable plants.
Be particularly cautious when a long
lasting herbicide called dicamba
(Banvel) has been used. Chemically
treated clippings should be left on the
lawn or in your compost bin where her-
bicides other than dicamba will break
down in about 6 weeks. Do not compost
clippings from lawns treated with
dicamba. Leave them on the lawn.
Mowers
• Various types of mowers are available on
the market and each has its own advan-
tages and disadvantages. Rotary
mowers are most commonly used and
many can be operated with or without a
bagging attachment. Bagging mowers
may or may not require the bag to be at-
tached. Kits are available that will convert
some bagging mowers into mulching
mowers.
• Mulching mowers, a type of rotary
mower, finely chop clippings allowing
faster breakdown on your lawn. Push or
reel mowers are quiet to operate, easy to
maintain, and require no gasoline. They
are a good choice for a small lawn.
• Regardless of mower type, the key to a
quality cut is keeping the mower blade
sharp and properly adjusted. Dull
mowers use more gasoline, give the lawn
an undesirable frayed appearance, and
can allow leaf diseases to get started.
Mower blades require sharpening at
least every second mowing season for
bluegrass lawns, and at least once per
year for tall fescue or perennial ryegrass
lawns.
• Avoid mowing when the grass is wet as
this produces clumps that smother the
lawn and clog the mower. Always be
careful to keep hands and feet away from
the cutting blades of any mower.
EHI m f\ • ^T • i
This information produced through a
cooperative effort between:
Colorado State University
Cooperative Extension
United States
Environmental Protection Agency,
Region VIII,
Denver, Colorado
Authors
Dr. Tony Koski
Colorado State Cooperative
Extension Specialist
(Turfgrass), Fort Collins, CO
Carl Wilson
Colorado State Cooperative
Extension Agent
(Horticulture). Denver, CO
LAWN MOWINC
('Environmental Action Starts
in your Yard)
9O8R83OO1
Leave grass clippings on the lawn t
improve yoiif grass save-time aru
protect the enviroomerrt
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Why quit bagging grass clippings?
Some questions and answers.
Mowing Facts
Q. Bagging is needed for a quality lawn,
right?
A, No. A lot of people with great looking
lawns mow and don't catch clippings. In
fact, lawn researchers have proven that
clippings left on lawns result in a
healthier lawn that is generally less pro-
ne to disease. Clippings also contain
organic fertilizer nutrients that are
returned to the lawn if clippings are not
picked up.
Q. But clippings cause thatch, don't they?
A. Grass clippings break down quickly and
don't turn into thatch. The brown,
spongy material that we call thatch
starts with thick grass stems and roots.
When these hardened grass parts die
naturally, they break down slowly and
can accumulate as a thatch layer. Your
best defense against thatch is to
regularly core cultivate your lawn. Pro-
viding air to grass roots through core
aeration, and fertilizer nutrients by
returning grass clippings, greatly con-
tribute to growing a healthy lawn.
Q. My lawn is healthy and I bag my clip-
pings. Why shouldn't I continue
bagging?
A. If you compost your grass clippings and
then use the compost in your garden,
this is fine. However, putting grass clip-
pings in the trash causes several pro-
blems. Bags of grass clippings take up
a whopping 25%* of the space in trash
hauling trucks and a lot more room in
landfills. Many landfills across the coun-
try are rapidly running out of room. In
addition to spending local tax money to
haul and dump clippings, grass clip-
pings cause more problems once they
are in the landfill. They compact easily,
which prevents aerobic composting. In-
stead, breakdown without oxygen pro-
duces explosive methane gas which is
a hazard to landfill workers. Clippings
left on the lawn will avoid all these prob-
lems. Good lawns stay healthy when
clippings are left on them and poor
lawns get better!
Q. I'm not sure that my lawn mower will
operate without the bag. How can I tell?
A. Consult the manual that came with your
mower or ask your mower dealer. Some
mowers can operate safely with or
without the bag. Others can be con-
verted to no bag operation with a kit
available from your dealer. See the back
panel for more information on mowers.
'An estimate for the grass growing months of June
through Seotember
Lawns are most healthy when mowed at
21/2-to-3 inches, leaving the clippings on
the lawn. Mowing heights may be
lowered to 11/2 inches in the fall to avoid
grass matting over the winter.
Mow frequently so no more than 1/3 of
the grass blade is removed. This may
mean mowing every 5 days instead of
waiting a full week. Note that studies
show it takes less overall time to mow
more often and leave clippings, than
mowing weekly and bagging clippings. If
grass does become excessively long in
between mowings, bagging or raking to
avoid surface matting of clippings on the
lawn will be necessary.
Apply most of your fertilizer in the fall —
from late September to early November
— but at least 2 to 3 weeks before the
ground freezes and while the grass is still
green. Late season fertilization favors
root and not top growth, provides a
greener fall and winter lawn, and allows
your lawn to green up earlier in the
spring. Fertilizing in the fall avoids a lot of
the mowing chores brought on by spring
fertilization while still giving you the same
benefits. Even a moderate application of
fertilizer in the spring means more fre-
quent mowing — up to twice per week —
and can produce a weak, poorly rooted
turf. Use only light amounts of fertilizer in
the spring and summer; or better yet,
consider the use of a slow release fer-
tilizer that gradually makes nutrients
available to the grass.
Treat your lawn with pesticides, par-
ticularly fungicides, only when neces-
sary. Use of many common pesticides
kills beneficial earthworms and micro-
organisms that break down clippings
and digest the dead stems and roots that
cause thatch.
In addition to proper mowing, regular
watering, fertilizing, and core aerating
are key to growing a quality lawn. For
more information on lawns, ask your
Colorado State University Cooperative
Extension office for the fact sheet titled
"Lawn Care."
Grass Clippings Belong on the Lawn Because:
• Nitrogen and other nutrients in the
clippings are recycled into the lawn,
reducing fertilizer bills and the poten-
tial for nitrogen surface water
contamination.
• Clippings breakdown quickly and en-
courage beneficial earthworms and
microorganisms that maintain healthy
grass and healthy soil.
• Clippings on the lawn mean no bagging
and hauling, and more time to enjoy the
lawn and pursue other recreational
activities. . '.'
• Eliminating plastic bags of grass clip-
pings means 25% less trash for City
workers to haul, which is a cost savings.
• Cutting 25% of the trash volume
preserves landfill space.
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