Why Act?

Each year, the average lawn generates eight tons of grass clippings per acre. Your grass clippings can account for as much as 50% of your yard waste during the peak growing season. You can leave these clippings on the lawn to feed the soil. This practice is known as “grasscycling.” It enhances the health of your lawn by adding moisture and acting as a natural fertilizer. It also saves you time – no more bagging clippings and dragging them to the curb!

Action Steps

1. Mow your lawn to between 2 and 2 ½ inches to hide clippings. Cut no more than 1/3 of grass height to keep clippings small. Leave the clippings on the lawn. They will break down quickly and not result in thatch. Mow the lawn when it’s dry to avoid clumping.

2. Water deeply, but infrequently. (If you have clay soil, it is better to water more frequently for a shorter period of time.)

3. If you need a new mower, consider a push mower or an electric mulching lawn mower. The best mulching mowers can blow finely chopped clippings down into your lawn where they disappear from sight, decompose, and fertilize the lawn quickly. An electric mulching mower also cuts down on air pollution and a push mower eliminates it completely!

Materials

Lawnmower and a yard

Time

Grasscycling will substantially reduce the time you are spending on lawn care. Specifics will depend on the size of your lawn.

Resources

Master Gardener help line at Virginia Cooperative Extension – Arlington/Alexandria 703-228-6414

Virginia Cooperative Extension
www.ext.vt.edu