Is It Better to Bag or Mulch Your Grass Clippings When Mowing Your Lawn? (2024)

FAQs

Is It Better to Bag or Mulch Your Grass Clippings When Mowing Your Lawn? ›

The answer is that mulching the clippings is better for your lawn. That's because when you mulch the clippings, they will eventually break down and return nutrients to your soil. One of the most common misconceptions about mulching grass clippings is that it causes a thatch build-up problem.

Most of the time, mulching your clippings is the best option. You should bag your clippings if the grass is tall, leaves are covering the lawn, or you need to prevent disease and weeds from spreading.

However, mulching also has some potential drawbacks. For example, if too much mulch is applied, it can smother the grass and prevent it from getting the oxygen it needs to thrive. In addition, mulch can also provide a hiding place for lawn pests, which can lead to infestations.

There are few times that we would actually recommend bagging your grass clippings. That may be a good idea if you're having a specific turf disease problem that you're hoping to not spread as you mow, when cleaning up leaves in the fall, or if you went way too long between mowings.

When and How Often Should You Mulch? We recommend that you have your yard mulched at least once a year. To take full advantage of the many benefits it can offer to the soil, some people like to mulch twice a year.

Disadvantages. Because mulch blocks sunlight, it prevents some seeds from germinating. This is good for keeping weeds away from the beds, but not for your good seeds. You can prevent this problem waiting until plants green up before mulching.

Mulching helps soil retain moisture by shading the earth and covering it like a blanket. It allows water to be stored more effectively in the ground, so the soil remains loose and will not dry out too quickly. It also helps plants to grow by forming a protective layer against heavy rain and cold temperatures.

As a general rule, grass clippings of an inch or less in length can be left on your lawn where they will filter down to the soil surface and decompose quickly.

The best months to mulch are mid to late April, after spring bulbs have started to push up through the ground but before spring weeds get too active. When should you not mulch? It's best not to mulch just before a heavy rainstorm.

You have to mow slower because you want the mulched grass clippings to be spread evenly across your lawn. Going too fast will result in clumps of grass you'll need to spread. It also strains the mower because it'll have to mulch a larger volume of grass clippings.

What happens if you don't bag your grass clippings? ›

Grass clippings quickly decompose and return essential nutrients, such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, back to the soil. Use grass clippings to fertilize your lawn or to make compost to help fertilize your plants. Leaving your grass clippings on the ground can fulfill up to 25% of your lawn's fertilizer needs.

Grass clippings contain nutrients and can help enrich the soil of bare spots to prepare for new grass to grow. It also aids in moisture retention.

Mulching cuts mowing time by as much as a third, it reduces the need for fertilizer since the clippings give the lawn a nitrogen boost, and it's good for the environment since there are no messy bags of clippings to deal with.

To put it simply, mulching the grass clippings is the best option. That's because the grass clippings are full of nutrients, and as they decompose, they will return the nutrients to your soil. These nutrients will help your lawn grow strong roots, resists diseases, and give your grass that beautiful green color.

While mulch is very beneficial for the plants to thrive in our gardens, too much will have a detrimental effect on the plants. Excessive mulch can suffocate the plant roots which inhibits their ability to “breath”.

Using clippings as mulch

In general, putting mulch around flowers, vegetables, shrubs and trees helps reduce weeds, conserve moisture and moderate soil temperatures. Grass clippings are a good mulch option with a few conditions: Do not apply more than 1 or 2 inches of grass clippings at one time.

Unless you consider gardening to be a workout, in which case a fan rake will work wonders. If, however, you're staring at a case of “excessive clumping”, then dispersing them might not be your best option. Instead, you'll want to rake them up, pop 'em in a wheelbarrow and leave them for your dustbin-men to deal with.

Leaving them behind when you mow, also known as grasscycling, can help build a healthy lawn. Contrary to popular belief, clippings do not lead to thatch buildup, which damages the grass. Instead, they can act as a natural fertilizer, reducing the need for additional nitrogen fertilizer.

“Using a mulching mower to not only mow but to mulch leaves will help keep your lawn properly trimmed, but also accelerate the rate of leaf decomposition into beneficial soil organic matter,” says Dan Sandor, who is also an expert in turfgrass science at Virginia Tech.