Grasscycling
What is Grasscycling?
Grasscycling is leaving the grass clippings on the lawn after you've mowed. This lets the moisture and nutrients in the cut grass return to the soil as the clippings decompose.
Grasscycling Tips
- Mow high and often. The ideal grass height is 5 cm-7.5 cm (2”-3").
- Keep your mower blades sharp.
- Mow when the grass is dry.
- Mow late in the day.
- Use any kind of mower. It isn't necessary to get a "mulching" mower, although the smaller clippings produced by a mulching mower will decompose quicker.
- Spend Less Time Mowing
Leave your grass clippings on your lawn, and you'll reduce your lawn mowing time by 30 per cent
Thatch is a build up of dead roots and stems usually caused by overwatering or overfertilizing. Since grass clippings quickly decompose, grasscycling doesn't cause thatch.
Use Less Water for a Healthier Lawn
- Just add rain. Your lawn needs only half an inch of water, twice a week to stay healthy.
- Water in the morning (between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.) or in the evening to avoid losing up to 60 per cent of the water to evaporation. Don't water between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- Grass clippings are 80 per cent water. Leaving cut grass on the lawn will reduce moisture loss and return water to the soil.
- For more information refer to Lawn Tips.
More Grasscycling Information
For more detailed information about keeping your lawn healthy through grasscycling, download:
Grasscycling: It's Nature's Way of Recycling (197KB, 4 pages)