Grasscycling
Keep your lawn looking healthy through grasscycling
Grass clippings are no longer accepted at the curb or Peel Community Recycling Centres.
Grasscycling means leaving the clippings on the lawn after mowing it. It helps keep your lawn healthy while saving you the time and effort of bagging the clippings.
Benefits of grasscycling
It’s better for your lawn and the environment
- Grasscycling makes your lawn healthy and helps prevent thatch buildup.
- Fresh grass clippings are 80% water. They protect the soil by keeping moisture in the ground. Grass clippings break down quickly, providing nutrients to your lawn.
- Cutting grass to a height of 8 cm (3 in) will develop a healthy root system and helps prevent weeds from growing.
- Grasscycling reduces water use and the amount of fertilizer needed for your lawn.
It's easier for you
- Grasscycling saves time and effort. No bagging required.
- It reduces the need to water your lawn and slows water evaporation from your soil.
- It reduces the need to fertilize your lawn. The grass clippings break down quickly, adding nutrients to your lawn.
Other information
- Cut your grass regularly, cutting no more than 1/3 of the length of the grass blade at one time.
- Remove the lawn mower bag before mowing your lawn.
- Set the mower blade height to 8 cm (3 in) before cutting.
- Cut grass when it’s dry so it spreads evenly on your lawn and won’t clump.
- It’s quicker to cut the grass when the blade is sharp.
- Try not to over-water or over-fertilize.
- Consider using a backyard composter, sold at select Community Recycling Centres.
Leaving grass on a lawn causes thatch
- Thatch is the buildup of organic debris that is resistant to decay.
- You might find some grass clippings in the thatch layer, but they usually don't add to thatch buildup because grass clippings easily break down.
- Thatch is mainly caused by excessive root growth from over-watering and over-fertilizing.
Grasscycling makes lawns look untidy
- When cut properly, clippings fall between the grass blades and are barely noticeable.
- Clumping may result from cutting wet grass or cutting more than 3-4 cm of the grass blades.
- Grass clippings are 80% water, so they break down quickly.
Grasscycling causes lawn disease
- Grasscycling hasn’t been found to contribute to disease
- Lawn disease is usually caused by improper watering and fertilizer use.
- Cutting grass too short can make lawn disease more likely because it lessens food reserves in the plant, making the grass weak and unhealthy.
Mulching mowers are required for grasscycling
- Any lawn mower, including a reel or push mower, will work.
- Remove the bag from your mower and raise the blades to the medium setting. Keep the blade sharp.
Grass clippings aren’t useful
- Keep your grass clippings! You can add them to your backyard compost.
- Use them as mulch to control weeds and stop moisture loss around flowerbeds, trees and shrubs.
- You can buy a composter at select Community Recycling Centres.
Grasscycling spreads weeds
- Mowing often prevents dandelions from spreading.
- Mowing high prevents sunlight from reaching the ground and prevents weeds from growing.
- A low-cut lawn is more likely to have weeds.
