Let grass clippings stay on the lawn

Community

July 3, 2009

By LOUISE POITRAS The Daily Southerner Fri Jul 03, 2009, 04:47 PM EDT

"Grass is the cheapest plant to install and the most expensive to maintain."

- Pat Howell

Every spring we throw out some grass seed and then wait for the real work to begin – mowing. And mowing the lawn produces grass clippings. I can’t stress enough the benefits of letting the clippings stay on the lawn. Grass clippings are 75% water and will decompose quickly and return many nutrients, especially nitrogen, to your lawn i.e. free fertilizer. Keeping this organic matter in your lawn will encourage microorganisms, resulting in water conservation and less fertilizer needed. A recent study comparing lawns where the clippings were returned to the lawn vs. being removed showed that the lawns with the clippings returned had: 45% less crabgrass; up to 60% less disease; up to 45% more earthworms; 60% more water reaching plant roots; 25% greater root mass; and 50% reduced need for nitrogen fertilizer.

Louise Poitras is an Edgecombe County gardener. Look for her Garden Guide on Monday on the Community page in The Daily Southerner..

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