Grasscycling

What is grasscycling? Grasscycling is the natural recycling of grass by leaving clipping on the lawn after mowing. Grass clippings decompose quickly, returning valuable nutrients back into the soil. Grasscycling is great for your lawn on a number on a number of levels. Whether you are mulching leaves or returning lawn clippings back into the lawn, mulching saves time, money and labor, and is a great soil amendment. There is really no need for raking, bagging or hauling away either leaves or clippings.

Grass Clipping Facts

• Grass clippings account for 75% of all yard waste.
• Up to 25% of your lawn's total fertilizer needs are supplied by clippings left on the lawn.
• Clippings contain 80 to 85% water and decompose quickly.

Grasscycling Benefits

You can save one-third of your annual lawn care time by mowing frequently and not collecting clippings. Clippings left on the lawn recycle nutrients, saving about 25% of your annual fertilizer cost. According to Dr. Norman Hummel Jr., turfgrass specialist at Cornell University, one ton of fresh clippings contain approximately 15 pounds of nitrogen, 2 pounds of phosphorous and 10 pounds of potassium - the three major nutrients [for sustaining plant life] - and smaller quantities of the other elements essential for plant life.

We must stop thinking of grass clippings as "garbage." According to a University of Connecticut research scientist, clippings left on the lawn can increase the organic content of the soil and lead to increased earthworm activity. Earthworms improve aeration and water movement through the soil, providing a better environment for plant growth. One ton of grass clippings contains more than 1,700 pounds of water. Leaving clippings on the lawn save tax dollars spent for labor, fuel costs and dumping fees that are incurred to dispose of this moisture-laden material.

What Is Green Waste?