Grass Clippings
How Can You Help Improve Our Waterways?
Dumping leaves and grass clippings into the stormwater system affects the canals. The increased nutrients associated with grass clippings can cause algae growth, which can result in killing fish and other aquatic life.
When it rains, the waste is washed into the storm drainage system and clogged. Flooding occurs when storm drains, ditches, and streets become clogged due to excessive sediment/debris build-up.
Benefits of recycling clippings to the lawn
Grass clippings are a rich source of nutrients and minerals your lawn needs to grow thick and healthy. Clippings alone contain about four percent nitrogen, two percent potassium, and one percent phosphorous. As these clippings decompose in your lawn, they feed the good bacteria in the soil, providing a great source of food you can’t get from a store-bought fertilizer.
However, to gain the greatest benefit, at the greatest speed, and without running the risk of damaging the lawn, we need to keep a couple of points in mind when we do this.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Return To Lawn
Adopt a mowing schedule to keep clippings short enough to filter through growing grass and not remain as a mat on top of the lawn. Research and experience indicate that only 1/3 of the grass length should be removed during mowing. Never allow the lawn grass to double its height between mowing. This approach not only eliminates clipping collection and disposal problems, but also can contribute to the improvement of the lawn.
Mulch Your Garden Beds
Grass clippings work well as mulch because they keep moisture and provide the nutrients your plants need to grow. When mixed into soil, they also make a great addition to gardening or raised garden beds. As a precaution, do not use grass clippings from herbicide-treated lawns until after two grass cuttings have been made.
When To Put Grass Clippings Out As Waste
While leaving clippings on the lawn is recommended, there are some exceptions to the rule:
- Remove grass clippings from the curb and gutter, especially near storm drains.
- Remove clippings when the lawn has been sprayed with a weed killer to tackle disease or if your lawn is full of weeds.
- Remove clippings if the lawn is heavily infested with diseases such as leaf spot, rust, or dollar spot to help reduce disease severity.
- If the lawn is wet or the grass has become too tall when you mow, you should compost rather than spread grass clippings on the lawn to allow them to break down; clumpy, heavy, wet grass clippings will suffocate a lawn.
- If clippings land in a curb and gutter area, sweep them up so they don’t get into storm drains or carried to nearby water resources where they can negatively impact water quality.
