In general, grass clippings that remain on your lawn help to return vital nutrients to the soil which promotes healthy lawn growth.
Like any rule of thumb though, there are times when it makes sense to bag and remove (or compost) grass clippings and times when mulched grass clippings should remain on your lawn.
Grass clippings decompose almost completely because they are composed of up to 80% water.
And mulching your lawn in particular is a good idea because it will accelerate the process of decomposition.
Grass clippings are also composed of about 5% nitrogen which is a natural source of fertilization promoting the growth of new grass.
Another benefit of mulched lawn clippings is that you gain a measure of natural ground cover for your turfs' soil.
This natural ground cover helps your soil retain its moisture near the roots of your grass.
This is vital during periods of extended sunshine and dry spells.
Mulched grass left on your lawn can therefore: -reduce the amount of fertilizer you need to add to your lawn -provide a protective layer for new grass -eliminate (or reduce) the extra work involved in bagging and disposing of cut grass clippings When to Bag Grass Clippings What you should be concerned with is excessive grass clipping that may not decompose quickly or adequately.
These excessive clippings can combine with partially decayed grass stems, leaf fragments and roots that remain in the upper layers of your lawns' soil to create a layer called "thatch".
If your lawn has an existing layer of very thick thatch then you are better off bagging cut grass clippings.
A blade of grass lives on average about 40 days or so.
A vibrant lawn needs to constantly produce new grass blades to keep up with the ones that are dying back.
If new grass is not rooted in soil then it will likely root itself in the layer of thatch - which has very little nutritive value.
And if your grass is rooted in thatch you will not have a healthy lawn.
The most important part of grass structure is its' "crown".
The crown is the thick, whitish part of grass that grows at soil level where the shoots and roots meet.
The "crown" of a grass blade is the point where growth originates.
It is a grass blades crown that thatch helps to shade and protect.
Once again, a proper thickness of thatch is also very important because it is a store of nutrients and a sort of insulation for moisture.
Having no thatch layer will open your lawn up to drought and heat stress.
When to Dethatch Your Lawn Dethatching your lawn may be necessary if there is layer of thatch that is greater than a half inch thickness.
To see it clearly, simply dig up a spadeful of your lawn and look at it from the side view.
You should be able to identify; 1.
the soil 2.
the thatch 3.
the crown 4.
the top growth (grass blades) The thatch layer will look like a tightly knit layer of brown debris.
Lawns with a healthy layer of thatch do not need to be dethatched.
Depending on various factors such as where you live, your lawns soil type and your yards' grass type, a healthy layer of thatch should be about a half inch thick.
Finding a Dethatching Lawn Service in Your Area If you have concerns about the health of your lawn you should contact a local lawn care professional.
An initial review of your lawn is usually complimentary and it may be the best way to determine any other lawn care issues that you may not be aware of.
My local region of Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon are all served by a number of expert lawn care providers.
A reliable lawn service business will be able to help you demystify the proper care and treatment of your lawn.
If I were looking in Brampton I might start my search with my favorite search engine by using a term like Brampton lawn service or other similar terms that include my city and the actual type of service that I'm interested in.
You would obviously search using the name of your own city or town to the actual type of service that you want.
Professional lawn treatments for dethatching can include lawn aeration and power raking.
These sorts of treatment options may be necessary if you do have an excessive amount of thatch.
You can also rent the specialized machines that the pros use for aerating and dethatching from a local lawn care center or a retail equipment rental outlet if you're a do-it-yourselfer.
Like any rule of thumb though, there are times when it makes sense to bag and remove (or compost) grass clippings and times when mulched grass clippings should remain on your lawn.
Grass clippings decompose almost completely because they are composed of up to 80% water.
And mulching your lawn in particular is a good idea because it will accelerate the process of decomposition.
Grass clippings are also composed of about 5% nitrogen which is a natural source of fertilization promoting the growth of new grass.
Another benefit of mulched lawn clippings is that you gain a measure of natural ground cover for your turfs' soil.
This natural ground cover helps your soil retain its moisture near the roots of your grass.
This is vital during periods of extended sunshine and dry spells.
Mulched grass left on your lawn can therefore: -reduce the amount of fertilizer you need to add to your lawn -provide a protective layer for new grass -eliminate (or reduce) the extra work involved in bagging and disposing of cut grass clippings When to Bag Grass Clippings What you should be concerned with is excessive grass clipping that may not decompose quickly or adequately.
These excessive clippings can combine with partially decayed grass stems, leaf fragments and roots that remain in the upper layers of your lawns' soil to create a layer called "thatch".
If your lawn has an existing layer of very thick thatch then you are better off bagging cut grass clippings.
A blade of grass lives on average about 40 days or so.
A vibrant lawn needs to constantly produce new grass blades to keep up with the ones that are dying back.
If new grass is not rooted in soil then it will likely root itself in the layer of thatch - which has very little nutritive value.
And if your grass is rooted in thatch you will not have a healthy lawn.
The most important part of grass structure is its' "crown".
The crown is the thick, whitish part of grass that grows at soil level where the shoots and roots meet.
The "crown" of a grass blade is the point where growth originates.
It is a grass blades crown that thatch helps to shade and protect.
Once again, a proper thickness of thatch is also very important because it is a store of nutrients and a sort of insulation for moisture.
Having no thatch layer will open your lawn up to drought and heat stress.
When to Dethatch Your Lawn Dethatching your lawn may be necessary if there is layer of thatch that is greater than a half inch thickness.
To see it clearly, simply dig up a spadeful of your lawn and look at it from the side view.
You should be able to identify; 1.
the soil 2.
the thatch 3.
the crown 4.
the top growth (grass blades) The thatch layer will look like a tightly knit layer of brown debris.
Lawns with a healthy layer of thatch do not need to be dethatched.
Depending on various factors such as where you live, your lawns soil type and your yards' grass type, a healthy layer of thatch should be about a half inch thick.
Finding a Dethatching Lawn Service in Your Area If you have concerns about the health of your lawn you should contact a local lawn care professional.
An initial review of your lawn is usually complimentary and it may be the best way to determine any other lawn care issues that you may not be aware of.
My local region of Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon are all served by a number of expert lawn care providers.
A reliable lawn service business will be able to help you demystify the proper care and treatment of your lawn.
If I were looking in Brampton I might start my search with my favorite search engine by using a term like Brampton lawn service or other similar terms that include my city and the actual type of service that I'm interested in.
You would obviously search using the name of your own city or town to the actual type of service that you want.
Professional lawn treatments for dethatching can include lawn aeration and power raking.
These sorts of treatment options may be necessary if you do have an excessive amount of thatch.
You can also rent the specialized machines that the pros use for aerating and dethatching from a local lawn care center or a retail equipment rental outlet if you're a do-it-yourselfer.
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