Grass clippings series#

The feel of freshly cut lawn under our bare feet is energizing. The smell of chlorophyll in the air is an active aid to both creating and recalling happy times. Ĭutting Grass With.a Reel mower The Appeal of Cut GrassĪ freshly mowed lawn appeals to our sense of order, beauty, and being alive. “In fact, the model suggests that if we recycle the clippings on the grass, we can almost halve the amount of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, and the carbon storage is still greater than it would be if we used the higher amounts of fertilizer but removed the clippings from the lawn.” That could be good news for estuaries and other coastal areas where runoff of excess nitrogen from land surfaces is a major source of water pollution, leading to algae overgrowth and dead zones, where aquatic life can’t survive. That’s equivalent to about 37 billion pounds-the weight of about 147,000 blue whales. lawn area could store up to 16.7 teragrams of carbon each year. If people recycle the grass clippings, leaving them to decompose on the lawn, the U.S.

Grass clippings series#

The following quotes from a study done by the NASA Earth Observatory site add perspective.Īfter running a series of model simulations using different amounts of fertilizer, watering schedules, and leaving or removing the cut grass after mowing, Milesi says that a well-watered and fertilized lawn is a carbon sink. Grasscycling is the solution, reusing this valuable resource. When fully considered, grass clippings make up a surprisingly large portion of waste – approximately 300 to 400 pounds of grass clippings per 1000 square feet annually or, put differently, six-and-a-half tons per acre each year. Not having to bag clippings can reduce the average mowing time by as much as 50 percent.Because clippings contain as much as 80 to 85 percent water, they decompose quickly.Clippings left on the lawn could contribute as much as a quarter of your lawn’s total fertilizer needs.Yard waste accounts for approximately one-fifth of all waste material.Adding yard waste, such as leaves, grass clippings, and branches, to your trash, has been banned nationally since March 1995.But before we proceed, consider the following facts: This article will explore the roles of mowing, clippings, and thatch management in creating a beautifully healthy lawn. Those are the essential facts, but there are additional considerations that require your attention.