Grass clippings left in boarders, is it ok?

Lady_K

I have to have a gardener as I'm not able to do it myself and when he cuts my grass he leaves any clippings that go onto the soil boarders there to rot, he says it is compost and should be left there. It looks untidy and I don't like it so he just mixes it in the soil.
Wouldnt this encourage grass to seed and grow in the boarders? or is it safe to do and even maybe a good idea?

Leif

I suspect it is best left on the surface. Mulch is of course a top layer of raw matter, which breaks down into compost. But if you mix the mulch in, the way it breaks down changes, and it absorbs nitrogen from the soil. So raw matter dug in is not good. But if it is only a bit of grass, it's probably harmless. Then again, if left on the surface within a short while it goes brown, and blends in.

BargainGalore

It should be okay it will act as a mulch although we dont need much of that lately. If it was normal sun it would soon break down

forgotmyname

I would leave it, As mentioned it will breakdown and add nutrients to the soil.

But its your choice, If you want it cleared then ask him to clear it.

If he charges by the hour though it maybe time consuming depending on how
much of it you want removed.

poppysarah

Do you have a compost bin?
If not then he'd have to take the grass cuttings away and might well have to pay to dispose of them.

Options:
Ask the council if they have a green waste collection service.
Ask him to take them away. Expect an increase in charge.
Let him carry on as normal.
Get a compost bin and have a big slimey heap if it's only grass going in. Ask neighbours if they want grass clippings for their compost heap.
Get a gardener with a mulching mower which chops grass fine enough to be left on the lawn.

lostinrates

Although i don't do this myself i have seen it recommended, but leaving the clippings on the surface not mixing them in, as a mulch.

I would not mix them if i were you. If you sow annuals it might be a problem, and presumably if your grass is being cut regularly there is little to no seed to worry about?

Mojisola

Lady_K wrote: »

I have to have a gardener as I'm not able to do it myself and when he cuts my grass he leaves any clippings that go onto the soil boarders there to rot, he says it is compost and should be left there. It looks untidy and I don't like it so he just mixes it in the soil.

Wouldnt this encourage grass to seed and grow in the boarders? or is it safe to do and even maybe a good idea?

I'm not keen on the look of fresh grass cuttings used as mulch either. They can also get a bit smelly in hot weather. If the lawn is treated with weedkillers, the clippings can also have an adverse effect on your plants. If the lawn grasses are flowering before he cuts it, there is a chance that grass seeds will get into your borders but the lawn should be cut before most seeds are formed.

If you don't have enough green waste to make a compost bin - grass cuttings are too green and watery to rot down properly without other stuff - then see if your council does a green waste collection. If not, do any of the neighbours make compost?

Otherwise, you can ask him to take them away. He may charge you extra because, as a business, he will be charged to dispose of the cuttings at the council tip.

I would think about getting a more co-operative workman.

WestonDave

To be fair if its only the odd bits that stray onto the borders as he is cutting the nearby lawn, you'd have to be fairly pedantic to bother whether its either picked up, buried or left. If he's cutting it regularly then whether or not he uses a collection bag/box on the mower you won't get much lying on the surface and what is there will probably be fairly quickly absorbed or dragged under by worms. I've taken to mowing my lawns without a collector recently (provided its not ridiculously long like it was doing the back lawn last night) as the cuttings left on the surface are helpful provided they are short enough to avoid them blocking light etc.

If he's emptying mower box loads onto the borders then I'd suggest that is taken away if you don't like the sight of it - however spread thinly it can be a good mulch and will break down in the sun etc to give a feed to the soil.

What you don't want is what our council is currently doing - cutting 6 inch long grass and leaving those cuttings to rot on the surface - its leading to the grass going feral because only the wilder stuff can fight its way back to the surface.

Lady_K

Thanks,

The grass was really long this time because of the rain and it never being dry enough to cut it, it was about 2ft so there was much more than usual but what concerns me is if there were any seed headed grasses in there they could just start growing in the boarders.

The grass does have weedkiller treatments on it regular throughout the year so thats another concern, I think I will tell him I do not want it leaving on the soil, I don't have a compost bin as I wouldnt be able to take stuff to it due to mobility issues its not worth the hassle of relying on others to do it for me

The green bins from council are £20 a year, not too bad but they are free to all households including flats 2 miles down the road which makes me a bit mad

blossomhill_2

If you leave clumps of grass clippings you risk getting bees nesting in them - we had a probem 3 years running with "buff-bottomed bumble bees" which sound fun but are not fun when they are in clumps of grass in your garden and charge out at you when you disturb it