Do you leave the grass clippings on your lawn?

ripplyuk

The more I read about this, the more confused I'm getting!

I've never bothered to rake up the clippings before, but I'm wondering if I'm doing the wrong thing. I've googled it and apparently it can cause 'thatch' or problems of some sort, but then I read that actually it's good to leave it, as it adds nutrients back to the soil. I'd love to hear opinions on which is best.

I should add that it's not a pristine lawn I have, or even need. It's just the back garden. But it gets a lot of moss in the winter and I'm wondering if leaving the clippings is causing or worsening this.

-taff

You can leave them on the first cut after winter and if you haven't left it get really long and cut it really short.

I put mine on the compost heap, mixed in well and not left in clumps they decompose quickly, or cover and bare areas on my [curretly only] veg bed.

HappyMJ

ripplyuk wrote: »

The more I read about this, the more confused I'm getting!

I've never bothered to rake up the clippings before, but I'm wondering if I'm doing the wrong thing. I've googled it and apparently it can cause 'thatch' or problems of some sort, but then I read that actually it's good to leave it, as it adds nutrients back to the soil. I'd love to hear opinions on which is best.

I should add that it's not a pristine lawn I have, or even need. It's just the back garden. But it gets a lot of moss in the winter and I'm wondering if leaving the clippings is causing or worsening this.

You can leave some of them on the lawn. They do feed the lawn and keep some weeds down.

I use the catcher but never rake afterwards which leaves some on the lawn. I then throw the clippings into the garden bed which keeps weeds down.

glasgowdan

I'd only leave them on the lawn if I'm using a mulch mower - that's what people generally assume if you're talking about leaving clippings to add something back to the ground. If you're just using a regular mower, or a flymo, I'd NEVER leave them as they suffocate the grass beneath.

bouicca21

I was told that during summer when the lawn was being mowed so regularly that the clippings were very short, they should be left. Otherwise removed.

So that's what I used to do ...

ripplyuk

bouicca21 wrote: »

I was told that during summer when the lawn was being mowed so regularly that the clippings were very short, they should be left.

I think that must be the key, not to let it get long. At my last house, I cut the grass twice a week and left the clippings. It never seemed to do any harm and the grass was thick and fast growing.

At this house, the grass seems thinner and sparce in parts, so I was thinking perhaps the clippings were killing it. But now I think it might be because all I have is a small strimmer, and I end up scalping the grass in places. I need to get a lawnmower. There's no way I can afford a mulching one though.

Xeorix

ripplyuk wrote: »

I think that must be the key, not to let it get long. At my last house, I cut the grass twice a week and left the clippings. It never seemed to do any harm and the grass was thick and fast growing.

At this house, the grass seems thinner and sparce in parts, so I was thinking perhaps the clippings were killing it. But now I think it might be because all I have is a small strimmer, and I end up scalping the grass in places. I need to get a lawnmower. There's no way I can afford a mulching one though.

You'd be surprised. I've got this one, £140 and it mulches. Not had any issues and it does a good job
http://www.atco.co.uk/15e