After Mowing – Clean-Up Time Use a lawn rake to gather and remove the clippings or if they are small enough, spread the clippings around so they can break down and act as a natural fertiliser for your lawn. Don't leave the grass clippings on the lawn if you have recently applied a herbicide or pesticide to the lawn.
It's a question we all face when mowing the grass: Should I bag my clippings or leave them on the lawn? In most cases, the answer is easy. Recycle the grass clippings by leaving them on the lawn. Doing so will not only save you time and energy, but will also return valuable nutrients to the lawn.
It also reduces weed germination. After mowing apply Seasol hose-on to strengthen leaf blades to reduce stress from heat and drought. Apply it early morning so the grass has time to dry before the onset of a cool night. For more details check out our video “How to Care for Lawns – Mowing & maintenance”.
Lawn fertilising tips
Allow at least two days after mowing before fertilising. Wait about a week after feeding before you mow - and leave the catcher off the first time (the fertiliser could all end up in it if it's left on!)
Seasol and PowerFeed are liquids, they are readily absorbed into the soil and the plant foliage. Therefore you do not need to water them in. If you are treating your soil with Seasol Super Soil Wetter and Conditioner, please ensure that you do wash it off the foliage, to prevent burning.
If the clippings come out of the mower in thick batches, you should rake them up. Thick bunches will occur when the grass is too high or too wet. Stay on the safe side and rake the clippings after the first mow of the spring. After this, it's good to leave the clippings on the lawn after mowing.
However, most professional gardeners would agree that between 8 AM and 10 AM is the best time of day to cut your grass. The reason for that is that lawns need time to heal before evening. Grass needs the benefit of the day to dry and heal before dusk settles.
The grass clipping mulch holds back weeds by denying the weed seed light and oxygen, but the heat from fresh clippings can also burn down small existing weeds.
Bagging lawn clippings helps to lower allergens and keeps your grass looking clean. It also increases the health of dense lawns. However, bagging also costs a little more than mulching, and it limits the amount of natural fertilizer you get from decaying grass clippings.
As a general rule, grass clippings of an inch or less in length can be left on your lawn where they will filter down to the soil surface and decompose quickly.
Composting is the process of breaking down plant materials such as leaves and grass clippings to a more usable organic soil amendment or mulch. Composting yard, garden, and some food wastes creates a valuable soil amendment.
Mowing your lawn will vary from season to season and your location, but generally mowing every second week in summer and every 2–5 weeks from autumn through winter will be enough. Spring mowing will vary due to rainfall levels and sunny days, so watch it closely and cut as required.
It's always best to let the grass dry before mowing it. When mowing grass, however, keep in mind that only a third or less of the grass blades should be cut. If the grass stays wet for long periods of time and continues to grow, it's OK to mow the wet grass to keep it from growing too tall and going to seed.
For a healthy, beautiful lawn, it's important to mow properly. That means mowing before rain, so that the clippings can act as a mulch to protect the soil; and after rain, so that the blades are less likely to tear. It also means avoiding scalping, which can damage the grass and leave it vulnerable to disease.
You can skip raking completely by mowing over leaves and chopping them into small pieces. If you plan to compost leaves, chopping them first speeds up decomposition. Use a grass catcher to gather leaves as you mow over them. You also can allow leaf pieces to decompose in place on the lawn.
If you use a walk-behind mower, your best bet is a push lawn sweeper. It's light and maneuverable, and it makes picking up grass trimmings much easier than using a broom. Plus, since your clippings will be neatly collected in a hopper, you can add them to your compost pile or garbage can when you're done.
Trodding on wet lawns can compact the soil and damage plants just breaking dormancy. Raking when the ground is muddy can uproot plants and create bare spots, allowing weeds to take root and thrive. Rake when the soil dries out and “mud season” has passed.
The “stripes” that you see on a lawn or athletic field are caused by light reflecting off the blades of grass. They have not been cut at different heights nor are there two different breeds of grass. The “stripes” are made by bending the blades of grass in different directions.
Cutting wet grass can dull the blade more quickly. Clean blades thoroughly before and after mowing a lawn when wet to keep the cut as sharp as possible. Stop and turn off the mower to check your blades as you go along, to clear any clogs that may form on the underside or at the side discharge.
Trimming in wet weather is generally a bad idea. One, you might slip and fall while whipper snipping, injuring you or damaging the snipper. And two, wet grass is more difficult to cut, forcing the whipper snipper to expend more effort which may eventually lead to engine failure.
If you mow first, you'll have a much easier time manoeuvering around obstacles like trees and flower beds. However, whipper snipping first will give you a neater edge and make it easier to get straight lines.
Grass grows fast in late spring and early summer due to the nice warm temperatures and available sunlight. Mid-summer can bring short periods of dormancy during drought conditions, but grass can also grow well if it has adequate water and sunlight.
Grasscycling is the natural recycling of grass by leaving clippings on the lawn when mowing. Grass clippings contain moisture, valuable nutrients, and decompose quickly. Grasscycling saves time and money and helps the environment.
How long does it take for grass clippings to decompose? If you allow grass to decompose on your lawn, it'll be gone soon, usually within a few weeks. If you compost grass in a pile and turn regularly, it'll turn into compost in a few months.