Let Those Grass Clippings Lie

Grass clippings make great fertilizer, according to Cyane Gresham, compost specialist at the Rodale Institute Experimental Farm in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Cyane says that it's a crime to waste grass clippings by bagging them up for disposal with household trash because they're such a terrific organic source of nitrogen and other nutrients. "Grass clippings should never leave your property. They are too valuable as a mulch and fertilizer for the lawn, gardens, and landscape," Cyane explains.

Ingredients and Supplies

Lawn mower

Rake

Wheelbarrow or 5-gallon bucket

Directions

1. Mow your lawn.

2. To fertilize the lawn, leave the grass clippings in place. They will break down and add organic matter and nutrients to the soil. To fertilize other areas, rake up some of the clippings (especially in areas where the clippings are dense and might choke out the grass growing underneath them).

3. Put the clippings in a wheelbarrow or bucket and transport them to your garden.

4. Apply the clippings lightly around garden plants. Avoid dense mats of clippings—these can keep water from penetrating the soil. If necessary, mix some fallen leaves into the clippings to create a looser mulch.

Now it Right

Some gardeners like to give the lawn a buzz cut when they mow so they won't have to mow as often. But cutting your lawn short is tough on the grass, and it also makes it easier for weeds to grow in your lawn. Ideally, you should remove only one-third of the height of your grass when you mow. For example, if your lawn is 3 inches long at mowing time, you should cut off 1 inch of grass, at most. Mowing high means you can leave your grass clippings in place, which is good for your lawn and less work for you.

If you've missed a mowing or two and have to remove more than one-third of the grass, don't panic. Just rake up the clippings and use them as mulch around your perennials, herbs, or roses.