Lawn mulching is when grass chopped up by a mulching mower is left behind as a loose layer on top of the soil. The grass then draws the best nutrients from it. In the following article we will explain all the details.
09.10.2024
Mulching describes the spreading of shredded plant matter or other material as a loose layer on top of the soil. Mulch protects the earth and feeds nutrients back into it.
As with normal lawn mowing, you should mulch your grass at least once a week during the growing season. However it can sometimes be practical to mulch more often – particularly in spring, when the grass grows especially quickly. Make sure that your grass is not too long so you don’t get an excessive quantity of clippings all at once.
You can begin mulching your grass as soon as the gardening season begins in spring. You can then use your mulching mower regularly until autumn – at least once a week.
In organic gardening, mulch refers to organic material such as leaves or grass cuttings that is returned to the soil to protect it and provide a source of vitamins. So mulching means spreading shredded plant matter onto soil as a loose top layer. Mulching can be used in almost any garden area and not only means less effort and time for hobby gardeners, but can also save money. With a mulching mower for example, you can mow your lawn and mulch it at the same time. But vegetable gardens also benefit from mulching.
Mulching ensures soil retains moisture and remains shaded, allowing it to store water more efficiently so that it remains loose and does not dry out as quickly. The mulch also acts as a protective layer in heavy rain and cold temperatures, helping plants to grow. Finally, earthworms and other soil-dwelling organisms convert the mulching material into a valuable natural fertilizer which supplies lawn and vegetable beds with important nutrients for healthy growth.
Of course it’s possible to buy a wide variety of mulching materials from retailers, ranging from bark chippings to sawdust. However, your hard work in the garden means you are probably already ideally equipped with typical “yard waste”, which you can reuse as valuable mulch; so you can easily mulch your grass by leaving the cuttings behind after mowing the lawn.
Grass clippings can be applied as mulch on all areas of the yard; the layer should be two to three cm thick for flower beds and plants. Make sure that you do not apply too thick a layer, as the cuttings may clump together if you do, reducing soil respiration. In addition, you should never use diseased grass or grass clippings that contain seeds.
The high levels of nitrogen produced when woody shavings decompose can slow plant growth. It is especially suitable for mulching deeply-rooted hedges and trees, but also makes an ideal natural surface covering for pathways in the yard.
You can happily use leaves from birch, sycamore, beech and all fruit varieties as mulch. However, leaves from walnut trees and oak should only be used in small quantities and mixed with other leaves, as the tannin they contain is difficult to break down and changes the nutritional balance in the soil for the worse.
Bark chippings are especially effective at suppressing thistles and other weeds, but only suitable for pathways and areas under flowers, fruit trees and bushes because of the tannin and other acids they release into the soil. You should never use bark mulch for vegetables or perennials. To be effective, you should apply a layer at least ten centimeters thick.
Gravel, grit and stones are ideal mulching materials for long-lived herbs, shrubs and perennials. They are inexpensive and offer good water and air permeability, but due to their weight they are not suitable for very dense soils. We recommend you use a lighter-colored variety in sunny locations, as this will not heat up so quickly, while dark-colored variants will store heat for longer.
Your lawn will also benefit from organic mulch. Mulch mowing not only supplies your lawn with natural nutrients, but can also save you time and money. This is because with mulch mowing, the clippings are not collected in the lawn mower’s grass collection box, but instead chopped finely by the blades of the mulching mower and distributed over the turf. This process combines three important lawn care steps – mowing, disposing of clippings and fertilizing – into a single one, thereby protecting both the environment and your wallet.
Are there disadvantages of mulching grass? No, a long-term experiment by the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna-Essling actually found that mulch mowing offers significant advantages and promotes grass growth. Over a period of four years, a 1,000-square-meter lawn was mown with a standard lawn mower and the clippings consistently disposed of; the area was well-fertilized with mineral fertilizers. At the same time, a lawn of equal size was mown with a mulching mower and the cuttings were left on the surface to mulch the lawn. The result is impressive:
Mulching actually means loosely covering the soil with mainly organic material. This means that instead of “To mulch or mow?”, we should be asking: “To mulch mow or mow with a collection box?”
Both methods – mowing and mulch mowing – have their advantages and disadvantages, which we will outline below. On the basis of the differences between mulch mowing and mowing, you can decide whether you should mulch your lawn with the grass clippings or collect them during or after mowing instead.
During conventional mowing, the blades of grass you have cut are either left on the surface of the soil as coarse, long clippings or collected in the grass collection box attached to the mower, which is emptied regularly. These grass clippings can be composted so that the nutrients contained in the grass can benefit your garden once again.
During mulching, on the other hand, the grass is finely shredded during the mowing process. The cuttings then remain on the ground. During mulching, the grass and soil benefit from having the nutrients returned to them, meaning there is no need to add fertilizer.
advantages | Disadvantages | |
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Mulch mowing |
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Mowing |
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However, mulching is more time-consuming, particularly during warm, humid growing weather, as it needs to be done at least twice a week for the clippings to really be broken down. And if you cannot mow your lawn because of rain, you should cut longer grass in several stages so that the grass clippings will be fine enough and will not cause lawn thatch to form. In terms of time then, mowing has the upper hand.
A mulch mix that is applied regularly is ideal for vegetable patches. Keep it sparing – the mulch also attracts snails and voles. It’s better to mulch the garden more often and with different materials to support the growth of your plants. Make sure that grass and other green cuttings are always slightly dried out before spreading them on the vegetable patch.