Mowing the lawn is one of those chores that can make you feel incredibly accomplished once it’s done. But once you’re done sweeping that mower across your lawn, the last thing you want to do is figure out what to do with grass clippings!
Before you toss these clippings into your green waste bin, you might want to find another way to use them. Grass clippings, if used correctly, could be a goldmine for your garden. It’s all about how you use these resources to keep your outdoor space thriving (while also keeping it tidy!).
Read on for a few recommendations from the Paramount Gardening team on what to do with grass clippings, whether you want to hang on to them for use in your garden or whether you want to get rid of them for good!
Leave them on your lawn.
Leaving grass clippings on your lawn is actually providing your lawn with free fertiliser. If you regularly mow your lawn and there aren’t that many clippings to speak of, then you can feel comfortable leaving them on your lawn to provide free fertiliser to the soil. If you do this, make sure that you’re not leaving the clippings in big patches, as this will smother your grass.
Instead, sprinkle the clippings evenly across your lawn to make sure there is plenty of room for air and light to make it to the ecosystem below.
Pro tip: If you have a ton of grass clippings on a small area or you’re planning to seed or fertilise with something else, or you’ve chopped away a lot of leaves, then it’s better to bag up your clippings and opt for green waste removal.
Compost them.
Another fantastic option when debating what to do with grass clippings is to try setting up a compost corner or tower in your garden. Grass clippings form a vital foundation of any compost pile because they decompose into nutrient-rich compost that you can use across garden beds of any kind. Whether you grow vegetables or you just want your grass to stay luscious and green, this is a great option.
Keep in mind that you should always mix greens and browns when composting. Grass clippings are considered ‘green’, and provide a lot of nitrogen into the mix. Balancing them out with ‘browns’ like dry leaves or shredded newspaper will make sure your compost isn’t just a slimy, smelly mess.
Make a grass tea for your garden.
If long-term installations like a compost pile aren’t up your alley, then you might want to consider short-term methods like making grass tea instead! Because fresh grass clippings are so high in nitrogen and potassium, you can easily use them to create a nutrient-rich fertiliser without investing in any highly artificial blends from your local plant store.
Next time you mow your lawn, bag your mower or gather up the clippings. Using a large plastic bucket, fill it two-thirds of the way full and fill it the rest of the way up with water from your hose.
Over the next three days, you’ll want to steep this mixture while stirring semi-regularly (a few times a day should do it). The steeping process causes the clippings to break down, releasing all that natural nitrogen and potassium into the water. This creates a nutrient-boosting fertiliser tea that your lawn and plants will absolutely soak up.
Bag them up for community green waste removal.
Finally, if none of these options appeal or if you simply have too many grass clippings to deal with using traditional composting or fertilising methods, then opting for green waste removal is your best bet. Leaving mountains of grass clippings on your lawn unmoved can create dead brown patches simply by trapping those pieces of your garden under an impenetrable layer. The lack of light and oxygen will kill the grass, leaving your lawn spotty and weaker than before.
Opting to have your green waste regularly removed, either by a contracting team or by driving your waste down on your own, is a great way to keep your lawn healthy and thriving.
As you can see, there are plenty of ideas for what to do with grass clippings once you’re done mowing your lawn. From creating your own fertiliser to having the clippings removed so that they can be used elsewhere, the clear consensus is this: don’t just leave them sitting in big patches!
Not only will your lawn thank you for the extra effort, but your garden will look so much better without the mounds of loose clippings lining the edges. If you’re unsure about how to stay on top of your green waste, we know a team that can help with that.
Wondering what to do with grass clippings? Talk to Paramount.
The green waste removal team at Paramount Gardening is here to help with all your lawn mowing needs! Whether you manage a large property or you simply need your green waste regularly removed, our experts are on hand to get it done as quickly and cleanly as possible.
Get in touch with us today to enquire about our green waste removal services, or book our lawn mowing team for a regular mow (removal included).
