June 21st

By Mutt Mulligan

Grasscycle to benefit your living landscape

Your yard can get stressed out in the summer heat – especially if you live in a drought area. Grasscycling is one way you can help your lawn improve its strength and overall health this summer.

Grasscycling is the practice of leaving grass clippings on your yard to decompose. According to the University of California’s statewide integrated pest management program, grasscycling requires you to mow your yard at the right frequency, cut the proper height for the species of grass you have in your yard, and remove no more than one-third of a leaf blade every time you mow.

Some people use a mulching or recycling mower for grasscycling. These mowers will cut the clippings into tiny pieces and return them to the lawn to decompose.

Why implement grasscycling on your lawn? Grasscycling is an easy way to give your lawn a nutritional boost during hot summer months, especially if rainfall is sparse. The cut grass blades left on the lawn will decompose quickly and return nutrients to the yard. An added bonus – you save the costs for bagging and lawn removal, and you avoid adding more waste to landfills!

Grasscycling will only be beneficial if you are removing small clippings at a time, so proper mowing and equipment are essential. Grasscycling may slightly increase thatch buildup on your lawn. Thatch is that organic layer of dead and living materials that can develop between the layer of green vegetation and the soil surface. But the benefits outweigh the disadvantages in most situations.

One important tip. If your grass is too wet or has not been mowed regularly and is very tall, grasscycling should not be done, as this could lead to thatch buildup.

Learn more about how to have a living landscape, even in a drought.