What is Grass Mulching?
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What is Grass Mulching?

The vast majority of lawnmowers work the same way: they use a blade to cut the grass, blowing the grass clippings into a collection box at the back, which you then empty into a compost pile or bag. garden waste. The alternative option is mulching, where grass clippings are not collected but are returned to the lawn. Here's what you need to know about the process.

What is Grass Mulching?

Mulch is any material spread over the soil surface and used for covering. There are many types of mulch, but here we are looking specifically at grass mulch. Mulching involves cutting grass clippings into small pieces that are not collected in the grass catcher, but are returned to the lawn instead.

It's not like when you use a grass trimmer and end up with long pieces of grass that have to be picked up manually; instead, grass clippings are so small you won't even notice them on your lawn, and the pieces won't stick to your shoes.

Why use grass mulching?

Grass is full of nutrients and moisture, so it doesn't make sense to take them out of the clippings. By using mulching, the clippings decompose and return nutrients and moisture to the soil. It's estimated that grass clippings contain about 25% of the fertilizer your lawn needs each year. This saves you money on lawn feed, while being kinder to the environment.

Mulching also saves time because you don't have to stop to empty your lawnmower's grass catcher.

What do you need to mulch the grass?

You need a lawn mower that can mulch. Some mulching lawnmowers are designed specifically for this task, but many other models in our guide to the best cordless lawnmowers can be upgraded with a mulching kit, such as the excellent Stihl RMA 339 C.

A mulching kit consists of a plug that blocks access to the grass collector chute, and it replaces the blade with a mulching blade: this is intended to cut the grass into fine particles. Robotic lawn mowers are all designed to mulch, using fine blades to mulch the grass, so you never have to pick up the cuttings.

Husqvarna Automower 405X underside

When should you not mulch the grass?

If you have very long grass, such as before the first cut of the season, you should use a traditional lawn mower to remove the cuttings. A mulching lawnmower won't be able to cut the grass fine enough, so you'll end up with long blades of grass on your lawn.

Mulching requires a certain vigilance and you have to mow your lawn more regularly than with a traditional lawn mower: this is the philosophie models of robots, which cut more regularly, but only remove a tiny part of the grass each time.

Also be careful if you have a lot of weeds on the lawn. Mulching will help them spread, so treat your lawn before mulching.

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