Lawn Care: What To Do With Grass Clippings

Grass clippings may seem like the unimportant aftermath of mowing your lawn, but incorrect disposal of grass clippings can harm lakes and image of man sweeping grass clippings into yardcreeks, and nearby wildlife. Although it is a common practice to leave lawn clippings in the street or to bag clippings after mowing, there are easier and healthier methods to handle grass clippings. In fact, the best place for grass clippings is on your lawn! Not only does leaving clippings on your lawn save you time, it can naturally nourish your grass. Leaving grass clippings on your lawn after you mow can also reduce the need for fertilizer. When short grass clippings are left on your lawn, they fall to the soil level and decompose quickly, providing your grass a natural fertilizer.

There are only a few scenarios where sweeping or bagging your grass clippings is recommended. If grass clippings end up on the street, it is important to sweep them back into your yard or collect them into a bag. This practice is important to help keep excess waste from entering storm drains and negatively impacting water quality. Grass clippings can also be collected if your lawn is infested with a disease, or if your grass clippings are longer than an inch.

For more fun conservation trivia, visit: https://www.ninemilecreek.org/trivia/

For more information on what to do with grass clippings, visit: https://extension.umn.edu/lawncare/what-do-lawn-clippings

For more information on the importance of keeping storm drains clean, visit: https://www.ninemilecreek.org/adopt-a-drain/