Mulching Lawn Mowers

[Levi the Leopard]

I've spent most of my day researching organic fertilizers and my head is spinning

In my reading I stumbled upon mulching lawn mowers and how the cut up grass clippings organically fertilize the lawn. Does this work? I like the sound of it...if it's true.

I just moved to Southern Oregon and we are renting a house. Part of my lease agreement is to "seasonally fertilize the lawns and maintain the landscaping". oh boy I can't wait til we buy....
The landlord approved my Leopard Tortoise but I figure since all she really cares about is a "pretty yard" it wont matter how I keep it pretty. I don't want to use fertilizers and my research into organic ones has had it's pros/cons too. So, this grass mulch idea sounds nice...but does it really work?

In SoCal I kept a green lawn for 2 years no problem and never used a thing on it. I watered it daily but now that I think about it, I used a week wacker to "mow" it ...which I think might be similar to the mulching thing? Since I couldn't actually remove all the clippings.

Anyway, my main concern is now that I live in a different climate I have no idea what to expect. Can I easily keep a pretty lawn without fertilizer?

**For the record, my tort will have the backyard and if I *have* to use fertilizer on the front (which is what she'll see) then I will...but I don't like chemicals

 

[Turtlepete]

Pretty simple concept. I am responsible for maintaining about 2 1/2 acres worth of lawn (the deal for my parents moving here, haha). Never really fertilize it, only have done it in certain areas where the yard was already weedy and not doing well when we moved here. Most lawn movers are "mulching" lawnmowers in that they cut up the grass when you mow over it, as long as you don't have a bag on it…..Riding lawn mowers have an optional discharge where it will simply kick the grass right out of the discharge, or you can close it and it mulches it as you drive over it. I always leave the clippings in the yard (even when it gets really, really long), and I can attest to how well the lawn does…..Because it grows about 2 feet a week. But that's Florida, so it could be way different in Oregon. However, the concept of grass clippings being an organic fertilizer is nothing new, and quite true.

 

[Yvonne G]

The mulching lawn mower still leaves a layer of ground up grass that eventually ends up being "thatch." When the thatch gets too thick it impedes the water getting down to the dirt.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Yvonne, have you had the thatch issue yourself? Nothing personal, I promise... But I've read about the thatch issue and there were a bunch of testimonies that said it doesn't really happen...??

 

[Yvonne G]

I have Bermuda grass. And, yes, the thatch builds up when I don't use the catcher.

 

[Turtlepete]

Our lawn here is mostly bermuda as well. I've never heard of thatch. If you cut the grass when its way to thick and leave the clippings over the lawn without mulching them, then it will choke out the grass underneath. But if you mulch it right it's never been a problem for me.

 

[Jabuticaba]

Yes, mulching lawnmowers kick butt! I used to live in the Fraser Valley, BC, which had very similar to S. Oregon. You won't have to water the lawn as often as you did in SoCal.

All I did, every spring, was over seed the lawn with shade-loving grass. This is key because we don't get a whole lot of sunshine, over there. Then I just mowed it with the mulching lawnmower. I still use this technique here, in the prairies, and my lawn is the thickest, greenest, and--sadly--most weed-free lawn is in the neighbourhood. Grass, as you know, is a weed and when you over seed, it chokes out the other weeds.

If you feel that the lawn actually needs fertiliser, you can use compost before or during a rainfall. Just sprinkle a bit of good compost every couple of weeks and it'll fertilise the soil. Or you can make compost tea:

Good luck!


May
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[Cowboy_Ken]

Heather,
I thought the title was a reference to tortoises. All of mine munch and mulch, and it would seem they do this simultaneous…

 

[mike taylor]

Two words (chicken poop) !

 

[Len B]

I use a mulching mower set at it's highest setting, so I wont damage or kill a unseen box turtle, most of the year, this year I bought a small electric mower with a bagging attachment to use this fall so I could collect the clippings to use as winter food. I never use chemicals of any kind and my lawn(mostly good weeds) looks as good as any of the neighbors. I don't have problems with thatch using the mulching system, but I remember many years ago pushing and pulling a thatch rake to help the grass grow. My yard does look like patch work right now because of where I am cutting and the new mower only goes to 2. 5 inches cut height.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

This is great..I think it's my plan so far then. Thanks everyone!

Btw, we got the keys today and a rainbow covered the house. It was beautiful!
Here's the backyard, can't wait to tortify it

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Two words (chicken poop) !

If they were properly cared for chickens, yes! But none of the industrialized agriculture chicken garbage...and the neighborhood isn't zoned to keep my own!
When we buy, it'll be in the country, on acreage, with chickens and horses!

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Heather,
Good old fashioned compost or manure tea will do wonders to green up a lawn while keeping it tort friendly.

 

[Abdulla6169]

Heather,
Good old fashioned compost or manure tea will do wonders to green up a lawn while keeping it tort friendly.

I have a compost pile... It should be composting... Too slow for me

 

[Abdulla6169]

Yvonne, have you had the thatch issue yourself? Nothing personal, I promise... But I've read about the thatch issue and there were a bunch of testimonies that said it doesn't really happen...??

We buy mats of grass, and the layer of dead grass at the bottom has mushrooms growing on it.... I wouldn't recommend it just because of that.

 

[Tom]

I mow my lawn all year long to feed the clippings to my ever growing herd. I've been doing this for years. I have never fertilized the lawn and it just keeps growing and growing. I don't get "thatch" and it doesn't seem to need any chemicals.

I've never understood why people have so many chemicals to put on there lawns.

I don't know anything about mulching mowers because I collect my clippings for food, but I thought I throw this out there for conversation sake.

 

[Abdulla6169]

Composting is also nice... You can do a lot of that with the grass clippings....

 

[johnsonnboswell]

The year that I left the grass clippings on the lawn, it smothered the grass. I usually bag it and compost it, some in the box turtle pen, mostly in the compost bins.

 

[wellington]

Love the view of your new residence Heather. The new house we bought, the owners left us the lawn mower. It is a mulching one. While looking up to buy a new riding mower, I looked up whatbest, bagging or mulching. Mulching is the best for a lawn. I did read it from one of those big lean care companies sites. That's all we continued to do. Now, the only drawback (not for tort keepers) I think, just my opinion, is it will help to spread the weeds, as it is mulching them and throwing the seeds back into the ground.

 

[wellington]

The info from here Scotts.com and mulching will not cause thatch. That's an old myth.