Yard Waste
It's a matter of dollars and sense!
Bagging grass and leaves is time-consuming and expensive. Easily reduced to mulch, humus and organic nutrients, yard waste actually is too valuable to bury. By using a few simple methods in managing your leaves, grass clippings, limbs and brush, you save time and money.
Method One: Grass Recycling
Leaving grass clippings where they fall is an easy way to a healthy lawn. Grass clippings are 80% water. When they are less than ½-inch long, they fall through the grass and decompose in 7-10 days, returning nutrients to the soil and reducing the amount of fertilizer your lawn needs by up to 30%.
Things to remember:
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Mow regularly – keep those grass clippings short for easier mowing and a healthier lawn.
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Keep your mower's blade sharp. Consider a mulching blade or a mulching mower designed to cut grass clippings into smaller pieces.
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Mow only when the grass is dry.
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Grass clippings do not contribute to thatch – that is the mat of runners, rhizomes and roots.
Method Two: Mulch
Lay it on year 'round! Mulch is nothing more than organic material like wood chips, leaves, grass clippings, sawdust or composted humus spread on top of soil. As simple as it sounds – and is – mulching is one of the best things you can do to grow healthy flowers, vegetables, shrubs and trees. 3-6 inches of mulch on top of the soil will:
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Reduce evaporation from the soil and the need to water- in the summer
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Protect plant roots from freezing temperatures- in the winter
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Reduce soil erosion
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Discourages weeds Helps increase soil fertility and absorption