Gardening enthusiasts always ask themselves: mulch or collect? Should you shred the grass clippings and spread them over the area or should you dispose of them in the compost? The answer to this question is increasingly leaning towards mulching because it offers numerous advantages.
How does lawn mulching work and what benefits does it offer?
Mulching a lawn means leaving the mown grass clippings on the area where they serve as natural fertilizer. The advantages of mulching are saving fertilizer, protection against frost and drying out and strengthening soil organisms. Mulching should be done around 20 times a year, ideally with a mulching mower or robotic lawnmower.
What does mulching lawn mean?
Mulching involves covering the lawn with a layer of non-decomposed organic material. The plant residues that arise from cutting the lawn are used for this purpose. The shredded blades of grass remain on the mowed area and over time fall to the top layer of soil. Here they are decomposed by microorganisms, beetles and earthworms, creating humus.
Tip
With a mulching mower you can complete two steps in just one operation. The device shreds the blades of grass and then distributes them over the area.
How to mulch properly
Mulching the lawn properly requires not only appropriate preparation but also regularity. If you take into account the sequence of measures within a season, you can enjoy a lush green lawn throughout the entire growing season.
Anleitung Rasen mulchen - Vorteile und Nachteile beim Rasenmulchen - Rasen düngen
Preparing for mulching
Wait until the lawn slowly wakes up from its hibernation. The blades of grass should be seven to eight centimeters long by the time you mow it for the first time. If you take this measure too early, you endanger the he alth of the lawn. The stalks can be easily damaged and no longer grow back he althily.
You shouldn't wait too long before mowing for the first time, because then the mower will no longer be able to cut through the lawn, even at the maximum adjustable cutting height. The ideal time for the first mowing is between March and April. The resulting clippings are disposed of so that the lawn gets enough light.
Scarifying and fertilizing
So that the mown lawn grows faster, you can scarify it. This removes weeds and thatch so that the turf is better ventilated. Sprinkle some fertilizer on the lawn to cover the nutrient needs of the newly sprouting plants. If necessary, you can give the lawn additional lime if the pH value is no longer in the optimal range.
Sprinkle every two to three years:
- 200 grams on sandy soils
- 400 grams on loamy soils
- 150 grams on acidic soils
Cutting height
As soon as the grass blades have reached a length of between six and eight centimeters, you can drive over the lawn with a mulching mower. Then adjust the cutting blade so that the plants are reduced by a third of their height. If your lawn is six centimeters high, you should shorten it to three to four centimeters.
Tip
Never cut the grass shorter than three centimeters.
Pouring
Even mulched lawns need to be watered every now and then. However, the lawn sprinkler should only be turned on once a week so that the mulch layer does not get too wet. If there is no rain for a long time and the soil slowly dries out, you should water the lawn two to three times a week, depending on the intensity of the heat wave. To ensure that the ground is properly moistened, you should run the lawn sprinkler for at least half an hour.
Mulching later in the year
After the first mulch mowing of the year, the grass should have grown back to a certain height before the next maintenance measure is carried out. The location plays an important role. The more sun shines on the lawn, the lower the blades of grass can be before cutting again. As a rule of thumb, an optimal height of six centimeters applies to areas exposed to strong sunlight. On shady lawns, the blades of grass should be around eight centimeters high.
Mulch or mow the lawn?
Some hobby gardeners swear by mulching. Other nature lovers stick to mowing the lawn and will probably never try mulching. There is no general answer as to which method is more suitable. The question of yes or no depends on the respective location and the nature of the soil. The lawn itself also determines whether mulching or mowing is better.
While mulching is proving to be increasingly positive for the vitality of the lawn, mowing with a normal lawn mower is increasingly having to contend with numerous disadvantages. When mowing the lawn, the clippings are collected in a collecting basket and composted. This deprives the area of valuable nutrients that have to be added later using expensive fertilizers. If you forego regular fertilization, the grass will no longer be able to develop well. The turf becomes gappy and unwanted moss and plants spread across the area.
These are the advantages of mowing:
- Time expenditure: longer mowing interval when not mulching
- Appearance: Lawn looks clean and well-groomed
- Suitability: heavy and sandy soils only mow, do not mulch
- Natural fertilizer: Lawn clippings can be composted
Which material is suitable for mulching?
For the lawn, grass clippings are ideal for mulching due to their nature and ingredients. If leaves have accumulated on the area, you do not necessarily have to remove them. When mowing with an appropriate device, the plant parts are chopped up with the lawn clippings and distributed over the area. This combination improves the nutrient balance in the soil. Fallen twigs and pieces of bark as well as straw are not suitable for mulching lawns.
| Straw | dried leaves | Bark, branches and twigs | Lawn cutting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | coarse | porous | coarse, firm | fine |
| Degree of decomposition | medium | high | low | high |
| Nutrients | Carbon | Carbon | Carbon | Nitrogen |
Tip
Be careful when picking up leaves from the street. The leaves can contain toxic heavy metals that build up in your lawn.
When should you mulch?
The lawn is mulched for the first time in spring. It is important that the blades of grass have reached a certain length so that you do not damage the plants unnecessarily and can sprout them again. The weather is also important. Choose an overcast but dry day to work on the lawn. This saves the plants stress from heat.
Why a wet lawn is not mulched:
- When it rains, the clippings clump together
- Putrefactive processes can occur
- Lawn gets bare spots
- Reseeding becomes necessary
How often do you need to mulch?
After the first mulch mowing, regular maintenance measures are required. If you mow and mulch the area at irregular intervals, too much clippings will remain on the area. Clumps of grass can quickly form, which can have a negative impact on the growth of the plants in some places. Therefore, it is necessary to mulch the lawn at least 21 times in the spring, summer and autumn of a year. The ideal interval between care measures is seven to eight days.
Lawn is mulched almost every week during the main growing season
If you can watch the grass grow, you should mow mulch twice a week.
Background
Mulching saves time
With conventional lawn mowing, gardeners have so far made do with 17 mowing sessions per year. Although additional mulching will require you to work the area more frequently, it will save you time. Mulching can be done in 80 percent of the same time, because when mowing you lose a lot of time by regularly emptying the grass catcher. Researchers at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna discovered this in a long-term study.
Why does it make sense to mulch the lawn?
Whether mulching is good or bad is often controversial. However, numerous disadvantages of mulching have now been overcome. When you mulch an area regularly and properly, you help your lawn maintain vital he alth. It appears stronger and shines in lusher green tones than unmulched lawns. Mulching helps against weeds and moss because the turf develops more densely.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| closed nutrient cycle | faster growth due to increased nutrient availability |
| Fertilizer costs are saved | more frequent mowing necessary |
| Protection against ground frost and drying out in hot weather | Lawn must be dry |
| Soil organisms are more active | Mulching mowers are more expensive than lawn mowers |
| no species shift |
Which devices are suitable for mulching?
There are numerous devices that are suitable for mulching. The robotic lawnmower has proven to be unbeatable because it works continuously and independently. However, since it cannot be used without restriction on all surfaces, many hobby gardeners have to resort to other devices.
Mulching with cylinder mower
A cylinder mower works with blade spindles in which four to six blades are arranged horizontally and curved. The device is operated by hand and works without electricity or gasoline. As soon as you set the cylinder mower in motion, the cylinder rotates and pushes past a fixed counter blade. If a blade of grass gets caught between the blades, it is separated. The devices do not have a collecting basket, so the cut grass blades immediately end up on the lawn.
This is what sets the cylinder mower apart:
- allows significantly deeper cuts
- cuts precisely
- protects the lawn
Mulching mower
With these devices, the grass clippings are not collected in a collecting basket. Mulching mowers have two cutting units. They mow the blades of grass and then shred them using specially shaped blades. Some models have mulching blades with multiple cutting edges that are arranged at different levels. The air flow is created in a mulching bell and swirls the cut blades of grass. This ensures that the plant parts are cut multiple times and optimally chopped. The fine residue is incorporated into the turf during mowing.
A mulching mower makes mulching much easier
Mulching kit for normal lawn mowers
Depending on the manufacturer, you can upgrade various lawn mowers with a mulching kit. Most kits include special mulching blades that swap out for the regular blades in the lawn mower. Some kits also include a plastic container. After the special blades have been installed, you can use the lawn mower with or without a grass catcher.
In order to mulch the lawn directly during the mowing process, the grass catcher is left out. You remain flexible and can also use the lawnmower in its original function with a collection basket. Here too, the mulching blades prove to be advantageous because the volume of grass is reduced significantly as a result of the shredding.
Robot lawnmower
The little helpers prove to be perfect tools for mowing and mulching at the same time. The mowing interval can be set manually depending on the model. The distances between the mowing units should not be too large, as the robotic lawnmower quickly reaches its limits if the grass is too high. The blades only cut off the tips of the grass blades so that they fall to the ground and create an ideal layer of mulch. The small size of the cuttings ensures rapid decomposition.
Good to know:
- Robot lawnmowers should be cleaned once a week
- some models automatically pause when it rains
- Precise cutting prevents yellow tips
Frequently asked questions
When do I have to mulch my newly sown lawn?
When you should mulch your newly planted lawn for the first time depends on numerous factors such as sowing time, light supply and lawn type. The stalk height is a good guideline that you can use as a guide. Sports and play turf are mulched for the first time from a height of 70 to 80 millimeters. Ornamental lawns can grow to a height of 80 to 85 millimeters. When creating a new shade lawn, the grasses should be between 90 and 100 millimeters high.
When do I have to water my lawn after mulching?
You should water your lawn at the latest when the wilting point sets in. You can recognize this time by the leaves of the grass slowly curling up and fading.
Is it true that mulching suffocates the lawn?
This prejudice has now been refuted. Studies have shown that soil organisms are 40 percent more active under a layer of mulch. Mulching therefore increases the breathing capacity in the top layer of soil.
Can I mulch my lawn despite having weeds?
Mulching helps against weeds because the fine layer of organic materials robs the seeds of light for germination. Mulching only works against fungi if done correctly. An oversupply of nitrogen and water promotes fungal growth.
Can I mulch the lawn without special equipment?
When you cut the lawn with a normal lawnmower and collect the clippings, you should not spread them directly over the area. Often the grass clippings are too coarse and already clumped together. Let the material rot on the compost.
Do I have to fertilize the lawn after mulching?
The lawn usually does not need additional fertilization because the grass clippings are decomposed and the nutrients reach the soil. However, fresh compost does not harm the lawn.
