Best Ways to Use Grass Clippings in Your Garden
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
- Fresh and dried grass clippings have many garden benefits. These free, organic amendments and mulches are good for soil and plants. Gardener Scott discusses and shows how he uses grass clippings in the garden. (Video #275)
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Brilliant video Scott. Grass is such a useful resource in the garden and you have covered most of its uses in this video. Nailed it pal. great video
Thanks, Tony. That's high praise. I appreciate it, mate.
In 1969 I grew my first garden. A man used to come by and pick up all our grass clippings. I asked him what he was doing with all that. His daughter had a rare disease and needed to eat mostly tomatoes so he found grass clippings gave him the best veggies. I immediately started to use my own clippings and never needed to buy fertilizers. I have never stopped using clippings. You are spot on about everything. Especially about not getting weeds from clippings. Some folks just don't understand that if you only use the grass that has not gone to seed it is ok. Most grass does not go to seed until it is quite long. I never use the first cutting... Fantastic video I subbed and liked I want to see more. I was a Master Gardener for a time and know the value of sharing ideas. Thank you...
Yeah maybe were you live. Im my moist and cool climate (Sweden) and my lawn is full of moss. The moss was worse than any weed i ever dealt with. It survives as a small piece of 1x1mm and will regrow. The problem is grass need over 5⁰ celsius to grow but the moss grows at 0 degrees and up.
Almost no people understand this. And i havent seen any youtuber warning about this.
Im happy i didnt try this on my whole garden. Just the herb garden and been constantly been weeding it from moss for 4-5 years now worst damn weed for sure!
@@mikaellindqvist5599 So tell me why did you decide to dump your problem on me? It is not my fault you live in Sweden. We all have problems were we live. DEAL WITH IT!!!
The grass clippings really tie the garden together.
Good tip with mixing leaves with grass - super!
Grass tea is great for foliar spray. Throwing down is for root uptake. I believe that both methods have their own benefits. ;)
Both are great...
Great video. I don't know where'd I be without harvesting my lawn for use in the garden.
Grass clippings are a great way to help the soil, and our gardens, with nutrients. Thanks for sharing this. Cheers, Scott!
i used grass clippings as fertilizer for my one tomato plant i grew last year. I think it worked, we got tomatoes up into January off it.
I LOVE grass clippings. Well, I don't actually have grass, but the green weedy stuff we mow does the same job. Thanks, Scott!
Hello Gardner Scott I wanna thank you for all Your Videos I am a first time gardener and I’m learning a lot from you thank you so much!
Thank You Gardener Scott! We just started mowing our own lawn instead of hiring someone. I just told my husband to start saving the grass clippings. I had some questions that you just answered.
Gardener Scott your videos or so informative and so relaxing as well. Thanks for the efforts!
I learn a lot from your channel. Greetings from Poland ❤
Pozdrowienia z Olsztyna
Really interesting! Thank you for another great video!
Thank you for this video! I just started doing this with my clippings and you answer all my burning questions.
Very informative episode…thank you sir!!!
great tips Scott! I love using grass clippings, too. This year I'm trying a mix of leaves / dried grass to mound my potatoes, much like some people use straw. Wish me luck!
Good luck. It should work fine.
@@GardenerScott thanks! Fun trying new techniques!
I've done the same very successfully.
Yes! That ‘straw mulch’ around potatoes is the Ruth Stout Method! I’ve read her “No-Work Garden Book.” God Bless her soul. Her ideas for simplifying by eliminating the drudgery of gardening are/were just remarkably and revolutionarily easy.
I put grass clippings on top of mulch, they make it easier to walk over mulch and not kicking it out the bed. I also like them on areas where exposed soil tend to run and washed away by rain or watering, clippings help keep it down in place and I don't walk in muddy mess either.
I stumbled across the blend because I never had enough of any one thing to cover all and I agree the mix stays better and the plants sure like it. Thank you for sharing. You help me to be a better gardener.
Great video! I am going to share this with my aunt who just was talking about bagging her grass. This video will give her ideas of what to do with it. :)
I mulch with dry grass but hadn’t considered mixing it with with fresh. Good info as always!
Excellent tips!!! I never thought of mixing the clippings with leaves and am now figuring out how best to dry my grass clippings. In my climate here in NZ they would probably turn into ensilage if I left them in a plastic bag. I think I'll use what we call a fadge - for storing raw wool from shorn sheep, They breathe and are big enough to be able to fork them over inside the bag. Will experiment. I never watch one of your shows without learning something new, even though I've been gardening for a long time.
I watched another video where just fluffing grass clippings with a pitch fork every other day to get air in it will help it dry out if it's in a pile. Otherwise you can spread it out and let it dry and then add it it to your compost.
How about throw the leaves on the uncut grass then mow? All should be cut and mixed together.
Do a High mower clip and leave on lawn to dry a day or two. Lower blade and cut and collect in mower bag. You now have an even mix of wet and dry.
This was as thorough of a lesson on grass clippings as you could possibly have.
The point about seed heads makes me contemplate at what point do dandelion become viable seeds? Do they need to mature until they mostly blow away or are they mature when they go from yellow to that enclosed bundle of fuzz.
I don't know the exact point but I've seen dandelion seeds germinate when the flower is cut off before they blow away.
Just make deep-fried dandelion flowers, no seeds then
very helpful. grass is an awesome resource!
Brilliant content and presentation, as always
I love your energy and how knowledgeable and passionate you are about gardening. Thanks for this! Happy gardening😊
Thanks for the tips. They are very helpful
Great video Scott useful applications for the grass…like the leaves and Grass mix especially for my potatoes in containers! Been horribly hot here !stay blessed …Bermuda grass UGH!!!
Very informative sir, good job
Interesting video - We were always taught not to use grass clipping on Fruit and Veg due to Nitrogen Draw Down.
Hope it continues to work for ya! Keep em coming.
Good information.
Awesome Content.
Another great video, thanks much.
Here in the SE USA you have to compost your grass clippings or you will have Bermuda and crab grass in your beds,
Thank you for an excellent video giving some useful ideas.
Great idea!
I use grass liberally for mulch and to build my compost piles. We've got a 2-acre field I can cut to get all I need and I use a lot. I put down heavy layers of grass mulch in the spring and let it decompose in place for the growing season. I then put shredded leaves on top of it in the fall and turn it into the soil. My final fall amendment is a 2-inch layer of compost that I use to cover the soil in the winter. It suppresses weeds and provides nutrients to the soil. I turn that lightly into the soil in the spring and my beds are ready for planting.
One warning. I quickly learned that late season grass clippings are only good for the compost pile. They contain too many mature weed seeds to use them in your beds unless you want to spend your entire spring weeding. Covering the grass clippings with compost over the winter does temporarily suppress the weeds but they pop back up as soon as you turn in the compost to get ready for planting.
Good tip about late-season clippings. Thanks.
I only use my grassclippings in the compost! I live in a moist and cool climate this means lots of moss in my lawn and its the worst weed i ever had in my garden beds. It even takes a long time to brake down usually beeing the last thing in my pile that can be identificated slow to break down.
Thank you!!
Good logic
Great video - thanks!
Best explained video on grass clippings. I love saving money! No herbicides in my yard!!
thank you!
I really like the grass clippings/ leaves combination. Do you keep the grass clippings in an open bag outside over the winter?
I leave the bag outside, but close it lightly to avoid snow getting in.
I fill an open bottom garden box with with grass clippings. Water and let it settle then stand on it to push it down. Wait about 3 days to a week and add more grass clippings to fill the top and repeat to stamp down. Add charcoal and wood chips in between the layer about a 1/4" thick. I did urinate in one pot but found it became too acidic for most plants.
After all is topped off wait another 3 days and water every day as to bring it down. Layer on about 3 - 5 inches of top or potting soil and add fertilizer. The entire pot may settle down 3-6 inches by the time the season ends but the plants will absolutely love it. Wait another 3 days to plant after layering your top soil. Water everyday until planting......
- My Corn especially has been doing very well. I'm thinking it has a relation to the usage of grass clippings & its nutrient content since corn is a grass.
- zucchini is doing Amazing, Eggplant is doing well, Herbs doing great, Tomatoes grow better and with much more ease
- Increases worms
- Some barnyard smell may develop but seems intermittent
- Increases plants ability to fight disease, bugs and they tend to give a higher yield with little effort.
- Create free soil every year & It's a great way to use what you have right now!
- You will also need to fertilize your plants after planting. The bottom material is not quite ready just yet.
* I find direct seeding in these pots produces a much lower germination count. If I direct seed the pots I wait about 2 weeks after adding the top soil to get successful germination and sprouting. I am guessing it has to do with the soil PH and chemical makeup during the first stages of material breakdown but would like to know more on the specifics if anyone has any ideas....
I find the material breaks down much faster as the plants are growing atop. Within 2 months it's all dirt and the plants are thriving.
Give it a try let me know what your thoughts are on it.
*
Grass clippings returned to the lawn provide up to 25 percent of your lawn's total fertilizer needs. Clippings contain about 4 percent nitrogen, 2 percent potassium and 1 percent phosphorus. Your vegetables need more so although a great addition you would mostly likely still need to fertilize depending on what you're growing.
*
If you've tried this or will try it let me know your results or thoughts.
I haven't tried that, but it sounds like a good way to use a lot of clippings.
The Bob Ross of Gardening
Hi Scott, you have a lovely property, are you planning on growing any fruit trees?
Yes, I have already planted 12 fruit trees. Here's my video of starting my mini orchard: czcams.com/video/yLD_1t8_SLU/video.html
Good idea.... combining the grass clippings with the leaves. We have more rain and humidity than wind here in mid-south Louisiana. The grass clippings matt up when wet, even in the beds. Leaves keep the grass separated and the grass keeps the leaves from blowing away, when we DO have windy days. How beautiful..... nature takes care of itself :):):)
I AM curious about something..... why would a gardener bother to use wood or metal to create raised beds. Cinder blocks are not much more expensive and, while creating bordered edges, vegetation can be planted in the cinder. blocks.
Tk you for your videos. I'm learning so much from you.
I like the look of wood and metal beds, so that's one reason. Beds can be taller with wood or metal. Blocks can be stacked, but above two levels mortaring for stability adds extra labor that not all gardeners want to do..
When you dry the grass clippings do they still contain nitrogen?
If adding dry grass clippings to a compost pile- is it considered a green or a brown?
Good question! I’ve always thought of grass /green/ nitrogen and the carbon comes from your leaves, old bark, even shredded paper for your compost pile. I may be wrong🤷🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
Dry grass has much less nitrogen and it will be a brown when added to compost.
@@GardenerScott thank you Scott!
I don't have the know how to make compost. I tried it several times but failed. I use grass cuts to mulch my plants instead and it works well for me.
Thanks Scott! Can you use grass on your vegetables from lawns that have had pre emergent applied?
Possibly. Pre-emergent herbicides work by inhibiting seed germination. The grass might have some herbicide residue on it and shouldn't be used in beds with seeds but it won't kill bigger plants that are actively growing.
Great video, my neighbour is giving me lovely grass, how do you dry grass? Won’t it clump like the bag? I’ve a raised bed and I’d like free much and compost the rest 😊
I start with a pile and just spread it across the ground. I use it or bag it again when dry.
Great information,much appreciated,does dry grass clippings have the same nutrients as green grass clippings??
Dry grass will not have the nitrogen of green, but much of it stays the same.
@@GardenerScott Much appreciated 🙏🏾
I have very sandy soil in my backyard, no grass yet. It's mostly sand, looks like the beach. I want to put down sod, but need to get some nutrients down before the sod. If I put my grass clippings from my front lawn on the sand in back, will that add nutrients? I have a few months before putting the sod down. I don't compost because I live in Florida. Roaches love compost and I despise roaches.
Grass clippings will add a few nutrients but they will dissipate quickly. Other organic matter like aged manure will last longer and be more effective if turned into the soil.
Would you put a layer over seedlings to help germination and to keep them warm ?
Yes, I do it for insulation and water retention.
@@GardenerScott thank you so much 💖
Thank you for this information! I have a question, my sister’s lawn was treated with herbicide 2 months ago, how long do I have to wait for it to be okay to use as mulch/compost?
I would think 6-12 months, per Scott’s video on free straw mulch (I think it was last month or the month before). He said to leave them to the elements entirely so that the rain and sun can do their magic on it.
@@melissasullivan1658 Okay. I was reading online and it said non-commercial herbicide usually evaporate with 2-3 days so I getting confused. Sounds like I can’t use grass clippings this year then. :(
I’ll check out that video too! Thanks!
If you know the specific herbicide you can research the half life of it. Six-12 months is a good target if you don't know.
@@GardenerScott thank you!!
@@joanhawj - The real issue is to find out what exactly as been used. Some pesticides last for a very short period. But some selected really nasty stuff. Can endure until 3 years!!!!!! Even on hot compost conditions. Which in itself is absolutely staggering!
Which one are you dealing with? That's what you need to find out. ;-)
I having a nitrogen prob wanna fix it quick jus waitin for the sun to come up and goin to put some in the garden thanks
I never use any weed killing chemicals on my lawn so there will definitely be seeds there. Cold composting won't kill those so do I have to plant seedlings in fabric? I mostly use direct sow now...
Do you let your lawn go to seed before mowing? If you do normal mowing you shouldn't have seeds. I don't plant seedlings in fabric. By mulching and pulling any weeds that do appear while they're young, it's easy to keep the garden beds weed-free.
I used grass clippings as a mulch around my green beans one year and when it came time to harvest.... there was grass on the beans that was nearly impossible to get off! how do you keep the grass from sticking to the green beans? what did I do wrong?
Beans can exude moisture that becomes sticky. Trellis the beans up away from the grass or consider using other mulches like straw or crushed leaves that are less likely to blow onto the bens.
Thanks a lot. Better with liquid compost like me
Love all your vids :) what wood do u use for your raised beds? Thanks for all your help :)
I use basic fir for many of my beds.
Could you use an immersion blender and liquefy the grass clippings into a soup then pour that on the soil? Would that be too strong?
Sure. It wouldn't be too strong and would decompose faster than whole grass blades.
Pry it off with a screwdriver...lol.why is a screwdriver the go to tool??? I use one too....
@Gardener Scott What about Pine Needles?
I use pine needles in perennial beds, around my strawberries, and on pathways.
Gardener Scott, in Nevada they just passed a fLaw making lawn cover illegal. Do you think this will lead to further desertification in the Vegas area?
Interesting. I just read a few articles on that and wonder about the impact. If the lawns are replaced by xeric landscaping, water can be saved, wildlife can be encouraged, and desertification might be reduced. But, based on landscapes in my area, I imagine the response will be to replace lawns with rock which will exacerbate the heat island effect and possibly raise temperatures like Phoenix experiences.
I think Geoff Lawton has it right, make swales and waterworks and slow the flow of water into rivers and into the ocean, where we can no longer use it~ I hereby declare Geoff Lawton the title of President of the World and give him all necessary powers to make all the swales the world now needs so completely~
Swales are a great permaculture method that too few gardeners even know about. I built swales to contain the runoff that was illegal for me to store but could use effectively with proper garden design.
I took some grass clippings from a neighbour, put it on the compost pile, 9 months later - very nice compost (with other stuff mixed in) - sowed some beans this late spring - and all new leaves are twisted and shrivelled. Aminopyralid - disappointed very much, but what can you do now - hope for them to reach deeper to better soil . Careful what you puting in your compost. The neighbour had her lawn treated by a local boy with magic potion.
Aminopyralids aren't labeled for lawn use. It's more likely it had dicamba, 2,4D, MCPA, maybe fluroxypyr. Not that those're any better, but it's silly to just blanket statement any herbicide as aminopyralids.
Stop using pesticides, people. No matter how hard you try, they get everywhere.
What would be a good grass for zone 7b that i could keep as a perennial lawn and cut regularly and then use the clipping as a mulch in the garden ? I suppose ideally it could grow at least 5 or 6 inches before it was a risk of going to seed , that way i would make for a good mulch. Anybody have any ideas ?
I would check with nurseries and gardeners in your area for recommendations.
I don’t have grass and I’m wondering if I get from unknown source do I have to worry about herbicide?
Possibly.
how can I make it decompose faster, in less than a year? my city in canada has frozen ground in winter, parts of spring and fall so it can't break down in much of a year
Keeping the mulch moist is a big factor. Covering the bed with a cover like plastic can help keep the temperature higher and prolong the decomposition.
How do you get your grass to dry in the bags? Mine just starts to decompose anearobic
Was going to ask the same thing. Usually we just spread it out on the driveway after we mow in the morning and its pretty much dried out by late afternoon. But... its still green and worry it could still burn. Maybe he dries it out then stores it in a container that doesn't allow rain in.
I often pour it into a wheel barrow to dry, but when I leave it in the bag I let the top part dry and transfer it to the garden tote I showed in the video and repeat. Depending on how often I do it, some at the bottom may have some anaerobic activity and I just dump that in the compost.
I spread them out in the sun best on concrete or patio and rake them around till dry
I have my husband dump the leaves in an area of the yard where I can rake them around every day till dry and then transfer them to a container, (just chicken wire fencing), till ready to use.
I have a question. Wonder if you have a lot of weeds in your grass, what would you do? If you have only grass clippings, then you are using a chemical on your grass and i don't want that in my compost pile. Please tell me what i should do.
When my grass had excessive weeds I transformed the whole area into new garden beds and got rid of the grass. Sometimes chemicals are the only way to get rid of a bad lawn problem and it can be a tough decision to make.
You can't eat the grass
Fresh clipping in garden bed will cause weeds to emerge right ?
Not necessarily. If you cut grass before seeds develop, it won't cause new grass to grow.
Would you use grass on top of cardboard, or skip the cardboard all together?
It depends on the reason for using it. For smothering and killing plants underneath, cardboard is good, but for basic mulching of beds I don't use cardboard.
@@GardenerScott Thanks for the reply! (so many don't)
I've got it down now (just under my new tomato plants) to keep dirt from splashing up during the rains, But I'll replace it with grass clippings as soon as the weather turns and things dry out.
Thanks again!
What size grow bags do you use for your potatoes?
I use different sizes, but most are 15-gallon size.
@@GardenerScott Thank you for your quick response. I just started following your channel and have found it very useful.
How thick we have to sprikle on the bed?
For new seeds it's just enough to cover the soil. As plants grow, it can be thicker.
Is this ideal for raised bed gardening?
It can be. I use grass clippings in all of my raised beds.
Why people bag leaves instead of mulching them is beyond me. I mow my lawn, sidewalk and side laws using my mulching mower and adding to compost. If I need to bag and toss I and mulched 12 bags into only 3. Mulching is the best way to go before bagging or anything else.
What about was in the grass
Unfortunately I have way too many Dandelions & Horsetail weed which cannot really be eradicated. I am afraid of transferring seeds from these etc.
I invested in compost this year, for no dig beds, and suddenly I had horsetail weeds there in abundance! A place where I hadnt had them. So only a small part of my grass can go to composting & be reused. :(
Sorry to say, but that's a total absurd! You can compost pretty much anything organic. Doing it properly that's the real question. With that said you can add all the dandelions, etc. you can get your hands on. ;-)
@@crpth1 not absurd at all. Just the difference between cold and hot composting
@@crpth1 What would be the best way to compost then? there are a number of ways. Choosing which is best for my problem is the answer I am trying to find. And not too complicated.
Xin chào anh.
What if your "grass" is mostly Bermuda Grass and weeds?
You can still use it when dry and before it sets seed.
The amount of myths spread because of Bermuda and the so called "weeds" is really astonishing! Composting properly that's the real "secret". For successful outcome. Let it cook properly than enjoy... It's that simple.
SCOTT YOUR GRASS SHOULD GREEN AS, IT'S BROWN MAN
Does anyone have an aftermarket grass catcher source for a Toro grandstand 52"?
doesnt this encourage grass to grow in your beds?
As I mention in the video, if you don't introduce grass seeds you won't get grass weeds.
What ever you do not give to horses, it kills them.
But don't you get grass seed in the beds and start having weeds and grass growing all over the surface of your soil
This is a great method, however let me warn dog owners. Do not leave grass clippings bagged up where your pets have access to them. As the grass warms up it will become sweet and attractive to your pets nose. It’s extremely toxic and will kill your canine friend if ingested in even a small amount.