Lawn clippings are not exactly considered valuable to a lawn or landscape, but the reality of the matter is that they can be extremely helpful in the growing process of your turf. Many people bag or rake lawn clippings instead of leaving them on the surface of the lawn for fear it will develop into a layer of thatch. However, lawn care specialists say it will not. Instead it will break down and act as natural fertilizer for your turf. In addition, it was add nitrogen to the soil beneath your turf organically. If you are worried about the “messy” or unkempt appearance your lawn may have if you do not get rid of the grass clippings after mowing, consider purchasing a mulch mower.

If leaving them on your lawn is just too much for you to handle, try hand raking them instead of bagging them. However, do not put them out for the garbage men to pick up. Mulch the clippings and use it to cover the ground of a landscape bed. If you have a compost pile, they will make an excellent addition and become a nutrient-rich mixture that will serve as perfect fertilizer. More importantly, you are saving them from the garbage dump where they will only take up room that, let’s face it, we don’t exactly have for our ever-expanding collection of garbage.

If you are not sure what you should do about your grass clippings, talk to your local lawn care provider and get expert advice!