Environmental Services
Grasscycling
What is Grasscycling?Grasscycling involves leaving the grass clipping on your lawn, to fertilize the grass and return their nutrients to the lawn. Grasscycling is an alternative to throwing away the valuable nutrients in your grass. Why Should I Grasscycle?Grasscycling is the most efficient way to manage grass clipping. Grasscycling is good for your lawn, and it reduces the amount of trash that must be collected and disposed of at the Waste to Energy Plant (read more about where Arlington's trash goes, brochure on Waste to Energy Plant (519 KB, PDF format)). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that yardwaste accounts for 18% of the refuse that we historically have dumped into landfills, a figure that rises as high as 50% during the growing season. Typical yardwaste is composed of approximately 25% tree leaves and limbs, and 75% grass clippings. Grasscycling GuidelinesWhen fresh grass clippings are returned to the turfgrass system, certain management practices must be employed to insure success. Mowing techniques and plant nutrition are integral parts of this specialized management scheme. If grass clippings are left in place, they must be cut small enough to filter through the turfgrass canopy and down into the soil region. Once this occurs, the clippings can decompose and become part of the continuing turf-soil nutrient cycle. Thus, the success of an on-site grasscycling system directly depends on mowing techniques. A specialized mulching type mower is helpful, but it is not required. A traditional side-discharge mower can also work. The following mowing practices will enhance your lawn's appearance and hardiness. Mow when the grass needs it! A guide is to mow often enough so that at any one mowing only one third of the leaf height is removed. This will probably be every five to six days during the active growing season, and every 10 days or less when growth slows down. Keep mower blades sharp. Dull blades rip and tear the turfgrass which promotes disease, causes the shredded leaves to appear tan and ragged, and results in weakened plants. Mow when the grass is dry. Wet grass clings to the mower and clumps on the turf. Wet clippings also do not filter through the turf canopy to add nitrogen (N) as easily as dry clippings. (From the VCE publication: Mowing To Recycle Grass Clippings: Let the Clips Fall Where They May! Authors: David R. Chalmers, Associate Professor and Extension Agronomist, Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech and Judy Booze-Daniels, Research Associate, Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech Publication Number 430-402, February 2000). |
