BAGLESS MOW THE BEST BET
Method benefits environment
I received an e-mail from the City of Edmonton informing me of a promotion they have running that promotes grasscycling — or, in other words leaving your grass clippings on the lawn rather than bagging them. Going bagless has many benefits:
It’s good for your lawn. The grass clippings protect the soil by keeping moisture in the ground. Also, as the clippings break down quickly, they naturally fertilize the lawn with nutrients after each mowing.
It’s good for you. No bagging and dragging of grass is required, and it reduces the need to water and fertilize your lawn.
It’s good for the environment. In the summer months, up to half of the waste collected by the city is grass. Going bagless is the easiest, most effective way to reduce waste.
Now, let’s talk about what you need to do and a few tips.
You do not need a special mulching mower to use this technique. You simply remove the lawn catcher, making sure that the safety door is closed, and mow as normal.
The difference is that you leave the clippings on the lawn.
The mower shreds the grass so finely that you do not see any sign of it on your lawn.
Grasscycling requires that you mow more frequently during the growing season. The city recommends mowing every four or five days. I was using this frequency of mowing anyway, so the change was non-existent for me.
Another key is to keep the blade of your mower sharp and to cut the grass down to three to four inches.
Here are some additional tips and facts when grasscycling:
No more than one inch should be cut at any one time. If grass is too long after prolonged wet weather, start with a higher cut and gradually lower it during successive cuttings.
If clumps have resulted from cutting wet grass or making too long a cut, mow again from a different direction to break up the clump. Try to mow only when your grass is dry.
Aerate and rake your lawn in the spring as normal.
Fertilize less frequently. I find that once in the spring and again in early August works best.
Water deeply every seven to 10 days rather than frequent shallow waterings, which will encourage shallow roots that are easily affected by dry conditions.
Q What does it mean when some of the lawn develops a white caste on the blades? (It signals trouble, I imagine.)
A The dusty white coating you describe is a common lawn disease called powdery mildew. The grass will look like it has been dusted with flour. Heavily infected areas can turn yellow and die.
Powdery mildew grows best in shaded areas and is more noticeable during times of higher humidity. It is found more often in shaded areas, because of the poorer air circulation in such locations. Using shade-tolerant strains of grass can help the problem, as well as choosing grasses that are resistant to the fungus.
Excessive fertilizing can be one of the contributing factors in the disease taking hold. Too much nitrogen will cause a great deal of new growth, and the new growth is prone to attack from the powdery mildew. Chemical controls are not necessary.
Q I have had no luck finding information on my elephant ears. Some say don’t clip, some say clip. This is about the dead-looking leaves that are always around the bottom. They don’t look like functioning leaves. Some are obviously dead and on the ground. How much can they be trimmed, if at all?
A I assume we are talking about Bergenia, as opposed to the tropical plant elephant ears (Colocasia) that some people grow in containers and bring indoors in the winter? You can prune out the dead leaves on Bergenia without any problem. Using a sharp knife or pruners, cut the leaf back right to the stem.