When you mow your law on a regular basis, you will notice that a certain portion of the grass that has been cut is often left behind. These grass clippings are usually found on the edges of the garden and, in some cases if you haven’t swept the place and cleaned it properly, in the middle.
However, most people don’t think twice before they discard their grass clippings. They just put them in a bag or vacuum them up and chuck the whole thing in a bin outside. This is fair, especially since most people don’t see a use for these clippings.
However, you should know that grass clippings are incredibly useful and can come in handy in a variety of different ways. If you are thinking of using grass clippings around the house, there are many ways by which they can be useful.
Grass clippings can be used as mulch in your garden and they can do a fine job. Instead of buying mulch from outdoors, you should consider using the grass clippings in your garden.
In fact, you can even cultivate the grass clippings properly just for use in the garden as mulch. In fact, you can even cultivate the grass clippings properly just for use in the garden as mulch.
You can grow a variety of different types of grasses in your garden and then cut them off to get the clippings. The damaged places can be repaired with a bit of sod and an organic fertilizer can be used to promote growth and make sure that the grass continues to grow properly.
You should know that the primary method for applying grass clippings and using them as mulch is to apply them in thin layers. In most cases, this will occur naturally once you start after weeding the garden.
There are two kinds of grass clippings that you can use. For instance, you can use the ones that have been freshly cut. Or you can use the ones that have been left out in the sun to dry as well.
Once you have cut the lawn and have mowed the grass, just let the garden clippings lay there in the garden. In most cases, the one- or two-inch ones are going to decompose after a while.
Regardless of which one you use, it’s best to begin by sprinkling just enough in the beginning so that it covers the surface. Then you can add another layer after a few days if you want.
Ideally, it’s best to wait a couple of weeks and just wait till you have to weed the garden again. Once you have weeded out the place, you can then apply a second layer of grass clippings to the garden.
You need to do this three times, after every two weeks. Spreading three layers of mulch in your garden and spacing them each after two weeks is a fantastic idea and your garden crops are going to come out looking happy and healthy.
The reason why this practice is so preferred is because it also helps the garden toads and frogs since they tend to eat up all of the slugs found in the garden. Not only that, but if you live in a moist area, the tiny turtles may enter your garden as well and eat up all of the slugs and other insects.
While grass clippings can be used as mulch, you should know that they can be used in a variety of other ways as well. Here are just a few of the many different ways in which you can use grass clippings.
1 – Use Them with Compost
Grass clippings are a fantastic source of nitrogen and you can add them to your compost. They are going to break down quickly once they have been added to the compost and you can improve the nutritional content by adding some cardboard or straw.
Even paper works like a charm. When preparing the compost heap, just make sure that you add materials that are fibrous.
As the weather turns warm, the microbes that fuel the compost and the tiny insects found within the pile are going to get the job done much faster. As a result of that, you will have quite a bit of compost available to spread all over your garden as the fall season arrives.
2 – Turn the Clippings to a Liquid Feed
There are a number of people who like to use liquid organic fertilizers in their garden. If you think that your plants are going to thrive better with a liquid organic feed, you should know that making one all by yourself isn’t a problem at all. In fact, it’s incredibly easy.
Just put a handful of grass clippings in a bucket of water and mix them well. Keep the water inside the house to prevent mosquitoes and other insects from buzzing over it. Or you can also use an organic option for controlling mosquitoes.
Within a few days, your liquid feed will be ready and you can just pour it over the plants.
3 – Use Them as a Feed for Livestock
If you live on a farm or have livestock on your property, you should know that the grass clippings can also be used as a feed for them.
Most livestock already love to graze but it’s best to supplement their diet. If you use an electric lawn mower or a hand-push one, you can easily get uniform cuttings of grass.
These can be used to feed your pets as well, especially guinea pigs or hamsters. Even rabbits love to eat grass clippings so you can easily feed those to the animals. However, it’s important that you only feed them dried grass clippings.
Wet grass clippings tend to spoil really quickly and there’s a risk that your animals are going to fall sick as a result of this. It’s best to use the dried ones.
4 – Use Them as a Layer
A lot of people like to create raised beds in their garden. It not only looks more aesthetically appealing but in some cases, even the plants grow to be healthier.
However, if you want to make sure that your raised bed comes out clean and healthy, you will need to provide it with the proper nutrients. The best way to do that is by using the garden clippings as a raised bed instead.
The grass clippings are going to actually build up the bed and provide the nutrients that it requires. Ultimately, this is going to reduce the amount of compost needed to fill up the volume of the raised bed.
On top of that, you should know that the grass clippings help break down the fibrous material that is rich in carbon within the raised bed.
5 – Use Them in Container Gardens
If you have a container garden inside the house or in a conservatory, you can use grass clippings to keep your plants healthy. You can place grass clippings on top of the soil of each container as it’s going to help improve the moisture retention of the soil.
These are just some of the many different ways by which you can use grass clippings around the house!
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
--
If you want more backyard tips including recipes, how-tos and more, make sure you subscribe to my youtube channel