One of the major environmental concerns on the minds of many virginians is the protection and preservation of. Mowing guide the proper mowing height reduces weed competition and promotes healthy grass growth. The common sense gardening guide to natural lawn care. Buy products related to nitrogen lawn products and see what customers say about nitrogen lawn products on free delivery possible on eligible purchases. If your mower cannot be safely operated without the clipping attachment. Annual nitrogen can likely be reduced with no consequences on a lawn fertilized for many years. Mulch mowing does not contribute to thatch buildup. Recycle grass clippings back into the lawns, such as with a mulching type mower. One estimate shows that returning grass clippings can contribute about two pounds of nitrogen per square feet a year.
When returned to the lawn, clippings recycle nutrients in an. Grass clippings contain 4% nitrogen, 1% phosphorus and 2% potassium. Lawn care service experts are regularly asked if grass clippings are good for lawns and what to do with grass clippings. You may begin to cut the lawn as needed, typically once every five to seven days. Nitrogen is the fertilizer nutrient most used by turf. You can mulch mow with a mulching mower, a regular power mower, or push mower. Fertilizing your lawn and garden o c t o b e r e ard. By cutting the lawn frequently enough, clippings can be left on the lawn to provide organic matter and recycled nitrogen. Return grass clippings to minimize the need for phosphorus fertilizer and reduce the need for nitrogen by 25 to 50 percent. Apply nitrogen n to meet your needs and protect the environment. To speed composting, combine carbonrich brown materials such as leav es with nitrogenrich green materials such as grass clippings. If you return the clippings, lawns older than 10 years may not need any fertilizer.
However, grass has a high nitrogen content, a much higher. Grasscycling supplies about 20% of the fertilizer requirements of most grasses. On the right side of the first line it says grass watered clippings removed this is information you supplied on the soil sample information sheet when you sent in your sample. Leaving your clippings on the grass after mowing is beneficial as it returns nutrients back to the soil. Research shows that most grasses require only modest levels of nitrogen for good color and controlled growth. Recycling grass clippings offers an easy way to add nitrogen to a lawn. Grass clippings are used as mulch in gardens or as a source of nitrogen for composting. Total nitrogen applied per square feet should not.
Clippings are a valuable source of nutrients and you can use less nitrogen fertilizer if you recycle clippings to the lawn. The table assumes that all lawn clippings are left on the lawn to be recycled naturally. Lawns kept at the proper height also cut more easily and quickly. But only leave grass clippings on the lawn if they are short, shorter clippings break down fast. Nitrogen and your lawn with the lawn care nut toro yard.
In this video i will show you how to compost nitrogen rich grass and sometime in the future like a month or more i will show. If the lawn is mowed infrequently, clippings are too long, become matted on the lawn, exclude light and can damage patches of. Eliminate grass clipping collection csu extension colorado. Because nitrogen is extremely mobile in soils, nitrogen recommendations are based on plant requirements and soil organic matter levels as determined by the laboratory. Kelly burke is a freelance writer and professional turf manager. Grasscycling is a technicalsounding word that means leaving. Maybe spray them with some compost tea to help speed up the decomp. Wet grass clings to the mower and clumps on the turf. The ratio of carbon to nitrogen in the compost pile will affect. Adding organic matter from clippings may help improve your soil if it is sandy, heavy clay or low in organic matter. Suggested spreader settings nitrogen lawn fertilizer.
Easy ways to get nitrogen into lawns home guides sf gate. Wet clippings also do not filter through the turf canopy to add nitrogen. If you do use a lawn care company, ask them about their environmental options and certifications. Discussion in fertilizer application started by georgia lawn, apr 17, 2014. You can reduce the amount of nitrogen you add to your lawn by if you recycle your grass clippings. Though studies have shown that a lawn of 1,000 square feet can produce 500 pounds of clippings in one growing season, these clippings contribute very little to thatch. Grass clippings are rich in nitrogen, an important fertilizing agent. Carbon to nitrogen ratio all living organisms need relatively large amounts of the element carbon c and smaller amounts of nitrogen n. There is no benefit to applying more fertilizer than your lawn requires. And its our good friend, nitrogen, that serves as the fuel of it all. Marylands lawn fertilizer law addresses nitrogen and phosphorus content only. Returning grass clippings to the turfsoil ecosystem can reduce n. Space fertilizer applications 4 to 8 weeks apart using a combination of quick and slow release nitrogen n.
Overall, grass clippings can provide a portion of the annual nutrient requirement for your lawn. Regular mowing will greatly reduce the need to collect. In fact, clippings that remain on the lawn quickly decompose because they are composed mostly of water. Too much fertilizer will make your lawn grow faster, resulting in more mowing and more clippings. Clippings provide mineral nutrients to the soil as they decompose. A bag of 1505 fertilizer contains 15 percent nitrogen, 0 phosphorus as required by maryland law and 5 percent potassium. If older lawns begin to thin or lose color, application of nitrogen may be necessary. In terms of weight, a 10 pound bag of 1505 fertilizer contains 1. Lawn maintenance fertilizers have zero phosphorus in them and contain at least 20% slowrelease nitrogen.
Nitrogen availability is the key to estimating annual. It is a good idea to leave the clippings on the lawn if they are not too long. Applying nitrogen to your lawn you can get nitrogen in the form of synthetics and organics. Grass clippings do not need to be collected and can actually benefit the turf by returning nutrients and organic matter to the soil. Nc state university caring for your lawn and the environment. Trace element tests are generally not recommended for lawn and garden samples. Extracting nitrates from lawn clippings part 1 making compost.
Fewer clippings extended color for up to 12 weeks 2705 covers up to 10,000 sq. Caring for your lawn and the environment reduce runoff and trap pollutants with a healthy yard. Steps to a successful healthy lawn mulch your grass clippings. Higher amounts of nitrogen in lawn maintenance fertilizers reflect a turfgrass plants greater need for this nutrient. It helps improve the lawns health and quality, and youre less likely to need fertilizer. Removing clippings for composting or mulch removes about 1. Grass cut it and leave it environmentallyfriendly lawn care grass clippings are a major part of new jersey s municipal solid waste stream. Recommended nitrogen fertilizer schedule where clippings are not collected. Ideally, clippings should form a finelycut, light covering. Litter bags containing clippings were inserted into the. Decomposition rates and nitrogen release of turf grass clippings kelly l. Percentage of nitrogen in grass clippings home guides. They do not contribute appreciably to thatch buildup.
About 46 to 59 percent of the applied nitrogen from fertilizer ends up in the clippings. Apply 5 mm or 14 inch compost or high quality slow release mineral or organic fertilizer to stimulate root growth during the active growing season. Kopp 1 and karl guillard 2 1 department of plants, soils, and biometeorology, utah state university, 4820 old main. Grass clippings returned to the lawn provide up to 25 percent of your lawns total fertilizer needs. You can also use a mulching mower and leave the leaves on the lawn too. Pdf experiments to document the longterm effects of clipping. Weeding most herbicides wont be able to differentiate between the flowers you want to keep and those you want to remove. Standard recommendations are for full sun lawn areas, shaded lawn areas need much less nitrogen. Decomposed grass clippings also serve as a food source for bacteria in soil. Download this pollinatorfriendly lawn information as a pdf. Apply only 12 pound of nitrogen per square feet of lawn at each application. Grass clippings returned to the lawn reduce the need for nitrogen fertilization by as much as onethird when a lawn is properly maintained.
Or does it have to be broken down and converted like an organic. Grass clippings dos and donts valparaiso utilities, in. During decomposition they release valuable nutrients. Put simply, nitrogen encourages grass plants to grow. It is important because nitrogen recommendations for lawns. Nitrogen in the soil is the most important element for plant development. What is the carbon to nitrogen ratio of dried grass clipping. Adapted from colorado state university extension fact sheet 7. Clippings are high in nitrogen and decompose quickly to put nitrogen and other nutrients back in the soil. A light sprinkling of the lawn is ok to cool it down in hotter, drier weather. Practical lawn fertilization 680 kb, pdf lawn fertilizing quick tip benefits of grasscycling.
Phosphorus is an essential nutrient that all plants need to grow and survive. The key is to apply nitrogen during essential growing seasons. Research has shown that most soils in minnesota contain adequate levels for plant growth. Presence of white clover or the diseases rust or dollar spot indicate. Recycling grass clippings johnson county extension office. Apply fertilizer to your lawn in late april and again in september. The most important thing you can do for your lawn is to feed it regularly, and grass clippings contain the same beneficial nutrients like nitrogen and potassium as lawn food, though in smaller amounts. Note that lawn maintenance fertilizers sold in connecticut contain 0%. For other tips see pdf how to fertilize your lawn responsibly. Say i have a large field and could take the clippings from that and put on my lawn. Leave grass clippings on your lawn and they will save up to 25% consumption of lawn fertilizers. Your grass clippings contain 58% of the nitrogen added from fertilizers, improve soil conditions, suppress disease, and reduce thatch and crabgrass. Yard trimmings are a mixture of grass clippings, leaves, woody trimmings, weeds, and soil. Leave clippings on your lawn fertilize your lawn by leaving your grass clippings behind.
What would you guess the nitrogen percentage would be if the clippings were used as a. Nitrogen fertilizer recommendations for lawns are based on the amount of nitrogen removal by the grass plants during the growing season. Grass clippings use a mulching mower to return clippings to the lawn. Never allow the grass to get higher than 4 to 5 inches between mowings. Pdf decomposition rates and n release patterns of turfgrass clippings from lawns are not well understood. Pdf longterm effects of clipping and nitrogen management in. Leave at least 3 inches on the grass blade after cutting. To decrease thatch accumulation, cut no more than one. Pdf decomposition rates and nitrogen release of turf. The type you choose will be based on your own site situation and most big box stores will offer several options. But you can certainly have too much of a good thing when it comes to lawn fertilisers. Several envi ronmental studies, however, have documented that excess phosphorus and nitrogen are.
Pdf decomposition rates and nitrogen release of turf grass. Clippings contain about 4 percent nitrogen, 2 percent potassium and 1 percent phosphorus. In most circumstances, leaving clippings on the lawn is a good practice. Lawn fertilizers now sold in the state are formulated to comply with lawn fertilizer law. Lawn care oregon state university extension service. Clumping, wet clippings should be broken up and mowed a second time or raked up and deposited into the compost bin. Too much fertilizer will make your lawn grow faster. According to lawn experts a seasons worth of grass clipping, finely chopped and distributed over a lawn, equals at least one fertilizer application if not more. How to use grass clippings in the garden balcony garden web. Clippings decompose quickly and do not contribute to thatch. The role of nitrogen in lawn fertilisers the lawn man. Lawn maintenance fertilizers usually have grades like 3204, 29 04 or 1006. In fact, fresh clippings can provide a lawn with onequarter of the nitrogen it needs from a fertilizer.
The clippings are a good source of nitrogen so you can reduce your fertilizer use. Dont forget that whatever chemicals your lawn doesnt use up get washed into our water. Decomposition rates and n release patterns of turfgrass clippings from lawns are not well understood. Fertilizing with yard trimmings wsu research exchange. Extracting nitrates from lawn clippings part 1 making. I find some places saying grass does not lose much nitrogen as it dries and others showing over 90 percent nitrogen loss during drying. As a new jersey resident, you are already helping to avoid air pollution and wasted resources by recycling. Yard waste materials such as grass clippings, leaves, and yard trimmings make. Many reputable lawn care companies feed their lawns with the same, highnitrogen fertilisers over three times a year. Does anyone have a source for the actual carbon to nitrogen ratio of dried grass clippings.
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