Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: mrs bouquet on June 24, 2021, 16:33

Title: Lawn cutting without the grass box. ?
Post by: mrs bouquet on June 24, 2021, 16:33
Is it alright to do that ?  If so what are the advantages or otherwise.  Thanks  Mrs Bouquet
Title: Re: Lawn cutting without the grass box. ?
Post by: Yorkie on June 24, 2021, 18:36
I think I have read circumstances where it might be useful, but I was taught that leaving grass clippings on a lawn can reduce air/water/light getting to the grass, and could build up to 'thatch', which is what you don't want and would usually scarify out.
Title: Re: Lawn cutting without the grass box. ?
Post by: jezza on June 25, 2021, 09:19
Hello leaving grass on depends on if it's going to be very hot then it protects the roots ,if you have a mulching mower that can chop the grass into 1/4 inch pieces or less then it feeds the grass,as Yorki says it can build up thatch if the grass is long then it needs scarifiing out   jezza
Title: Re: Lawn cutting without the grass box. ?
Post by: mrs bouquet on June 25, 2021, 10:21
Thanks, the grass was quite short, but I thought without the box it might cut the sticking up grasses, which it did.   I did wonder about thatch building up, after I had done it !!  So next time i will do it as normal with the box on,  thanks again,   Mrs B
Title: Re: Lawn cutting without the grass box. ?
Post by: Subversive_plot on June 28, 2021, 04:40
I think your grass box we call a grass catcher.  I nearly always leave grass clippings on the lawn (I have a mulching lawn mower). The clippings decompose to compost and return nutrients to the soil.
Title: Re: Lawn cutting without the grass box. ?
Post by: jezza on June 30, 2021, 19:56
Hello once over with out the box on  wont cause a lot of thatch,it'll take a long while to build up  jezzza