Can I use grass clippings as mulch for fruit trees?
brittneyt2 (6)
11 years ago
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Tony
11 years agobrittneyt2 (6)
11 years agoRelated Discussions
Grass clippings okay for mulching blueberries?
Comments (11)When I did landscaping in Central California I had 10 acres with lots of fruit trees and other ornamental trees. We generated almost a full pickup load daily during the spring and summer. We would spread it around the trees. When It got 12" deep it would mold. If we only spread it 3-6" it wouldn't. This was almost a desert climate of 30% humidity. Before I got enough customers to bring in that quantity of grass I had a problem keeping enough moisture to keep the trees healthy. Afterwards, not so much. Granted that was about 2 years later. This was in a rural area with the trees far enough from my house so the visual effect was not like in a suburban area. Now I'm in central Missouri and live in a small city. I use wood chips that I get yearly from tree trimmers who keep the power lines safe. What you have available makes a difference in what you use. ,...See MoreGrass clippings for mulch?
Comments (3)I know a lot of people advise it, but I prefer grass clippings to be left on the lawn where they break down and feed the soil. But, that's living in a dreamland...cuz rainfall, warm spring rainfall makes grass grow...and grow and when we finally get around to cutting, there's more grass and clippings than we want to be left there. So we bag...or rake. Me, I put it all into my compost pile. There is absolutely nothing better to build heat in a compost pile than grass clippings...especially after they have been sprinkled with water. Spread it out over the pile's surface and let it do its stuff. Then use it around the trees and shrubs. If perchance, there is more clippings than can safely be put into the pile, then bag it. Throw a little extra stuff in with it, poke holes in the bottom to let the worms in, and put it behind a shrub or hedge and within a short time, it will be ready to take its place in the compost pile. In the fall, leaves done this way, chopped up with the clippings, are a great way to build leaf mold. Oh, and throwing a handful or two lawn fertilizer in with the clippings can speed up breakdown....See MoreShould I mulch or bag my grass clippings?
Comments (38)>>You guys are great. Thanks very much. If I put my 3 lb all in the fall, half just before winter, how big a time gap before that for two more feedings to handle the remaining 1.5 lb? A pound of N a month is the maximum under normal circumstances. So if winterization goes around December 1, and given that November tends to be a low growth, low demand month, I'd feed 1 pound of N in early September and 1 pound of N in early October. Skipping any feeding in late October and November isn't a problem. Growth has slowed, the grass isn't particularly demanding, and you don't really need to feed. Regardless of circumstances, a small boost in late May is a good idea. If avoiding fungal issues, use 0.5 pounds of N per thousand square feet. If not, go to the full pound. Roots are tapped of carbohydrates by that time (partially) and trying to restore them for summer. In this case, growth doesn't stop like it does in fall, but it does noticeably slow from spring's high point. Usually that's around Memorial Day, and exact timing isn't important here. Applied organically, all these dates will differ a bit. Generally speaking, most dates back up about three weeks--except winterization, which is done synthetically and doesn't change....See MoreMulched with grass clippings, grass sprouts everywhere
Comments (11)Bermuda grass is not the only type of grass that can create these sorts of "weed" problems, although it does have a reputation for being one of the worst. A great many other common turf grass species can display this trait. Turf grasses come in three different growth habits -- clumpers, rhizomatous and stoloniferous -- and most common lawn blends, both warm and cool season grasses, combine a variety of both. Bentgrass, Kentucky blue and creeping ryegrass -- all of which are common to various cool season grass mixtures -- are either rhizomatous or stoloniferous and can create rooting, weedy problems when applied as a mulch to a planting bed. There are a number of other various grass species as well that will create similar issues. Bermuda and Zoisya grass are well known for this problem as well and they tend to be used most often in warmer climates (warm season grasses) and often as a single species rather than as part of a blend of various turf grasses....See Morealan haigh
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