You won't get any rain to penetrate it. Grass clippings mat down and don't let maisture through.

If they've been piled up through the summer, they're likely already turning into nice rich humus inside that pile. I think they'd likely make a fine veggie mulch, but if you find soggy clumps, you need to break them up 1st. Maybe spread it out to dry for a few days before using...?

I've used grass clippings for mulch here for 15 yrs and in NJ for 25. I put them directly on the veggie garden though, they rot and turn into wonderful black composted soil. I have worms in my veggie garden here and a foot or so down is sand. If your pile has been unturned it might be a matted mess so see if you can break it up first. I use a hoe or a fork to move mine around.

Thanks for all the opinions, folks!
I haven't turned the pile yet, so I don't know what the inside looks like. The outside is dry like a haystack. I guess I'll go ahead and use the stuff.

Can I ask a question. I used grass clippings in a couple small flower gardens as a mulch everytime i cut the grass for about 4 or 5 times, and now there are TONS of weeds growing out of control in those gardens. Did the grass clippings have seeds in them maybe? I thought of this also for my veggie gtarden but did not want a massive weed problem.

Yes, the weed seeds could have come from the grass if the grass had the weeds in the first place. If you put it down heavy enough the heat will kill the seeds, but don't get it too close to the stem of the plants. I usually hoe out the weeds and then spread the grass again, sometimes even covering the weeds. The grass will kill it, but sometimes it will grow back that way. ;o)

But the weed seeds could have been in the soil all ready. If you have the grass thick enough the seeds won't germinate in either case.

Therealdeal,

The spinning blade of your power mower is a little bit like a carpet vacuum cleaner and will by the mower vibration, loosen and suck up any loose seeds that were blown around by the wind on windy days and deposited atop your grass roots. Now you have a mixture of clippings and wind blown wild seeds that you are now using as compost, but a true compost pile would heat up and kill those seeds. If you are going to use grass clippings make sure it is composted on a 'hot' compost pile or else you will have weeds galore where ever your 'cold' clippings are used as compost or mulch.

Lou

Try not to use clippings from grass that has been sprayed or fertilized with Weed-Killer.... sally

I think I've heard that usually it's best to mix grass clippings with leaves to make compost or mulch because using plain grass puts too much nitrogen into the soil which in turn creates too much foliage on a plant and not enough fruit.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks. That all makes a lot of sense.