What happens if I put grass clippings all over my backyard?

20 years ago

I want to kill the grass so I can build a flower bed in my townhouse backyard. I spread the green, yellow stuff all over the backyard and now it smells like a farm.

Have you ever done this before?

Comments (4)

mkirkwag
20 years ago
Well, I've used it as mulch in the garden...moderately effective against weeds, so I suppose it's the same thing. Becomes less aesthetically pleasing as time passes, however.
dan_denise
20 years ago
Hocasati,
I would rake up the grass clippings and set aside in a compost pile. They will be good for mulch in your beds later. To kill the grass, try laying down a sheet of black plastic. Weight down the edges so it wont blow away. Very effective and quick. Get it at any hardware store.
Best of luck.
Dan
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I am a big fan of mulching. It is easier to maintain than grass, especially in shady areas or in your case where you would have several edges to mow/trim around. It is probably more expensive since you have to refresh the mulch (depends somewhat on your supply of mulch and lawn care practices). Looking at your mockup I have a few comments...The size of your raised beds seem very small. Is your drawing to scale? There looks to be a lot of wasted space in that area? What size do you plan to make the beds? Also, I am of the camp that thinks that in a situation where the lawn in the dominant feature of the landscape, that the lawn should be given a defined shape. The shape on the left (near the shed) looks natural but then the right side looks a bit odd to me. If you are going to keep the bushes then I would include them in the mulched area (and likely underplant with perennials). - Brent
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I've been using a permanent mulch system in my acre market garden for several years and it works great. Talk to professional maintenance gardeners in your area and see if they will bring you their clippings and leaves. This would not be a one-time arrangement--the gardener would bring them on a daily or weekly basis forever. You just keep shoveling them on. Hay, particularly straw, is bad news in a way other than weeds--the carbon/nitrogen ratio is unfavorable and nitrogen will tie up [contrary to previous thought about mulching]. Grass clippings are ideal. The permanent mulch system really works: Just keep shoveling mulch, plant what you like and contribute what you don't like to your permanent mulch system by cutting it out. Happy gardening, Locust . . . John
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ladyaustins
20 years ago
I made a couple of garden beds where I had lawn, by spreading disassembled cardboard boxes on the lawn, wetting them down, then placing a layer of compost then mulch on top of them (you could use your grass clippings as mulch). I waited a month then dug holes and put plants in.Pretty much an instant garden bed and a great no dig garden.The worms love it too.Its been many months now and the plants are very happy. I just give them an occasional dressing of compost and mulch.
seraphima
20 years ago
Get the book "Lasagna Gardening" from your library or buy it for your personal library. Lots of great ideas for sheet composting large areas. The grass will come in handy for the sheet compost, but it needs other ingredients to acheive your goal for the back yard.

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What happens if I put grass clippings all over my backyard?

Comments (4)

mkirkwag

dan_denise

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ladyaustins

seraphima

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