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Is it Good for a Lawn to Leave the Clippings After Mowing?

Grass clippings left on a lawn after mowing return the three most important plant nutrients to the soil. The University of Missouri Extension reports that clippings contain roughly 4 percent nitrogen, 2 percent potassium and 1 percent phosphorus, supplying a lawn with 25 percent of its fertilizer needs.

  1. Benefits

    • What appears to be a living carpet of green is actually thousands of tiny grass plants growing closely together. The parts of these plants that are trimmed off during mowing decompose and return their nutrients to the soil. Leaving the grass clippings on the lawn also shades the grass, keeping its roots cooler and conserving moisture.

    Considerations

    • An inch or less of grass should be removed during mowing, as the short clippings will decompose quickly and won't clog the lawn. Returning the clippings to the lawn also eliminates the extra work of bagging and disposing of them.

    Cautions

    • Some mowers are unsafe when operated without the bagging attachment, and in some instances, it's best not to leave the clippings on the lawn. If the grass is too long or wet or is diseased, the clippings can still be used to control weeds around garden plants, flowers, trees or shrubs, according to Minneapolis Solid Waste and Recycling.

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Lawn Basics
  1. The Best Grass Seeds for Poor Drainage
  2. How to Determine the Amount of Phosphorus for Grass
  3. Border Grasses for the Lawn
  4. What to Do for My Grass After the Frost?
  5. How to Care for Grass in the Summer
  6. The Best Products for Growing Grass
  7. When to Cut a Lawn After the Seed Heads Emerge
  8. When Do You Mulch When Mowing the Lawn?
  9. Mowing the Lawn After Seeding
  10. How to Fertilize the Grass After Mowing It
  11. Mowing Lawn Heights for Winter
  12. Mulching the Lawn Vs. Bagging the Grass

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