How to Mulch Vegetables With Grass Clippings

Grass clippings make an effective and cheap mulch for the home vegetable garden. Grass adds valuable nutrients, particularly nitrogen, to the soil, helps repel weeds and conserves soil moisture. There are a few things, though, to keep in mind when using grass clippings as mulch. Avoid grass clippings gathered from lawns that have been treated with fertilizers or herbicides within the last month, and do not use crabgrass or grasses that have seed heads.

Things You'll Need

• Grass clippings

Show More

Instructions

1. • 1

     Apply a 1/4-inch layer of grass clippings around your vegetable plants. Fresh grass clippings have a tendency to heat up and emit foul odors if applied too thickly.

   • 2

     Allow the grass clippings to dry out for a few days, then add another 1/4-inch layer of clippings.

   • 3

     Continue to apply 1/4-inch layers of grass clippings after the previous layer dries until you have created a 1- to 2-inch layer of mulch.

   • 4

     Replenish the grass clippings as they decompose, still applying only a 1/4-inch layer at a time.