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Newly cut grass as a mulch?

Jules41Jules41 Posts: 178
in Problem solving
Hello
Is it sensible to use newly-cut grass as a mulch for borders? I'm just wondering if it would encourage fungus / disease? 😕

Posts

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Alys Fowler says it's great.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I personally wouldn't - it would become a big slimy solid lump here. It's the reason I don't leave it on the grass either. I also think it looks awful.

    However, other do leave it. It's  a personal choice  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Alys says to use only a thin layer so it dries out quickly and doesn't get slimy.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    If we get two or three dry days in a row - even in summer- we think all our Christmasses have come at once.
    Wet ground, lots of rain and grass clippings don't work.

    It depends entirely on your own conditions, although my reason for not doing it would mainly be for aesthetics. Ornamental borders would look awful.   Personal choice - as I said.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    I use it as a mulch around my veg and berries.  It's a lot dryer here.. but I did the same thing when I lived in the U.K. (although it was probably about 30% moss in with the fresh grass clippings).  Keep it around 3 inches deep and away from the stem, and it does an excellent job.  Worms and critters love the soil cover, and it's soon gone.. and you'll have to top it up again.  Leaves chopped up with grass clippings are the best.. top everything up in the fall and spring as you mow them up.
    Utah, USA.
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    I used tonnes of it on a new bed of really poor soil, then covered it with a thick layer of manure and compost which suppressed any weed seedlings tempted to germinate, so it was sort of more an ‘under mulch’ or soil conditioner. This also stopped it going slimy in the rain, a happy accident rather than design, the grass clippings looked messy so I covered them up!

    However, this was a good season before I planted anything and by the time I was planting it was all well rotted down. If your grass is more weeds than grass like mine, I wouldn’t use it as a top mulch because I would be scared of the weed invasion that would be unleashed...
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    A grass clipping & wood chip mix are great for making lasagna
  • Jules41Jules41 Posts: 178
    Thanks everyone - great advice. I just need to get out and start mowing ...
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