I have a lot of bags of cut grass that's just been sitting in a pile. Is
any of it good for fertilizing a vegetable garden? Thanks.


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"jm" wrote in message
news:3JGec.121323$w54.847853@attbi_s01...
I have a lot of bags of cut grass that's just been sitting in a pile.
Is
any of it good for fertilizing a vegetable garden? Thanks.

It makes great mulch -- as long as it wasn't sprayed with weed killer.


Ray

"Ray Drouillard" wrote in message
...

"jm" wrote in message
news:3JGec.121323$w54.847853@attbi_s01...
I have a lot of bags of cut grass that's just been sitting in a pile.
Is
any of it good for fertilizing a vegetable garden? Thanks.

It makes great mulch -- as long as it wasn't sprayed with weed killer.


Ray

Does mulch mean I can mix it up in the soil before I plant the seeds? How
long does it have to sit around before I can use it?


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Version: 6.0.655 / Virus Database: 420 - Release Date: 4/8/2004

On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 20:54:08 -0400, "Ray Drouillard"
wrote:


"jm" wrote in message
news:3JGec.121323$w54.847853@attbi_s01...
I have a lot of bags of cut grass that's just been sitting in a pile.
Is
any of it good for fertilizing a vegetable garden? Thanks.

It makes great mulch -- as long as it wasn't sprayed with weed killer.


Ray



uh.. how long has it been sitting there? It's going to ferment and be
stinky.. but yup you can use it, but be prepared to cover it with
something else, if nothing more than dirt... I'd layer it in with
other material from week to week depending on its state of dryness or
liquidity.

Janice

On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 02:18:24 GMT, "jm"
wrote:


"Ray Drouillard" wrote in message
...

"jm" wrote in message
news:3JGec.121323$w54.847853@attbi_s01...
I have a lot of bags of cut grass that's just been sitting in a pile.
Is
any of it good for fertilizing a vegetable garden? Thanks.

It makes great mulch -- as long as it wasn't sprayed with weed killer.


Ray

Does mulch mean I can mix it up in the soil before I plant the seeds? How
long does it have to sit around before I can use it?


Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.655 / Virus Database: 420 - Release Date: 4/8/2004

Mulch is on top of the ground stuff. Say you mow the lawn, you have
some plants up and growing in the garden, they're watered but not
soggy, you'd take the grass clippings and spread them out between the
plants, an inch or three thick and as you get more, you continue from
where you left off until you get they areas you want mulched covered
then start over at the other end again where the first layer has
packed, decayed, and pulled down by worms.. just layer it on and move
on.

You dig compost in, the remains after you have stacked stuff in the
compost bin and it's broken down to a nice black crumbly lookin'
stuff. But even that you don't need to work it in too far, most of
the fertility in soil is in the top few inches. Extreme example
would be rain forests that pretty much kind of sit on top of the soil
and live from the nutrients in the top few inches of leaf litter
that's decayed over the years.

Janice

il Tue, 13 Apr 2004 02:18:24 GMT, "jm" ha scritto:

Does mulch mean I can mix it up in the soil before I plant the seeds? How
long does it have to sit around before I can use it?

Grass clippings will remove a lot of the nitrogen from the soil to
help it break down. Sounds like if it's in bags you may be making
silage...
--
Cheers,
Loki [ Brevity is the soul of wit. W.Shakespeare ]

Loki wrote:

il Tue, 13 Apr 2004 02:18:24 GMT, "jm" ha scritto:



Does mulch mean I can mix it up in the soil before I plant the seeds? How
long does it have to sit around before I can use it?



Grass clippings will remove a lot of the nitrogen from the soil to
help it break down. Sounds like if it's in bags you may be making
silage...


Are you sure of that? My understanding (and experience) is that grass
clippings will add nitrogen to
the soil. I used fresh clippings on tomatoes many years ago and I had
giant plants with few fruit.
Also, they matted down a lot and I had trouble with blossom end rot.

--
Frederick Theilig

http://members.cox.net/ftheilig
"Impermanent are all created things. Strive on mindfully."

"Fred Theilig" wrote in message
news:Fo_gc.7553$2e6.638@lakeread01...

Loki wrote:

il Tue, 13 Apr 2004 02:18:24 GMT, "jm" ha scritto:


Does mulch mean I can mix it up in the soil before I plant the seeds?
How
long does it have to sit around before I can use it?


Grass clippings will remove a lot of the nitrogen from the soil to
help it break down. Sounds like if it's in bags you may be making
silage...

Are you sure of that? My understanding (and experience) is that grass
clippings will add nitrogen to
the soil. I used fresh clippings on tomatoes many years ago and I had
giant plants with few fruit.
Also, they matted down a lot and I had trouble with blossom end rot.


If you use lots of nitrogen fertilizer on your grass, finding some in
the clippings wouldn't be unexpected.


Ray

il Mon, 19 Apr 2004 20:45:39 -0400, Fred Theilig ha scritto:

Grass clippings will remove a lot of the nitrogen from the soil to
help it break down. Sounds like if it's in bags you may be making
silage...


Are you sure of that? My understanding (and experience) is that grass
clippings will add nitrogen to
the soil. I used fresh clippings on tomatoes many years ago and I had
giant plants with few fruit.
Also, they matted down a lot and I had trouble with blossom end rot.

To break down they need the nitrogen, but once it's broken down I
guess it's back. Blossom end rot seems to be due to an inconsistency
of moisture. If mulch prevents water actually reaching the soil, then
it's a problem I guess. Even loose soil on top can be a mulch by
breaking the capillary action.
--
Cheers,
Loki [ Brevity is the soul of wit. W.Shakespeare ]

writes:

Are you sure of that? My understanding (and experience) is that grass
clippings will add nitrogen to
the soil. I used fresh clippings on tomatoes many years ago and I had
giant plants with few fruit.
Also, they matted down a lot and I had trouble with blossom end rot.

Wow. You all have given me something to think about!

I have in past years loaded my garden with aged horse manure and
surrounded my plants with fresh grass clippings for mulch. It has worked
very well in the past, huge plants and mighty good bearing as well on
everything. (BTW, my clippings did not mat but composted providing heat
to the soil and helping retain moisture, showing, once again, mileage does
vary.)

This year, I may not be able to get the *good* manure as in the past and
it seemed best to do something else just to get it done. Though the
garden would probably produce well just on the *leftovers* from years
past, today I asked my favorite nursery person what to do.

He told me that horse manure puts *too much* nitrogen into the soil and
that he doesn't like it for that reason. He advised me to put a handful
of sweet lime at the bottom of each tomato hole and then throw in a some
of the fish fertilizer they use at the greenhouse (no chemicals, all
organic). Now tonight I read that grass clippings rob nitrogen. If that
is true, perhaps the grass clippings I used for mulch balanced the horse
manure. Then you say the clippings add nitrogen. confused sigh

On the other hand, many sources have told me that barkdust will rob the
soil of nitrogen as it breaks down, and it's better not to use bark dust
on rhodies since they are surface feeders.

I seem to have been better off without knowing anything and just digging
in the manure, mulching, watering, and enjoying the harvest!

Glenna
just call me confused!

"Loki" wrote in message ...
il Mon, 19 Apr 2004 20:45:39 -0400, Fred Theilig ha scritto:

Grass clippings will remove a lot of the nitrogen from the soil to
help it break down. Sounds like if it's in bags you may be making
silage...


Are you sure of that? My understanding (and experience) is that grass
clippings will add nitrogen to
the soil. I used fresh clippings on tomatoes many years ago and I had
giant plants with few fruit.
Also, they matted down a lot and I had trouble with blossom end rot.

To break down they need the nitrogen, but once it's broken down I
guess it's back.

It's a matter of balancing the scales. If the decomposing material
contains enough nitrogen, it uses it for breaking down into compost.
If it doesn't have enough, it will pull nitrogen from a convient
source(soil, other material, fertilizer, etc.). End product compost
will be nitrogen neutral or positive depending on how much was
available during the process.

Blossom end rot seems to be due to an inconsistency of moisture.

Blossom end rot is caused by a lack of calcium. It can be added back
to the soil or by spraying. But you're on the right track - lots of
moisture can flush the calcium from the soil resulting in blossom end
rot.

Bob