"lbbss" wrote in message
...
I like the idea of using grass clippings as mulch around my
tomatoes, black
berries, grapes, and fruit trees. I am just not sure if that is
recommended or a good idea? I want to find a cheap way to prevent
weeds
from growing and keep the ground moist.
I heard that the grass clippings can spread disease to the
vegetables.
My dad found the clipping breeding some kind long centipede insect
in the
grass.


I use grass clippings all the time without incident. The key is to use
a layer thick enough to inhibit weeds but not so thick that it
decomposes into a slimy mess. About one inch at a time is my
recommendation. With this, even freshly cut grass can be used. You'll
have to renew it several times over the summer, as grass decomposes.
Earthworms love it - when I dig where I've mulched I always find an
abundance of earthworms.

Guy Bradley
Chesterfield MO
zone 6

Wouldn't it be better to allow the grass clippings to lie on the lawn
and fertilize the grass, and use something else on the garden?

vince norris

writes:
Wouldn't it be better to allow the grass clippings to lie on the lawn
and fertilize the grass, and use something else on the garden?

vince norris

Guess that depends on priorities. I don't care for the extra clippings
(even mulched) on the grass when they can be in the garden doing some real
good. I see no sense in buying for the garden when I have all that
terrific mulch!

To each his/her own. :-)

And, no, I do not fertilize the lawn. There's enough clippings that
escape the bag to take care of that over the mowing season.

Additionally, leaving grass clippings on the lawn can also cause problems
depending on the lawn, the clippings, the soil, and the circumstances.

'Sides, there ain't nuthin' good as dem grass clippings around my 'maters
and peppers! Frankly, there is nothing else to mulch with that will
produce the heat and retain the moisture like the clippings do for me.
Some have said they get weeds which makes me wonder what they are doing.
My lawn doesn't get long enough to go to seed so there is not a weed
problem. In fact, I've had fewer weeds since starting this as they don't
get a chance to grow and the seeds seem to be going to the great beyond.
By the time any weeds have enough sunlight to grow in the late fall, they
don't make it through the winter. Score one more for grass clippings. :-)

Right now, I'm just beginning to plant and there are very few weeds in my
garden; that was not so several years ago. *And* I do very little weeding
through the season, no need to. This year there will be even less as I am
putting geotextile woven between the tomato rows and perhaps other rows as
well.

Glenna

On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 12:22:48 -0400, "lbbss" wrote:

I like the idea of using grass clippings as mulch around my tomatoes, black
berries, grapes, and fruit trees. I am just not sure if that is
recommended or a good idea? I want to find a cheap way to prevent weeds
from growing and keep the ground moist.
I heard that the grass clippings can spread disease to the vegetables.
My dad found the clipping breeding some kind long centipede insect in the
grass.

We used to put down grass clippings around plants as we got more and
more. Dad mowed the church grounds so we always had lots of grass
clippings and one day we decided to eat dinner before unloading the
trailer and it was steaming/smoking before we got back out an hour
later perhaps, it was charcoaled in the middle and got the pitchfork
tines hot enough to scorch my skin when I bumped it into it. That was
when I learned that green vegetation piled up heats .. I was about 14
and I figured out why there were so many haystack fires.. stacking it
too soon.. not dried enough..

Anyway, we didn't have much trouble with it causing too much growth
from the nitrogen as after the first bunch of grass spread out between
the plants and it dried to a tanish brown shortly after It's spread
out. The point is not to put it down thick enough that it heats.
Older grass shields the newer grass and the nitrogen it might
contain.. I mention this because someone was concerned it may have too
much nitrogen.

The only thing you can do is try it on part of a planting, try
something else in another spot. I know Do not put fresh wood shavings
down ;-)

The main problems we had with using any kind of mulch was that the
slug population exploded. The little reddish centipedes are predators
and your friend. Same for the fast moving ground beetles! The ground
beetles supposedly eat slugs!

If you have some kids around and ponds with toad tadpoles, get a bunch
when they grow their last legs and start hopping out of the water.
Bring a bunch home and put them in your garden, supply them with
shallow pans sunk in the ground up to the rim.. of NON CHLORINATED
water .. put some water in a bucket and let it set Uncovered for 24
hours.and use that.. and just provide them with a little rock to climb
up on and water to keep moist as they make their transition to out of
water full time. Provide hiding places all over the yard, broken pots
turned on their side if the rest of the shell is rounded.. to provide
the toads houses.. a few might stay around and they'll eat slugs and
other bugs!

Janice

I have been mulching my garden with fresh grass clippings for over 15
years and never had any problems whatsoever. When I first put them down
in the spring, I use about a 4"- 8" layer around everything. By the end
of the day, or the end of the next (depending on what time I mow,) the
clippings have dried out and the layer has reduced to about half of what
it was when fresh. They do not decompose quickly enough to release
enough nitrogen to cause burning problems. As the season progresses, I
just replace what has decomposed. I have even used them when they were
full of weed seeds, such as dandelion, and haven't had any weed
problems. They mat down as they dry and hold water in nicely. As far as
pests using the clippings for cover or clippings causing diseases, I
have not had a problem with either. In my opinion, grass clippings are
the perfect mulch...with one caveat:

When using grass clippings is that you don't want to use them from a
lawn that has weed killer used on it. The grass will pick up the
chemicals and as the clippings decompose in your garden, the chemicals
will be left. It would be better to compost clippings that come from a
non organic yard so that the chemicals have the chance to break down
before being used in your garden.

All that said, I have found that using grass clippings as a mulch varies
from gardener to gardener, as the number of postings show. I say try it
out on your garden to see if it will work for you. If you have concerns
about any damage or pest problems they might cause, experiment in a
small section of your garden. After all, isn't experimenting what
gardening is all about?