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lostsoul62

mulching the lawn

lostsoul62
10 years ago

I just bought a house here in Arkansas and I mowed the lawn short for my dog and I found over an inch of dead grass because the owner before me just mulch the lawn and never rack it. I find it hard that much dead grass can be good for the lawn?

Comments (2)

  • dchall_san_antonio
    10 years ago

    There are many reasons to have a layer of dead grass. If you take care of the grass properly, you should not have that issue again.

    Mulch mowing is a good idea because it returns valuable nitrogen to the soil. Raking is usually not necessary because a healthy soil will decompose the grass clippings as long as they are short enough to decompose. If you only mow once a month or so, the grass clippings will be too big to filter down to the soil.

    Mowing the grass short is not usually a good idea. There are only three grasses that should be mowed low. Those are bermuda, centipede, and creeping bentgrass. Zoysia may be mowed low but the others really should be mowed low. But if you were going to mow low, this time of year has the fewest bad consequences.

    Do you know what kind of grass you have? I'm guessing it is fescue or Kentucky bluegrass.

    The reasons lawns develop a thatch ("dead grass") layer is usually due to frequent watering and frequent fertilizing. I have seen turf where the entire plant, roots and all, were on top of the soil because the owner watered twice a day, every day. The roots didn't need soil to get moisture. But he was permanently bound to his grass, because if he left town for even half a day, the grass would die from dehydration. It is much better to water deeply (1 inch at a time) and infrequently (monthly in the cool months and up to weekly in the hottest heat of summer). Here is a chart I made that will drive some people crazy but it might be helpful to others.

    {{gwi:119028}}

    It says you water more frequently as the temperatures climb, but you never get to watering daily. And at least at first, water a full inch unless you know you can go the duration with less than an inch. I have a lawn in 80% shade that only needs 5/8-inch per week in the normal heat of summer. Watch your grass for signs it needs water. That will help keep thatch from forming.

    Mow most grasses at or near the mower's highest setting for best drought resistance and control of weeds.

    Fertilize with chemical 3x per year: once in the late spring, once in early fall, and again in late fall. Fertilize with organic fertilizer any time you want to.

  • andy10917
    10 years ago

    While people confuse thatch with mowed lawn clippings, it's a big mistake. Thatch is a tangled mess of stemmy stuff that does not break down easily, and is worsened by the bad practices that David outlined. Clippings and dead grass blades break down relatively quickly.

    Mowing lawns to a low height (unless it's a type like David listed as low-mowing) will often make the problem worse.