Grass clippings for veg. garden?

Michakav

Is it ok to use grass clippings tilled into the soil? Or should they only be used as a mulch?

Planting season is still 7-8 wks. off. Is that enough time for the grass to break down?

DoctorWho

I like to do thus, take all manner of clippings and veggie remains, anything plant like, and combine with manure, horse & cow, and make a pile, wet it down well, mix with soil, and cover it completely with black plastic film, the sun speeds decomposition and in a week or three, you have good fertilizer, add earthworms from a bait store.

Use cement blocks and plastic to prevent run off of liquids, or use a large plastic wading pool.

Teach

Load the clippings into black, heavy-duty trash bags and seal 'em up tight. Left out in the sun for a couple of weeks, they'll turn into a reasonable facsimilie of cow flop. Then till it into the garden!
Jerry

NN

The guy across the street grows a winter cover crop of rye grass, mows it in spring, and tills it in; but, does not add other grass clippings. There is a weed danger adding unmulched grass clippings. He has used chopped up leaves, but, just once. He has used dog poo from the dog pen, that was too much fertilizer.

He has a very productive garden.

ghostsniper1

Using them as mulch will cause the soil to retain moisture just as any wood mulch would which can be good depending on what your cultivating beneath it. On the other hand, being tilled into the soil provides a low percentage of nitrogen which can also be usefull. Just depends on your soil, fertilizer, available light and plant needs.

Michakav

Thanks guys. I do believe i will just use the clippings for mulch. I usually use a cheap wood mulch, but then I have to rake it all up at the end instead of just tilling it in.

Make_My_Day

While using grass clippings for mulch can provide a garden with some extra nitrogen as fertilizer, it will also put weed seeds from your lawn into the garden, so unless you want to spend all your time pulling weeds out of the garden, I would recommend against using grass clippings.

DoctorWho

That is why a compost heap is so much better.

DoctorWho

Bag your yard ? oh Poo poo !!!

Grass clippings ? Poo poo !

That was funny.. :jester:

Funny ? oh poo poo

Make_My_Day

cpj wrote: »

ive used clippings fkr years and have not had an issue with weeds popping up. I will say the guy that bringss them to me is pretty pickyy about his yard and spends alot of time keeping it weed free.

I agree...if the yard is weed-free, then you don't have that problem. Of course, if you compost the clippings, it will generate enough heat in the compost pile, the heat will sterilize any seeds in there.

Bakerman

Deep mulch of grass clipings in the vege garden in the heat of the south can bring fungus to the vegetables.

DoctorWho

Bakerman wrote: »

Deep mulch of grass clipings in the vege garden in the heat of the south can bring fungus to the vegetables.

That is why you compost everything, then seeds and yuck are all converted into good stuff.

Michakav

Change of plans. I have re-bagged the clippings and am going to let them "ferment" for a few weeks. Then I will till them in.

Using the wood mulch to stop weeds has worked out very well for me. Plus it looks and smells much better.