The Riff-Raff Element Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 The time of year has been reached when I once again have anembarassment of grass clippings. I have been able to incorporatelimited amounts into composting in the past, but the balance alwaysends up in an ever-growing pile in one corner of the garden.I am always reluctant to take any potentially useful organic waste tothe décheterie, so I would be very keen to learn of some otheruse. I had thought about using them a mulch around potato plants - hasanyone ever tried this, and if so, did it work well? Are there anyother uses that they could be put to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gollum Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 You can use grass clippings to mulch pretty much anything -- my Dad simply spreads his around flowers, shrubs, whatever, and they all do extremely well. They should be particularly useful around any foliage plants or green veg (cabbages, lettuce) since they are high in nitrogen. Alternatively you could take off the mower collector and just spread the clippings back onto the lawn to feed the worms & the grass, so long as the grass you're cutting isn't too long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Katie Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 And what if there are weeds in them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jc Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 Compost them!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted April 22, 2006 Author Share Posted April 22, 2006 Thanks for the replies. The problem, JC, with composting them is that apoint is reached when I have insufficient other material to mix themwith. Then they just form a dense, slimy layer in the compost heap (Icall this a "Gummer" layer after one of my favourite politicos) anddon't decompose further.I don't think that weed clippings should present any problems provided that the weeds were not in seed when cut. I think what I am going to try based on Golem's dad's idea is use themto mulch the spuds and then incorporate them into the soil as I moundup. Hopefully they will improve the soil as well as acting as a mulch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saddie Posted April 22, 2006 Share Posted April 22, 2006 If you use grass cuttings as a mulch don't let them actually touch the plants. They heat up as they break down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hastobe Posted April 22, 2006 Share Posted April 22, 2006 If you interleave the grass clippings with old newspaper then that will stop them going slimy.Hastobe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted April 22, 2006 Share Posted April 22, 2006 If you grew your potatoes the way I do, on top of the ground covered in straw, you can then use the grass cuttings to put around the plants after they have pushed through and then keep this going. This prevents the light reaching the spuds and conserves moisture.I really recommend this method, nice clean spuds, no digging and I have found that it increases yield. Potatoes don't actually grow in the ground to any depth and will often grow naturally half in and half out of the soil.Try it, even if you only make a small test patch the first time.Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted April 23, 2006 Author Share Posted April 23, 2006 Thanks again for the further suggestions - I shall certainly try thenewspaper idea and shall be careful not to scorch my precious potatoes(precious to me anyway - I can never get over how much food stuff it ispossible to produce from a small, unpromising looking, piece of ground).Chris - I've come across the no-dig approach and have heard similargood reports about it. All my seed potatoes are in the ground, but Iwill give it try next year. The piece of ground I use as a vegetablepatch was previously a vinyard (not one worth keeping) and the soil wasin a dreadful state, so I've spent the last few years improving it bydigging in as much organic matter as I can. The deep cultivation neededfor the traditional growing of potatoes has been very helpful in this,but I reckon the ground is good enough now to try a method involving abit less effort! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted May 17, 2006 Share Posted May 17, 2006 My maincrops are about 6 inches up and around now - is it to late to put straw around them, i.e. are they supposed to grow through the straw, or do you just chuck it on top when they first appear, or do you place it carefully around them? I've got a load of straw bales to get rid of - how deep do you put it?Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MargaretD Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 I'm increasing the number of compost heaps i've got going this year, and mixing the grass cuttings with shredded paper. I've also soaked a few cardboard boxes in water and put that in as well. But the temperature is hotter than I've ever known before(in the compost heap), I've turned the first complete mixture, started six to seven weeks ago, a few times, and I think it might almost be ready! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty Korrigan Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Hello, For most of my clients with 'nicer' lawns I use a set of mulching blades on my mowers. These are double blades basicaly and cut grass much finer and so it tends to decompose quicker and drop ito the grass without rotting on top of it.They cost me 80euros a set so I never use them on bumpy lawns or first time cuts as they are so expensive to replace.The plus side is that I don't have to lift the cuttings so saving the client money and the cuttings are very good for the soil creating a positive thatch that holds in moisture whilst adding nutrients.You do need a powerfull mower and in the wet it can clog easily but it is a 'green' way to go.Composting clippings on mass can cause anaerobic decomposition through lack of air thus creating a slimey morass so the simple addition of anything else that can add oxygen from turning the pile (hard work) to adding sand and other varied organic materials.As for using as a mulch... fine generally but I would avoid potatoes as they are at risk from the phytophora fungus (blight) which may be encouraged by rotting materials. Turning any heap and adding a variety of other materials possibly the best way to ensure good decomposition.I also mulch hedge cuttings but with a set of normal blades. This works very well indeed for incorporating into the heap with grass. Oh I do love compost!I even collect my own urine to act as an accelerator but don't tell my girlfriend.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pads Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Hello I use my grass clippings as a mulch around almost everything as it helps to keep the weeds down in the beds plus it keeps the moisture in the soil when it gets hot, also I have chickens so i let them play in it before i compost it as they help to break it down. have a ask around neighbours friends who dont have lawns they might want some to add to there compost?( im assuming everyone in the world compost) if you have some where where you can dry it out in the sun it can then be used under strawberry plants and flooring for pet cages, in fact im just off to publish 101 things to do with grass clippings there has to be a book in this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! happy gardening Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 So what you are all saying is when I mow around my veggie patch filled wiht lettuces, I should really take of the grass box and let it blast all over the lettuces? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris pp Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 The straw / grass method for potatoes is so simple and effective that I can't really understand why it isn't the "norm".Scuff the soil a little, don't dig.Either place the seed potatoes on the surface or just make small hollows for them.Cover with straw to a height of about 20 or 30 centimetres.When the potato plants push through by about 15 centimetres, stuff grass cuttings or more straw round them leaving the top leaves showing.Steal young potatoes by pulling the straw back, and / or harvest by removing straw, you may have to rummage around a bit as some of the potatoes will be just in the soil.I only grow organically, no big surprise there, I never have any pest or disease problems that I can't deal with easily, unlike it would seem all the people who reach for the chemicals, but there can be no half measures and creating the environment may take a few years. Blight is airborne and arrives with periods of cold rain and heavy overcast skies, rather like we have at present in some parts of France. There is no strictly organic means to deal with this and Bordeaux Mixture is the only means to deal with it, the main argument against Bordeaux Mixture was the possibility of copper toxicity in the soil, only really likely to occur in intensive agricultural systems with no rotation. Most soils that have had crops grown on them for the last 50 years are in fact copper deficient at best.If you haven't tried growing your spuds this way, give it a go, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pads Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 no dont let is fly all over your lettuce because, as the grass dies it will stick to the leaves and mark them , instead gently place it around the base, but dont let it touch the lettuce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 Thank you PadsNotes taken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 ChrisFollowing an earlier post of yours on the subject I'm trying your mulch method on the potatoes - unfortunately they were already planted and growing away when you wrote about it, so I'm just doing the mulhcing part - next year I'll try the surface planting as well. Thanks for the tip.Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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