Easily Protect Your Seedlings With The Help Of Snipped Grass

Disposing of grass clippings after mowing the lawn is essentially throwing away free lawn fertilizer. It's also tossing mulch that can help your yard in other ways. In addition to discouraging weeds from taking over your garden, grass-clipping mulch can help young plants flourish. First of all, it helps keep seeds in place when wind threatens to blow them away and water tries to carry them elsewhere. As a result, they can put down roots in an environment you've tailored to their needs. Second, the clippings regulate the soil's moisture and temperature, especially around plant roots. This can prevent sensitive seedlings from succumbing to hot temperatures or drying out between waterings. Third, snipped grass breaks down quickly, enriching the soil with plant-nourishing nitrogen and improving its texture. A light layer of clippings is all your seedlings need. Aim for ¼ inch to reap the benefits while minimizing the risk of foul-smelling rot.

When using fresh grass clippings to support seedling growth, make sure they haven't formed a heavy mat that might crush the plants or deprive them of sunlight and oxygen. Break up any clumps and let moisture evaporate from the clippings before scattering them over seedlings or freshly planted seeds. Clippings that are an inch or shorter are least likely to form clumps and most likely to decompose fast. You can also control weeds better when you mow your grass to the right height. If the grass bits are longer than an inch apiece, they're better suited for a compost pile. You shouldn't use your clippings as mulch or compost fodder if they're diseased or if they've recently received an herbicidal treatment.

Grass clippings don't have to be fresh and green to help young plants thrive. Brown, dried-out grass can be applied to planting sites in thicker layers than fresh clippings. This may reduce the number of times you need to re-apply mulch. As the dried clippings decompose, they add carbon to soil. Carbon feeds young plants' nutrients that makes them grow. It also helps them survive when water shortages, severe weather, and other stressors threaten their existence. Plus, it makes soil hospitable to microorganisms that support plant growth. 

Dried grass clippings are also a great way to prepare planter boxes for seedlings. For example, you can side-dress seedlings with these clippings to give them a nutrient boost. Or, try layering them with logs to create nutrient-rich soil in a raised garden bed. In addition to acting as natural fertilizer, the grass clippings will help keep water from pooling in the garden, a problem that promotes root rot and other fungal ailments. 

Fresh grass clippings may also be used for filling raised beds. Much like they would in a compost pile, they add nitrogen that heats up decomposing materials, aiding the breakdown process and beckoning beneficial microbes. If you incorporate fresh clippings in this way, mix them with dried leaves, wood chips, or other high-carbon organic materials that are suitable for a compost pile. The carbon-rich ingredients promote airflow, which keeps odors and moisture levels in check while delivering oxygen to the bacteria assisting the decomposition process. This entire process results in rich, well-draining soil that's perfect for plants that are just starting to grow.