If you haven't shopped for lawn mowers lately, you're in for a real treat. Today's technology-driven mulch mowers serve several purposes in one pass. Here's the latest info on why you should be mulching as well as what to look for when evaluating mulching lawn mowers.
Lawn Care: Why You Should Be Mulching
If Mother Nature could talk, she'd tell you to mulch your lawn. The benefits are undeniable, and the latest lawn mowers do all of the work. Mulching literally recycles your lawn back into itself, encouraging both durability and renewability.
- For the Health of Soil. In the unmulched lawn, grass blades are unable to use the top two or three inches of soil due to compaction. When grass blades are cut up and deposited on the surface, root systems actually grow into the new layer and promote fertility.
- For the Death of Weeds. A mulched layer enhances microbiotic activity, the primary inhibitor of weed formation. Organic matter is passed directly to grass root systems and allows them to overtake weed colonies.
The 411 on Mulching Lawn Mowers
Despite the name, mulching mowers don't actually create mulch. Rather, they leave a layer of compost down behind them that is comprised of grass clippings. While this might sound insignificant, it's precisely this layer of clippings which hold the benefits. Not to mention the fact that you don't have to bag and dispose of grass clippings, or even move them to a compost pile.
If you're in the market for a mulching mower, choose one that leaves a fine grain of clipping onto the lawn. Blade power is everything with respect to mulching, so forego a wider blade for a model with higher revolutions per minute if money is an issue.
Kelly Richardson has obsessive compulsive lawn disorder and is
afflicted with the need to share his knowledge with the world. Kelly
writes lawn columns for a variety of home and garden magazines and
e-zines.
