A beautiful lawn needs regular care in order to withstand greater stress. Cutting the green area is an essential part of lawn care. Everyone has to decide for themselves whether to mow or mulch their lawn.
Cost and time involved in lawn mowing
When mowing the lawn, grass clippings inevitably accumulate. The green waste can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Anyone who wants to mulch their vegetable beds, for example, will benefit in any case. Otherwise, the grass clippings must be disposed of. Smaller quantities can be disposed of on a compost heap; larger quantities must be taken to a public composting site.
Public composting sites are not necessarily free of charge. The effort involved in disposing of green waste is considerably more expensive and time-consuming. Not every town has such composting sites, which often means longer journeys are necessary. Therefore, the cost and time factors involved in lawn mowing are significantly higher than with mulching.
Benefits for the lawn through mulching
A common argument against mulching is so-called lawn thatch. This is a layer of dead grass and roots as well as other organic matter that accumulates on the soil. Over time, this layer becomes intertwined with the blades of grass, creating a felt-like layer on the surface.
When mulching, it may seem likely that lawn thatch forms much more quickly if the green waste is not removed. However, long-term studies have shown that the opposite is the case. In principle, no lawn is spared from lawn thatch. Every lawn should therefore be scarified regularly. Mulching promotes certain more resilient types of grass, which also means that lawn thatch does not develop as quickly.
Another advantage of mulching is not only the significant savings in time and costs, but also the later supply of nutrients to the green area. As the green waste decomposes, nutrients automatically return to the soil and nourish the lawn. This means there is no need to buy fertilizers,
Suitable equipment for mowing and mulching
There are different types of equipment for mowing and mulching. Basically, a distinction can be made between pure lawn mowers and mulching mowers. However, lawn mowers are often equipped with their own mulching function, allowing either mulching or the collection of green waste.
Maintenance of difficult areas
Mulching is also used in agriculture. Special mulching mowers for tractors are used for this. Mulching is carried out primarily in areas that are difficult to maintain or are currently not being used, in order to prevent scrub encroachment.
