Wacky question about grass clipping mulch!

[BigBrownDogHouse]

Thanks for all the helpful insight...Good stuff!

No worries!
With this drought, I haven't cut the grass in over a month. It's nothing more than a crunchy wasteland right now.

[FIT BMX]

Same here in KS. I don't mow the grass theses days, now I mow dirt!

[BigBrownDogHouse]

Here's my front lawn that at one time I was using for mulch.

[tam91]

That looks all too familiar. This is just ridiculous.

[BLTLOVER]

Believe it or not we actually got some rain here in eastern Iowa yesterday and a 30% chance for rain again today. I may have to mow one more time this summer.

[tam91]

We got a little bit last night/this morning. Finally. Doubt it was even an inch though, but I'll take it!

[babice]

Originally Posted by BLTLOVER

Believe it or not we actually got some rain here in eastern Iowa yesterday and a 30% chance for rain again today. I may have to mow one more time this summer.

Man! That musta been isolated! We got nothing here. BBDH - are you sure you didn't take a pic of MY lawn and post it up there? Ah - well. I'm not much worried 'bout the lawn. Hoping the trees'll make it thru the drought. I have never had to water my trees. Thinking about it now! I have an Ash I don't want to lose and also a couple of Japanese Maples, a Tulip and a Honeysuckle Tree I would rather not lose. If I sacrifice it will be the others.

[BigBrownDogHouse]

To clear up any confusion, I never used any grass clippings of grass treated with anything. That would have been before I applied any fertilizer or weed killer.
The back was always the safe grass. I never applied anything back there over all the years we lived here because of the doggers.
That was much more naturally lush and thick and deep green anyway.

I wasn't watering any of our lawn and now they put us on a watering ban so the grass won't be getting green anytime soon. Maybe some sprinkles in a couple days but that won't do much. One forecast has us at 100 today.

I wonder if the grass will come back at all this year. Last Fall I loaded the gardens up with clippings and leaves and pine needles and turned everything over.
Right now many trees are already dropping their leaves and needles and there isn't any grass for clippings in site.

It will be a bit different than last Fall this year!

[docgipe]

Ya'all have some bragging matters showing. I still always have that doubt in my mind over the claim that a tomato made seven pounds growing in a fence row in a bunch of wild litter. If someone else could just get close I'd button up my lips on the matter. ])

[docgipe]

Another lesson I learned about grass clippings. I now never take any grass clippings when Dandelion is in seed head. Nice thing about this is that the seed head time overlaps the broad leaf killer 2 4D applications I also avoid.

The gathering up of fall leaves is far safer than messing with other peoples grass. The real rotted and composted values are close enough to each other to call them the same. My flower beds have been under three to four inches of ground up wood for over fifty years. The soil has never been turned except to plant new plants. I add two or three inches every two or three years. Present cost in our Northcentral Pennsylvania area for twice ground wood is $25.00 a cubic yard with five or more yards delivered free. So called mushroom compost is only a dollar a cubic yard more. It however rots into real compost much faster than ground wood. The source is horse manure and barn bedding used in the production of mushrooms.

[BigBrownDogHouse]

Originally Posted by TheLoneTomatillo

Apologies, BigBrownDogHouse.

No worries!

Originally I had always used my grass clippings from the front lawn. This Spring, my front yard really needed a boost with some fertilizer and some weed killer. I'm not much of a lawn guy.
So once I treated, I wasn't going to use the front yard clippings anymore.

My back lawn was so nice and thick and had never had any chemicals on it besides nature dog fertilizer. That was my concern.

Doesn't matter now......both front and back are dead.
It's so dry, my white pines and birch have already dropped needles and leaves. I might just rake them up and toss them in the garden to try and hold some moisture when I water.

Getting by with whatever we can this Summer.

[Lidspinner]

my sister is a vet tech...mind you that is NOT a vet so she is not well versed in all things like a true vet would be....but she get on me all the time because I do the exact same thing as you...I use grass clippings as a mulch bed for a midseason mulch......then late season I use my compost which is leaves and grass mixed and the spring gets a good layer of pure compost that has sat all winter comprised of grass,leaves, and kitchen waste.....

I have never had a problem and I have been doing this for about 10 years.....but to the people who have been educated in this matter will tell you different....I ask my vet almost every year, even different vets if we see a different one and they all have said the exact same thing, do not use the grass clippings....to much of a risk. LIke I said, I have never had an issue and I have a small backyard that 3 dogs share pooping spots in.....however I do mix the clippings from the front yard and back yard together so maybe that helps thin out the bad clippings......I would say go for it but do not go for it unless you are 100% comfortable with the results.....I did tons and tons of reading and I have found that the risk is minimal as long as you dont have actually big fresh turds floating around in your clippings....still a risk, but its minimized some if you have little to no fresh poop in there.....

I try not to let to many things come between me and me getting a good tomato crop, not even a little dog feces....hahahhaa