When mowing the grass it's better to mulch the grass instead of bagging the grass as the mulched grass can keep your lawn healthy and provide needed nutrients.
Mulching is good for your lawn as the mulched grass clippings provide nutrients to the soil and grass.
As the mulched grass clippings break down they release potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus which are essential nutrients for the lawn that it needs to stay healthy.
Things you should not do when mowing the lawn are mow too often, don't cut the grass too short, don't cut wet grass, don't mow the same way every time and instead alternate the pattern, don't mow with dull mower blades, don't make the rows too far apart and don't bag the grass and instead mulch the grass as you mow.
You should cut your grass or mow your grass as often as weekly although some lawns may need cut a few times a week.
Some lawns also grow more slowly and may only need cut every few weeks.
When the grass starts to grow and you notice the grass getting taller then you should mow it before it gets too tall as shorter grass is easier to cut than longer grass.
You should leave the grass clippings on the grass in the summer when the grass is growing slower and in the spring when the grass is growing faster it's better to bag the grass clippings.
You should not mow when it's been super dry and cooler than 50 F or after it's rained heavily and the grass has become wet.
Or if there's moisture on the grass such as from dew then you should wait until the grass dries out before mowing.
Also if it's very hot out you should wait until it's cooler to mow the lawn.
Grass clippings will sometimes grow weeds if there are weed seeds in the grass clippings.
However regular grass clippings without grass seeds will actually help prevent weeds as the grass clippings can suppress weeds and stop weed growth in the lawn or garden and garden beds.
Grass clippings do keep weeds down in the lawn as well as in raised gardens and gardens.
The grass clippings suppress weeds and reduce soil compaction and also adds nutrients for the plants and grass.
If the grass clippings are short it's better to leave the grass clippings on the lawn instead of removing them as leaving the grass clippings on the lawn helps to work as fertilizer and helps the grass grow healthier and better.
However for longer and thicker grass clippings it's better to remove those grass clippings as long and thick grass clippings could smother the grass.
Lime does break down grass clippings as lime assists the good bacteria and fungi when breaking down dead plant matter including grass clippings.
Lime is also a natural food for the friendly microbes and works very well when working in conjunction with compost.
The fastest way to break down grass clippings is to compost them by turning them over in a pile and also by correctly balancing the nitrogen carbon mix and ensuring the moisture levels stay spot on by keeping the composted grass aerated.
You can add leaf layers to the grass piles and sprinkle water onto the grass pile and turn the pile of grass regularly.
Grass clippings in the lawn take around 2 weeks to 4 weeks to decompose in the lawn.
Most grass clippings will decompose in the lawn within a few weeks and if you compost grass in a pile and turn it regularly then it will turn into compost in a couple months.
It is good to spread grass clippings on the lawn as long as the grass clippings are not too long.
The grass clippings are a great source of nutrients for your lawn and the grass clippings will fertilize the lawn.
After mowing the best thing to do with cut grass after mowing is to leave the grass clippings on the lawn.
The grass clippings left on the lawn will work as natural fertilizer for the grass which helps the grass stay green and healthy.
However if the grass clippings are very long then they should be removed as the longer grass clippings left on the lawn take longer to decompose and could smother the grass below it.
But smaller grass clippings are safe to leave on the lawn.
As a general rule, grass clippings of an inch or less in length can be left on your lawn where they will filter down to the soil surface and decompose quickly.
Remove longer clippings because they can shade or smother grass beneath causing lawn damage.
Don't throw out bagged grass clippings as yard waste.
Cut your lawn to possibly the shortest height you have all season.
The ideal height is around 2 1/2 inches.
Cut it too low and the grass might not be long enough to photosynthesize and provide nutrients to the roots.
Too high and the frost might become matted after a snowfall.
Normally, weekly mowing is the rule, but some lawns need cutting more often.
Other lawns will grow more slowly and might need cutting only once every ten days or two weeks.
Generally, don't cut off more than one third of the grass blade.
As summer temperatures rise grass will grow more slowly and your mowing frequency will decrease.
During those hot summer days, leaving grass clippings behind creates a kind of mulch that helps maintain moisture in the soil.
If you leave short clippings on your lawn after mowing, they'll vanish within a few weeks.
And if you add your grass clippings to a carefully maintained compost pile, expect them to become a soil supplement in a few months.
Grass can seed itself if it is allowed to grow tall enough to produce stems and flowers.
Most lawn grasses that are mowed frequently do not get to produce any flowers and so do not seed themselves.
A few grass varieties, however, produce seeds from side shoots and will seed themselves even when mowed to a short height.