Lawn Clippings

[Ron9514]

I'm new at this game folks so I need your help. I bag a lot of the the lawns I do. I live in Southeast Alabama where there in nothing but caly and sand for soil. I know there must be a way to compost the clippings and sell to farmers or gardners for fertilizer. has any one done this or tried it Please any in put would help.<img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle>

[Leone Lawn]

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geez why in the world would u bag its such a waste of time just mulch it or side discharge it. I only bag if im cleaning up leaves. and thats only if the customer demands it. I dont offer it to any of my customers

Leone Lawn

[GrassMaster]

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Hello:

This bagging is still a Problem for Certain Areas of the Country!

Here in Coulmbus, Georgia you Bag all Lawns or you don't get much business! I have a few Commercial Cutters that will use Bagger & have Mulching Blades on it, but if the Customer finds out, they Probably Loose the Account!

This Town is a 250,000 Pop in the City Limits. 7 Years ago over 90% of the Lawn Companies used nothing but 21" Walk Behinds. A True Fact! Honest you would see Trucks & Trailers with up to 8 21" Snappers or Toros on them & they would have up to 5 guys with them. I thought it was Funny. But Still a lot of Customers want only 21" Mowers only to cut the Lawn.

Yes, it doesn't make sense but it takes Years to Convert Folks over to Different things!

The Customer has to be Educated & It's Our Job to do it, but it takes Time!

My Step Father has over 3 1/2 acres of Bahia Grass, it would take him any where from 6 to 10 hours to bag it only. I tried for years to get him to get ZTR, he said no way?

I finally talked him into it, He has ZTR with Gator Blades & he Loves it, but it took about 4 years to change his mind!

<b>GrassMaster
Lawn Care Service Business Resources
Click here PM to the Forum Administrator</b>

[Larkspur Garden]

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Hi Ron9514, I agree with Leone Lawn, it is a waste of time to bag grass. I too live in the southeast and know how sandy and clay packed the soil can be. Grass clippings when left on the lawn provide not only a source of nitrogen to the lawn, but also organic matter that will over time improve the soil and the health and appearance of the turf. It is best that you use a mulching mower to mulch the clippings. The problem with mulching in the south is that the grass grows 90 to nothing! Grass has to be cut a lot more frequently in order to maintain it correctly and to avoid clumps of grass clippings. The best thing to do is to evaluate you mowing schedules so that you are taking only 1/3 of the grass blade off at any mowing. One of the biggest problems I see companies doing is mowing grass too short! This puts stress on a lawn and creates problems down the line. Try a mulching mower on well kept lawns. If there are clumps left here or there, rake them and pick them up. On tall lawns you may need to bag the first time and then maintain a steady schedule after that. As far as composting, it is fairly easy to do but it is time consuming. It takes about a year with a standard compost bin to produce finished compost. It also takes a little bit of work as you must turn the compost in order for it to break down properly. the internet has several good websites on composting as well as your local library. Composting is never a bad idea. It helps amend soil, recycles plant debris, and reduces your time and energy trying to find out what to do with all those bagged clippings. I agree also with Admin.-Customer education is a must in this business. Do a little research on your field and let those customers know what you know. Hope this helps.
Lara-Larkspur Garden designs