Big lawn - a lot of grass to dump ??

BrentMaster

Hi,

I have a 1 acre property and half of it is a lawn, which I mow with a ride-on in less than an hour as it used to take me 2 full days with a push one.

The issue now is that I have heaps of grass and can't dump it anywhere except for an area in the garden corner. I don't really like this as it does not create a nice picture but maybe others with big lawns might let me know what they do with their cut-off grass afterwards?

I live in Kilcullen area and not sure if there is a place you can take this too?

Wishbone Ash

I envy you - I have a postage stamp.

You could plant a short hedge in one corner and dump the grass behind it where it won't be seen.

Sonnenblumen

Mowers with mulching function avoids problems of dealing with grass cuttings, otherwise plan to do more frequent cutting (and shorter cuts) which will allow you to leave cuttings on lawn surface. Good source of nutrients for lawn during the milder months and offers some protection in the off season.

Accumulating grass cuttings in a screened corner can be messy, try to mix with other cut (shrub/tree/hedge) material. Produces very good compost material (eventually), whereas grass only can be a smelly slimey mess the best of times, but with so much space available to you, you do not have such concerns.

kikel

Agree with Sonnenblumen. Cut more frequently and you won't notice the clippings lying on top

Jambo

BrentMaster,
My folks have just over 1 acre of lawn and over the years we have grown some very big leylandies ( not sure of the spelling ) and created a kind of no mans land between the garden and bounds . the grass was + is been dumped behind these and eventuall over time it decomposes without been unsightley .. Only thing make sure you have some good drainage where ur dumping the grass as this did lead to a few problems with us.

Avns1s

angel_of_death wrote:

BrentMaster,
My folks have just over 1 acre of lawn and over the years we have grown some very big leylandies ( not sure of the spelling ) and created a kind of no mans land between the garden and bounds . the grass was + is been dumped behind these and eventuall over time it decomposes without been unsightley .. Only thing make sure you have some good drainage where ur dumping the grass as this did lead to a few problems with us.

I work my lawn the same as this. Use the compost once a year on flowerbeds etc. Clears the space for the following seasons cutting. I cut well over 1/2 acre like this. No probs except the biut on the drainage.

Misty Moon

There is a compost accelerator you can buy for grass - can't remember the name though, buy it in Woodies, it's an organic one in a light green bottle with a white label iirc. You mix it with water and pour it over the compost heap. It's good stuff - helps to cut down on the slimy, smelly aspect of having mostly grass in your compost heap.

Irish Gardener

Ah, the eternal question of how to dipose of grass clippings.
Just tipping them in a corner seems a good idea but they are slow to break down.
An excess of wetness or dryness slows down the green matter decomposition process greatly
Because grass clippings are so high in water content they are very slow and messy compost makers.
If you wish to go down the route of composting (or heaping up) the clippings, then I suggest adding plenty of fibre and carbon to the mix.
Shake on and incorparate plenty of any of this type of material shredded newspaper & cardboard, leaves, chopped up woody prunings, sawdust and fine wood shavings or chips.
All of these help to open up the mix and absorb excess moisture
Additions of topsoil to the grass clipping heap will also help prevent you creating a mini silage pit.

dools

FYI, we got a newsletter to inform us that the Bring Centre/Recycling Facility in Coolock is now accepting garden waste/cuttings. They are running it on a trial basis

http://www.dublinwaste.ie/bring_bank.php?fac_pid=16

D

BrentMaster

thanks to all for your expert advice, I will definitely try out a few things.

Cheers

Jambo

Irish Gardener,
Sorrry for maybe steling this tpoic but I think i'll be passing on your idea to my folks aswell as using it myself !

Irish Gardener wrote:

Ah, the eternal question of how to dipose of grass clippings.
Just tipping them in a corner seems a good idea but they are slow to break down.
An excess of wetness or dryness slows down the green matter decomposition process greatly
Because grass clippings are so high in water content they are very slow and messy compost makers.
If you wish to go down the route of composting (or heaping up) the clippings, then I suggest adding plenty of fibre and carbon to the mix.
Shake on and incorparate plenty of any of this type of material shredded newspaper & cardboard, leaves, chopped up woody prunings, sawdust and fine wood shavings or chips.
All of these help to open up the mix and absorb excess moisture
Additions of topsoil to the grass clipping heap will also help prevent you creating a mini silage pit.

Irish Gardener

No problem angel_of_death.
Go forth and compost.

darkbeatz

I read a post on this before and I remember a poster saying they put the grass in to fields with cows in it with permission of the farmer...

Alun

Irish Gardener wrote:

If you wish to go down the route of composting (or heaping up) the clippings, then I suggest adding plenty of fibre and carbon to the mix. Shake on and incorparate plenty of any of this type of material shredded newspaper & cardboard, leaves, chopped up woody prunings, sawdust and fine wood shavings or chips.

I can second this. I generate a lot of wood shavings / sawdust (I'm a woodturner) and I layer my grass cuttings together with the wood shavings in an open leaf composter (not a closed composting bin). No smells or general nastiness yet, and it seems to be composting down nicely. Come autumn when we do the annual prune-back, I'll chop up everything in the shredder and mix this in as well.

Irish Gardener

darkbeatz wrote:

I read a post on this before and I remember a poster saying they put the grass in to fields with cows in it with permission of the farmer...

Sounds good in theory darkbeatz.
However, lush fresh grass clippings can cause bloat and an excess build up of grass gases in cattle. They barely even have to chew!
Its the same as a beer lover being given free access to the beer taps in a pub, he'd have some beer belly bloat at the end of it.

So I suggest not feeding the mowings to cattle, if you do be prepared to duck and cover as their belly swells.