Grass clippings as mulch

[JackCity63]

Hi, I searched a little bit and was not able to find an answer. Do you think it would be a good idea to keep my grass clippings as mulch to put around the plants. I read that it is good for keeping weeds down, and it is also a good source of nitrogen and potassium.

 

[Build]

They're great mulch that breaks down fairly quickly into nutrients. Be sure you aren't mowing any mature seed stalks into it. You don't want to add to grass to the hop beds. Adding compost to the grass or visa versa, helps to break down quicker. You basically want a somewhat balance of brown and green colored organics.

 

[BrewerE]

I've used it for years in my garden.
Don't use clippings that have been recently weed sprayed though.
Also don't want to put it on TOO thick because those things get HOT when they start to break down.
A good layer will last all season.

 

[willnewton]

Some folks call this "green manure". Just spread it around the crowns, not over them. If you have a weedy yard, you may end up with a weedy hop bed.

 

[Spartan300man]

I first put my grass clippings in an existing compost pile. I mix them around and get them somewhat converted to actual compost/dirt before I put them on any of my plants or in my garden. I have found that grass sometimes gets clumpy, moldy, and doesn't decompose as well without several turns, and I don't want to be upsetting the roots or risking damage to the plants doing any turning. So, getting it started in a separate area, then transferring it over when I know it is ready has been a winner for me.

I have a couple plastic trash cans with lids, I drilled 1/2" holes all around the sides for some air flow. I fill that with leaves and grass clippings and some compost, a little water. Every few days I lay I them on their sides and roll them around, put some more water in there. If I come across any worms, I'll throw them in there too. The speed to get grass clippings turned into excellent compost dirt has been twice as fast as a compost pile.

 

[jleiii]

...
Don't use clippings that have been recently weed sprayed though.
...

I would avoid grass that gets weed or insect killer used on it if you are using it around veggies or hops. Our local composting facility refuses ANY grass due to chemical use.

When I had a big veggie garden years ago I spread newspaper over the space between rows, and covered it with grass clippings. It worked very well, and decomposed nicely.