Grass Clippings

[Tomatoe]

Howdy folks.

Would I be better using grass clippings as a mulch around plants/veg or mixing into my compost bin (dalek type 3/4 full).

Or if you loverly lot have any alternative suggestions I am all ears !

[roitelet]

They make a good mulch just don't put them on too thick as they will heat up. 2 inches maximum at one time then they can be topped up later.

[Penellype]

They are great for compost too as long as you mix them in. They help the heap to heat up and therefore rot down faster. An idea of how much heat is produced by grass cuttings - I have a hotbin which has been running at around 30C all winter with no grass added. Yesterday I mowed my lawn and added around a bucketful of grass clippings to the hotbin along with some other stuff, and mixed it in. the temperature 24 hrs later is 45C.

[jacob]

I tend to mulch with my grass clippings. In my cold compost heaps I get irritated by grass breaking down slowly.

[kathyd]

I spread 2-3 layers of junk mail or newspaper and top with 1-2" grass clippings as a mulch - last ages and keeps weeds down really well .

[veggiechicken]

I put them in the chicken run and let them do the composting.. When the run is cleaned out, everything goes into the compost heap.
Ignore this suggestion if you don't have chooks

[busman43]

Could I use a layer of grass cuttings in my new raised veg plot. Layer of clippings then top up with soil/compost?

[alldigging]

I've done that with potatoes - spread a layer put the spuds on and then covered up with seem soil and then mulched with the grass on top. Got some nice potatoes from there.

[kathyd]

I read somewhere that putting a bit of grass into planting holes for spuds helps stops scab

[PyreneesPlot]

I mulch with them and have seen far more bird-eating-slug activity then before because (I assume) the slugs hide under the mulch rather than dug into the ground and can be mor easily found. I do my whole veg garden and all the new trees and hedges. We even bring back grass from clients' gardens after we've cut theirs!

[mothhawk]

The first cut or two goes in the dalek as I have a lot of pretty speedwell in the grass, and I don't want those seeds germinating in a mulch. After that clippings generally go under the raspberries and other shrubs.

[Jonny.D]

I added grass clippings to the rhubarb patch last year, the rhubarb did not like this, removed the grass and all was well again.

[Tomatoe]

So many suggestions! Thank you all for taking the time to reply

[mothhawk]

I added grass clippings to the rhubarb patch last year, the rhubarb did not like this, removed the grass and all was well again.

Oh, that must be why one of my rhubarbs didn't do well then. It's close to the raspberries, so I chucked some clippings around it too. Thanks Jonny, won't do that again.