Should You Catch or Mulch When Mowing?

How you mow your grass can make or break the health and appearance of your lawn. While many homeowners think that mowing’s all about convenience, there’s actually more to it than just that, and deciding what to do with grass clippings is just one consideration.

There are pros and cons to each method, so which is the better option for you? Here, we’ll walk you through the reasons why you may choose to mulch and why you may choose to catch, with insight from your local Jim’s Mowing experts.

What’s What

First thing’s first – let’s break down what these terms mean:

• Mulching: Means leaving grass clippings on the lawn after mowing. 
• Catching: Using an attachment on your lawn mower to contain or ‘catch’ clippings to be disposed of elsewhere.

The most-asked questions we see on this topic are around what to do with lawn clippings, whether or not it’s good to mow a lawn without a catcher, and if grass clippings are good for a lawn. The answers to these will depend a lot on your gardening style and your lawn’s needs, so here are the main points to know for and against each option.

Mulching

Pros of mulching

• When you use grass clippings as mulch, your lawn will benefit from the nitrogen in the clippings, which act as a natural fertiliser. In fact, recycling clippings back into the lawn can make up 25% of its annual nitrogen needs.
• This method also means there is no waste that needs to be taken away once the job’s done, you can just leave the clippings in place to do their work.

Cons of mulching

• If you like the look of a clean-cut lawn, clipping left on top can interrupt the aesthetic.
• Overly long or wet grass clippings can be problematic for a number of reasons; long clippings will take a lot of time to break down, and damp clippings can be a slipping hazard.

Mulching tips

If you want to give mulching a go, we’ve got a few tips to help you and your lawn out. 

Use Mulch Pluggers

Some mowers have special mulch pluggers that will cut the clippings up nice and small before spreading. If you can’t get your hands on a mulching lawn mower, just make sure the clippings hitting your lawn aren’t too big. Thick grasses can also be tough for your mower or mulch plugger to get through, so keep an ear out for any laborious sounds and take this as a sign to slow down.

Mulch in Dry Weather

You should also only use grass clippings as mulch in dry weather to prevent clumping, and to save your mower and blades from having to work overtime.

Avoid With Pesticides, Fungicides or Herbicides

Avoid mulching altogether if you’ve applied pesticide, fungicide, or herbicide to your lawn in the last three months to prevent excess product leeching into and contaminating your yard. It’s also a good idea to avoid mulching if you’ve noticed weeds popping up in your lawn, since spreading clippings could also mean inadvertently spreading the unwanted seeds, too.

Catching

Pros of catching

• Catching picks up all the waste, all the grass, and keeps lawns looking neat and tidy.
• On the neatness front, catching also makes it less likely for excess grass to be picked up on your feet and walked through the house.

Cons of catching

• You’ll need to dispose of the grass cuttings that are collected in the catcher, which could come at a cost
• As you will be removing the clippings, this method of mowing can take longer than mulching.

Jim’s Advice

There are pros and cons to each choice, and at the end of the day, choosing whether to mulch or catch when mowing your lawn will come down to what works best for you. At Jim’s Mowing, your local experts are always available to offer lawn care advice, as well as mowing, aeration, dethatching, and a whole rake of other services. If you need a hand getting your yard in shape, contact us to speak with a garden pro.