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Don Vandervort, Head Homeboy, has written more than 30 DIY home improvement books, been a segment host on HGTV, served as MSN.com's home improvement expert and written countless magazine articles.
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Mulching Mowers Make Sense |
Everyone wants to do something good for the environment, and the new breed of yard equipment that allows you to recycle debris right in your own backyard makes it easy. If your local garbage service doesn't accept lawn clippings or leaves anymore, these new tools will help you avoid paying extra fees for disposal. Of course, the idea behind recycling is that your lawn clippings and leaves are not debris at all but a valuable organic resource that should be put back into the soil to help build a healthy lawn and garden. The most popular piece of lawn-care equipment is the walk-behind mower. More than 85 percent are now labeled as "mulching mowers" to respond to the public's environmental concerns.
Mulching mowers—like food processors for your lawn—use a special blade and enclosed deck to slice up your grass clippings (and dried leaves) numerous times before depositing them back deep into the turf, where they decompose in a few days. The result, if conditions are right and the mower is designed well, is a clean, vacuumed appearance without any unsightly clumps or hedgerows of grass. And don't worry about creating thatch. Thatch is not made up of dead grass blades left on the lawn but excess surface roots caused by overwatering and overfertilizing.
Using a mulching mower saves in several ways. It saves time, since you don't have to repeatedly stop the mower to empty and reattach the bag. It saves money, since the nitrogen in the clippings fertilizes the lawn, reducing the amount of supplemental fertilizer you have to apply. And it leaves more room in your local landfill for real garbage.
Courtesy Toro Wheel Horse Tractors & Riding Mowers
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