When it comes to grass clippings, there are often debates over whether or not they should be left on your lawn. However, if it is the summer, and the weather is dry, it is something we would recommend doing.
This is because it is beneficial for the grass. As the grass begins to decompose, it actually releases nutrients that help to feed and fuel the lawn. This is great news as it means that your lawn will remain fresh and healthy.
Even so, when the grass clippings are on the lawn after they have been cut, they do not always look pleasant. Given this, you may be wondering how long they will stay on the grass before they decompose completely.
In this article, we will be talking you through exactly how long it takes for the grass clippings to decompose. In addition to this, we will be discussing whether or not the clippings can be used for composts, and how you can make them decompose quicker.
How long does it take for grass clippings to decompose?
When grass has been clipped, it is no longer attached to its roots, which means that it is eventually going to decompose. If you are someone that takes regular care of your lawn, then you will know how beneficial it is to leave the grass clippings on top of the grass.
However, once the grass has been freshly cut, often the lawn clippings can look unsightly. This is why many people choose to remove them and use them for compost, or will recycle them instead. However, where possible, you should keep them on the grass.
It is only natural to wonder how long the grass clippings will take to decompose, as they do seem to sit on top of the grass for some time. On average, the grass clippings will take up to a month to decompose, though the process can take as little as three weeks in the correct weather conditions.
While this may seem as though it is a long time, this is fairly quick, and it is unlikely that you will see the entire decomposition process. This is because the final stages of the decomposition will happen when the grass clippings are close to the soil and roots.
Given this, the grass clippings may even appear to have decomposed after around one or two weeks.
If you have added grass clippings to compost, it is worth noting that the decomposition process does take far longer. Composting is a slower process in general, so the extended decomposition time is understandable.
When you have cut your lawn, the grass clippings do tend to clump together.
If you are placing them into compost, or throwing them away, then it is fine to keep them in these clumps. However, if you are keeping the grass clippings on the lawn, they should be spread out evenly.
This will help to prevent any suffocation of the lawn, and it will also encourage the grass clippings to decompose at a quicker rate. Given that nutrients are released during the decomposition process, the more grass that is covered with the cut grass, the better.
Is rotted grass a good compost?
As we have already touched upon, grass clippings can certainly be used within compost. While they may not be the best option to use on their own, they are great when added to compost.
While it is a great option to add to existing compost, it is worth noting that it does not have all of the nutrients needed. While grass clippings do contain carbon and nitrogen, it is only around 50% of the amount that is needed for good compost.
As a result of this, you will want to add other materials to the compost at the same time, such as sawdust and straw, to make up the other 50%. The fresher the cut grass is, the more nutrients it will contain, and the more useful it will be, which is worth keeping in mind.
How do you make grass clippings decompose faster?
The decomposition process of grass clippings typically will take around one month to complete fully. However, in certain circumstances this can happen in around 3 weeks.
When it comes to the grass clippings decomposing on the lawn, we would recommend that you allow this to happen naturally, rather than interfering with it. This will allow the nutrients from the cut grass to seep into the soil at a slow and steady pace, which is beneficial for the grass.
However, when it comes to using the grass clippings for composting purposes, it is only natural to want to speed up the decomposition process given that it can take a few months to complete.
There are a few different methods you can use to speed up this process. The best way to do this naturally is to add soil and shredded leaves to the grass, this can encourage it to break down at a quicker rate.
You will also want to wet the compost slightly, as this will encourage the decomposition process to speed up slightly. You do not want to use too much water however, as this can hinder the process.
If these methods are still providing slower results, you can choose to use a compost accelerator. This can be added to the grass clippings and the other materials that are being turned into compost. It is fairly easy to do and will speed up the process slightly.
While the results will not be seen instantaneously, they do help to improve the speed of the decomposition significantly.
Summary
We hope that you have found this article insightful and useful. As you can see, it only takes around one month for grass clippings to decompose when spread out on grass, which is a fairly short time.
However, because the last half of the process happens close to the soil, it will only seem like it is around two weeks for the grass cuttings to decompose.
