More on Grass Clippings as Mulch

The sign still stands: Wanted, Grass Clippings [drop off here!]

Since the last batch of deliveries, I’ve had a few friendly neighbors stop by with small deliveries of their fresh clippings. This afternoon I came home to five bags full of the sweet stuff. My hope is that I can meet some of these nice folks, and strike up a partnership that will net me their clippings, and give them some fresh veggies.

I don’t want to take down the sign, for fear my supply will dry up, even though I already have more clippings than I can use. This afternoon I took the whole pile of new deliveries and spread it out on the grass to the left of the Suburban Farm. My intent is to create an addition to the bed over the course of the season by suffocating the grass below. Hopefully next spring I can turn it under and have a fresh bed to grow more goodies. As I continue to receive deliveries–I may have to pull the sign by July or early August–I’ll pile them next to the shed as a second compost heap.

I felt like a farmer, using my pitchfork to tear and fluff those piles of grass. It smelled like sweet, wet hay, and I really dug and struggled to spread everything out. For a moment I thought, “what have I gotten myself into?” I have committed to a huge swath of grass clippings just lying on my lawn. Not the typical thing you’ll find in most well-manicured suburban yards. But, as I reiterated today to my grass-loving neighbor, I don’t care very much about the yard. I’d rather use the space to grow good things to eat.

More to come as I see what happens to this self-composting bed of clippings.