There are three different things a lawn mower can do with your grass while cutting the lawn. Mower either collect clippings in a bag, mulch grass clippings, or discharge the clippings onto your lawn. Some mowers are designed for just one of those three options, while others can switch between them.
The choice between mulching, bagging or discharging your grass clippings isn’t just a question of what’s easiest for you or which looks best on your lawn. It’s actually going to affect your grass health as well.
Mulching: Your All-Around Best Choice
A mulching mower features specially designed cutting decks and blades that chop your grass clippings into tiny pieces. The blades have curves and bends in them that throw clippings around in the mowing deck so they’re cut several times before falling back down on the lawn. Some mulching mowers also have deeper cutting decks to help channel the clippings back over the blades so they’re chopped up finely.
Mulching has several advantages over bagging and discharge. Grass clippings contain nutrients and moisture, so returning them to the lawn instead of bagging them helps nourish your lawn and cuts down on fertilizer and watering costs. That gives you the advantages of composting your grass clippings without the extra work.
Unlike with a discharge mower, mulching means you won’t have unsightly rows of cut grass to rake-out after mowing. Some clumping can occur with mulching mowers. However, it’s rarely noticeable if you mow on a regular schedule and only remove the recommended 1/3 of the grass height each mowing.
Bagging: Advantages In Certain Conditions
Bagging lawn mowers are popular because they let you collect grass clippings rather than leaving them visible on your lawn. Some homeowners use them to increase curb appeal. But you still have to do something with the clippings.
Simply throwing grass clippings in the trash wastes nutrients your yard could use and contributes to landfill waste. If you are going to bag healthy grass, it’s a good idea to reuse the clippings by composting them. Then you can use the compost on garden beds or to fertilize the lawn.
The only time you should definitely bag your grass clippings is if there’s a disease in your lawn. Mulching diseased grass or using a discharge mower can spread the fungus around your lawn. You should start bagging clippings from diseased areas of the lawn as soon as you notice a problem. And don’t compost those clippings – they go in the trash.
Discharging: Why Some People Prefer It
For some situations, people prefer mowers that offer a discharge option. In mowers that aren’t specifically designed with a deep cutting deck for mulching, using the mulching option can clog up the deck and compromise cutting quality. Side discharge is also best if you have to tackle an overgrown lawn. Overgrown grass blades quickly fill up a bagging mower and they make a mulching mower work harder, which puts a strain on the engine.
Whichever your preference, Richardson Saw & Lawnmower carries a mower that will work for you. Many of our mowers give you the option to convert between mulching, bagging, and discharge so you can switch depending on your needs. Come visit us to check out the different options available and talk with our equipment experts. We can answer your questions about the different mowers and help you find the best one for your lawn or business.
