However, that will not be the case with you because, in this section, we are going to discuss the difference between a mulching mower and a regular mower to help you make an informed decision. One of the main differences between a mulching lawn mower and a regular mower is the blade shape. A mulching mower blade is usually more curved than a regular mower blade. This design difference enables the mulching lawnmower to keep grass clippings circulating on the mower deck, allowing the blade to cut them over and over again until they are smaller and finer.
On the other hand, the regular lawnmower has larger blades that only cut the grass once. As such, the clippings are larger and easily detectable. Regular lawn mowers blades are commonly referred to as 2 in 1 blade because they perform two tasks, including grass clipping and filling them in a collection bag. On the other hand, mulching blades and often referred to as 3 in 1 blade because they can perform three functions, including grass clipping, chopping of the mulch into finer mulch, and forcing them into the lawn.
Regular mowing blades are also referred to as high lift blades because they are designed to create high lift that lifts the grass clippings up then directs them into the discharge bag. On the other hand, a mulching blade usually creates a flowing air stream that directs grass clippings back to the blade where they are cut over and over again until they are smaller and finer before being forced into the lawn.
Mulching mower blades and more curved hence not ideal for one-directional lift. They are designed to keep the grass clipping in the mower deck for repeated cutting instead of sending them to the collection bag as it is the case with regular mowing blades.
This means that mulching lawn mowing blades are not efficient in discharging as it is the case with regular lawnmowers. The deck design of a mulching lawn mower differs from that of a regular lawn mower. The deck design of a mulching mower is a bit wider, a factor that allows it to keep the grass circulating around the blade for finer cuts. They are also higher and more domed than regular mower decks, a feature that allows air to flow more freely.
Some mulching lawn mower decks have baffles that direct air and grass clippings for optimal air circulation on the deck. On the other hand, regular lawn mower deck design is much lower and flat, a feature that allows the grass clippings to be discharged upwards and outwards. The mulching lawn mower will cut grass clipping into smaller pieces where they will decompose fast and add nutrients to the soil. If you live in a municipality that charges extra fees to landfill yard waste, mulching will also save you money.
Clumps are ugly, and when left on the surface of the turfgrass, clumps also can damage the plant underneath. Fortunately, Honda makes it easy to avoid clumping. Smaller clippings fall more rapidly to the soil surface and are less likely to clump.
The smaller the clipping, the better your lawn will look. Honda's exclusive twin blade systems cut grass clippings into tiny pieces. The blades make not one, but two cuts along each blade of grass.
This results in smaller pieces that naturally mulch better. Some people may be reluctant to mulch grass clippings because they do not want to promote the buildup of thatch.
Thatch is formed when the roots, stems, leaves and other parts of the grass build up faster than they decompose. This is a common problem. Before you rush out to purchase a mower that mulches, there are a few things you need to consider as mulching may not always be the best option. Continue reading to learn more about mulching and some of the issues and circumstances when cutting-and-collecting the cuttings may be a better option. I will discuss more about the types of mulching mower options later in this article.
As the name would imply, a mower that has the ability to mulch is optimal for mulching your lawn. It is built in such a way as to allow grass clippings to filter back into the base of the turf, instead of collecting them in a grass collection b ox.
The best mulching mowers will cut the grass more finely and push it back into the soil more effectively. When using a traditional cut-and-collect mower, the grass is cut once and forced through the grass collection chute into the collection bag. Now, imagine the chute is blocked using a mulching plug and the cuttings are spinning around and around in the deck of the mower. This cycle continues until the grass cuttings are so small they are pushed out from the bottom of the mower and deep down into the lawn.
A mulching mower is like a big kitchen blender chopping the grass cuttings into increasingly smaller pieces. Why is this important? The smaller the cuttings, the quicker they will decompose down releasing the nutrients and moisture into the lawn. Having small cuttings also ensures that they are able to find their way deeper into the lawn and are not picked up on shoes or bare feet and transferred to paths and into the house.
Remember, the longer the grass the more work the mower has to do to cut the clippings into smaller pieces. Only ever cut one third off the length of your lawn to ensure your mulching mower is not given too much to do and starts to clog up and push clumps of grass cuttings into the lawn, as with all lawn mowers regardless whether you are mulching or not.
Not letting your lawn grow too long and following a frequent cutting programme is always a good idea when mulching any lawn. It is worth noting that even if you are cutting and collecting, this rule will also apply in order to maintain a healthy lawn.
The goal of mulching is to improve soil quality. It is able to do this in many ways, ranging from keeping the soil cool to adding nutrients back into the soil, retaining moisture during hotter periods and keeping it fertile and healthy during wetter periods, the latter of which is obviously quite important for UK lawn owners. The simple answer is yes! For decades golf clubs have been cutting the fairways and greens without collecting the grass cuttings. This is the same method as mulching your lawn.
We would all love a lawn that looks as good as a golf course green, so what better recommendation for mulching than this? Obtaining a green lush lawn can be time consuming and costly. Many gardeners have given up and have outsourced the task to a lawn maintenance company who will periodically treat their lawn with chemicals. Mulching allows you to cut your lawn as normal but saving time collecting and emptying the grass cuttings whilst organically fertilising feeding and protecting your lawn from dry periods, moss, thatch, pests and disease.
The small particles of grass are forced deep down into your lawn where they decompose within a short period of time an d release nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphate.
These nutrients are then transferred into the soil via micro-organisms organically fertilising your lawn without you having to use expensive lawn services or costly synthetic fer tilisers. Mulching is also pet and child friendly unlike synthetic fertilisers.
There are myths suggesting that mulching can cause thatch or moss in your lawn; this is simply not true. So yes, there is no disputing it, mulchi ng is extr emely good for the health and condition of your lawn. Knowing when it is the right time to mulch your lawn is important. We need to remember what we have learnt about mulching so far to know when it is the best time to mulch.
As I said above a mulching mower is like a big kitchen blender and needs the grass cuttings to fly around the deck to cut them smaller and smaller. If the lawn is wet or very damp, the mulching mower, and any mower for that matter, will start to clog up and will NOT be able to freely disperse the cuttings resulting in clumps of grass being deposited on the lawn not good.
In this situation it would be best to let the grass dry out for a day or two, or simply cut and collect th e cuttings on this occasion. This is the main reason I believe a mower that can both cut-and-collect and mulch is a better option for gardeners here in the UK.
You will have the ability to adjust your cutting method based on the weather conditions. Mulching is best carried out when the lawn is relatively short and dry.
This means you will need to follow a regular mowing schedule as you are only ever going to cut one third of the grass at any one time more about how often you need to mulch later. If you let your lawn grow longer for several weeks before cutting, then perhaps mulching is not the best option for you. Having said that, we know that cutting the lawn too short also contributes to issues. Blades of grass need to absorb as much light and nutrients as possible to keep in reserve for more challenging growing conditions such as dry periods.
It would be better to deal with the weed issue first before mulching as you are simply going to spread the weed problem, alternatively use cut-and-collect until the weed issue is resolved. The same is true if you have a thatch or moss issue in your lawn, mulching may exacerbate the problem, so again, resolve the issue first before mulching. So by having a mower that allows you to both mulch and cut-and-collect gives you the best of both worlds and ensures you always have a great looking lawn.
At the end of this article I have listed my top mowers that have the added ability to mulch the lawn. With its numerous sharp edges, a mulching blade is able to chop grass clippings as they fly in the air flow under the mower deck. The design of a mulching mower's deck also helps it keep grass clippings circulating around the blade.
Some mulching mower decks are higher and more deeply domed than standard mower decks, giving clippings more room to move in the air flow under the mulching mower decks. Also, some mulching mower decks are equipped with baffles that channel and direct clippings and air for optimal air-stream circulation under the decks. On some models, the baffles are adjustable, allowing the mulching mowers to be switched between mulching and discharge modes.
Because the design innovations that give a mulching mower the ability to reduce grass clippings to a tiny size are focused on keeping the clippings under the deck as long as possible, a mulching mower isn't as good as a standard mower at moving clippings from under its deck.
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