Mulching vs Bagging vs Side Discharge - Which is Best & Why to help your Lawn
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ย. 2024
- Beginners guide to lawn mowing Mulching vs Bagging vs Side Discharge. Understand the pros and cons to each method and which one is right for you to handle your grass clippings and benefit your lawn.
I cover Lawn Bagging, Mulching & Side Discharge and the pros and cons to each and help you choose the one that is right for you.
Disclaimer:
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Due to factors beyond the control of Silver Cymbal, I cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. Silver Cymbal assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. Silver Cymbal recommends safe practices when working on machines and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of Silver Cymbal, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Silver Cymbal.
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I don't know what I would do without the specific and detailed visual and verbal instructions I can get on you tube. My parents taught me nothing about lawns or lawn equipment. This video helps me see I mad a good choice in mowers! Hey Thanks !!
I really appreciate the nice comment and glad my videos can help. As many as I make I watch others to learn all the time too.
Exactly the info I was looking for. I'm starting a lawn renovation myself and have never bagged over the seasons. While my yard looks nice and green, it's mostly from the weeds, that leave me a brown muddy mess in the winter. This season I thought about bagging to stop weed spreading and it seems like the right call. I find myself doing a ton of raking to pull up the mess left from the summer in the spring and fall, so until my yard gets more lush, bagging it is.
Thank you for the objectivity. I like being able to make my own choice. So many people make videos saying their way is the best way yet, you present the options allowing people to choose what's best for them. I'll keep bagging. Thanks.
You prolly dont give a damn but does anybody know a method to get back into an Instagram account?
I stupidly forgot the account password. I would love any help you can offer me!
@Gael Trenton instablaster ;)
Also, if you are dealing with some fungus or disease, when you are mulching you are spreading that fungus and disease throughout your yard. When you bag you are taking that disease out of your yard. Sure it won't get rid of the fungus or disease, but at least you are not continuously throwing it back into your yard every time you cut. Great video.
Thank you for the nice comment and your tips are spot on and very important! Great info thank you
Very true... Happened to me last year 😥
Thats true, but when the garden is kinda ok mulching will provide shade on the ground between the grass so it will feed your grass + things u don't want to grow in there will have less chance to do so since less light is available
Certainly depending on the precise conditions. But the fact that most tend to forget or simply are not aware. Is that mulching is half way to the composting process. Which in itself is a self healer for many diseases! Although it's true that not everything bad is eliminated by the composting process. By far and wide the vast majority is!
The fact remain that "mother nature" do not like, large accumulations of anything! and will try to level it on the first opportunity! ;-)
@@SilverCymbal what about hybrid side dicharge mulching you discharge to the area of your next pass the whole time
I prefer the side discharge for both professional and personally at home. If you have a problem with the area just double but your outline and when you turn always turn where the discharge is controlled. Even if that means making those 3 point turns to control the clippings
Thumbs up. Here in Georgia we scalp and bag at the beginning of the season before the grass starts to turn green. We may do that several times to remove what is dead grass that has no nutrients. We do our last scalp when we see a sea of green. After the bermuda is growing we mulch. Which is the proper way to take care of the lawn.
Definitely like the clear explanations. I mulch the front yard and usually bag the back because more weeds and I use the clippings to make compost which eventually goes back into the yard anyway.
my brother just gave me a 6.5 hp self propelled with rear bagger. for the farm this been great for making free compost.
I started mulching a few years ago and I’ve noticed a difference in the quality of my lawn..
Mulching is the way to go
It sure is. I do it for a living. The yards look way better
Yes it gives nutriants back to your lawn
One item you failed to mention in regard to disposing of grass clipping when bagging is to use them in a compost pile. A good pile needs green matter- clippings and brown matter- usually leaves. Shredded leaves will compost faster and what better way to shred them- run over them with your mower and bag the shredded leaves.
I don't have that many leaves, what I do is use the mountain of cardboard boxes we always collect. I sandwich layers of cardboard and layers of grass clippings on the edge of the woods. Did this last summer, and this spring we had beautiful brown decomposed grass with tons of worms in it, which went straight onto the garden!
this is a good post. it feels like such a waste to throw grass and leaves into the trash.
Thank you for your advice
@@professorpenne9962 It depends on what the quality of "green" material that is being collected. Composting is great, but if the temperature of your pile is not hot enough to kill off the weed seeds and rhizomes the compost will need additional attention. Personally I tend to discard what is collected in the bag from some sections (there are 9 distinct ones) of my 1 acre yard that I know are full of weeds, and/or poison ivy. Sometimes I also side discharge to replenish the lawn, but am currently looking to reduce the thatch load in most of my yard.
TL;DR: Do what works best in your situation, everyone has a different condition to their lawn.
(edit: some grammar)
Happy mowing, love the smell of fresh cut grass. Options to consider.
A nice lawn and garden to enjoy.
As my lawn has improved so has my enjoyment of mowing. I feel just like you do. Thanks for watching.
I have discovered the best of two worlds. The pros of side discharge as you describe, and the benefits of mulching. Rather than having the bits choke under the mower when there is no discharge in mulch mode, I discharge out the side and mow INTO the clippings on the next pass, rather than working away from them. The clippings usually get hit by several passes before they are pulverized.
The assembly of the lawn mower could be done without any problems th-cam.com/users/postUgkxTPN04aT-Qdjr_KS3ql7ng8wnU3wwsCqk also recommend I just puzzled something about the red strange “key”. However, it quickly turned out that this creates a kind of contact bridge between battery packs and lawn mowers. An additional backup as a father of a 1 year old nephew is great!! :-)
I have a hand me down commercial mower, this has convinced me to keep it side discharge. Thank you for the informative video sir.
I side discharge by mowing starting from the outside towards inward with the side discharge shooting inwards so I'm cutting not only the grass yet to be cut but also the clippings again, instead of the traditional up and down the lawn method
Up-and-downer here. I may just try that. The benefits of mulching but without the trapped clippings bogging down the motor.
Bagging isn't that fast when you consider you have to repeatedly stop to empty the bag so your mow is constantly being interrupted.
Not true. If you have any Honda Commercial Mower, you can get up to 4mph on the control walking system. It's a breeze!
@@mattbingham2856 What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?
@@XxHitmanAssassinxX what does that have to do with cutting grass
@@mattbingham2856 I'm also curious, how does almost running to cut your grass help if you have to dump the bag on each strip? I suppose if you use a high lift mulching blade it might cut down on emptying the bag? I guess this video is directed at people with very small yards. My yard is 2 acres, bagging is out of the question for me.
Mulching, particularly with a very good blade such as Oregon's gator blade works great, even in the spring when your "not supposed to use Mulching blades".
Came for mowing advice. Stayed for the random funny pictures
That’s what Scotty Kilmer does
@@EthanAdey what funny pics?
He was so subtle about it too haha.
Looking up flying mulchers right now ... lol
2:20 wtf why did he microwave that little mower?
It’s electric. That’s how you charge it. Barbie will mow her grass faster if you throw her in there too to give her a little energy.
@@ecospider5 yes, I never knew how it worked thank you
I appreciate the fact that you covered the area of weeds in the video. Now I know that bagging is the only option for my weed infested lawn.👍🏼
not sure where you're from but you really need to address the weeds early spring or whenever they are about to germinate. Same goes for crabgrass. If you can keep that from growing in to begin with you'll have a way easier time mowing and getting that lawn that makes the neibors jealous.
This is some really good info that I hadn't considered. When I first moved in my house, I mulched because the previous owners bagged. But they also never fertilized, and they cut the grass so short (based on what I saw when viewing) that the ground was basically scoured. It was also super compacted and had basically zero water drainage. So, after a few seasons, I've finally returned a lot of nutrients to my soil, but still struggle with weeds. Maybe it's time I switched over to bagging for a while, for at least long enough to help out with my weed situation. I was so focused on keeping nutrients available in the yard that I never even considered I was putting those weed seeds right back in as well. Thanks for the informative and simple breakdown of the options.
Gave us perfect information as to what new mower to purchase.
Glad it was helpful!
tried up the mulching function on my first melting mower, and a left a bunch of strands of grass everywhere. This video completely answered that question, thank you
I like rear discharge personally. A good push and it really empties the bowls.
That's why it works for you, you use bowls instead of bowels. Keep up the good work :-))
Weird I empty my bowels in white porcelain bowls.
That is too funny!😂👍
Finally thanks to your video I was able to understand the differences between different ways of cutting the grass.
I agree with the findings here. I originally bought a John Deere X125 for mulching but it struggled to deliver the required power so I switched to an X590 which does an outstanding job. With side discharge you also have to think about your direction of cut to always keep the clipping on the lawn rather than over flowerbeds or paths.
Amazing format and presentation.
I appreciate that, thank you
I use all three, depending on the situation:
For the vacant municipal lot across the street that I mow only when it gets obnoxiously long, I side discharge to conserve power and get it done faster.
For spring and fall clean-up when there are leaves and debris in the grass, I bag and then compost.
The rest of the time, I mulch to keep the nutrients in the lawn.
Scott Smith I just bought my first house and mower. I also compost. This sounds like the most full answer. Thanks!
Yup! Good strategy. Using the benefits of each type as appropriate.
Mulching is my preference because it returns to clippings to the soil without further handling. Having a good mulching blade makes all the difference, imo, and not all mulching blades really do much mulching. LOL
Great video. For my lawn I do side discharge with a twist. I mow in a way where the clippings keep getting moved to the middle. At the end of my mowing I end up with a couple lines of built up grass (Basically from continuing to push the excess clippings in one general direction). From there I do a quick rake of the minimal built up line of clippings and bag the clippings. It's kind of a hybrid of all you suggested. Some of the grass gets mulched and stays on the yard, the excess grass gets picked up and thrown away. It's a quick mowing with 3-4 minutes of grass pickup at the end.
This is great. We often tend to overthink due to all the tips a d tricks we read hoping to gain confidence but works best is having knowledge and then finding what works best for you. I came here to read the comments to gain some tips and I sure did but I also found your comment which is the exact same method I'm using now and I had just thought that you do what you can the best way you can and that's that. So cheers to finding a method that works for you. It sure has been working for me! I'll pass this technique to my grand children knowing it's tried and true. All these my gpa was a farmer comments make me lol what works best for you doesn't work best for all. For God sakes there's a thousand plus types of grass out there! Okay rant over. Thanks!
I do the same exact thing!
I choose to bag my clippings. I am working with a yard that is new to me but has been around for 30 years. Once I have taken care of the soil and I have a solid Fert plan working in the lawn I will mulch,as you mentioned with the right conditions. But for now I bag. I generally dispose of my clippings in a green waste can. Thank you for the great video. 😁
Bagging is for old people. I could understand sucking up crap in the spring first few mowes. After that it's a waste of time and effort. If your bagging your pulling nutrients and taking from your lawn soil.
I have a large yard and live in the south so my grass is super thick St Augustine. I use a Toro Timemaster (dual blade 30 inch cut). I bag and leave the side discharge chute open. This cuts down on the amount of times I have to bag and gets the advantage of the nutrients in the clippings. In the heat of the summer during peak growth season, if I bag only I can fill as many as 3 (55) gallon contractor bags which is upwards of 9 times stopping to empty the mower bag. It just isn’t an efficient use of time.
Great info, I have found in my own experience that mulching does tend to build up layers of material that do not completely decompose over time, as a result I have found that after a few years of mulching and bagging also, that the elevation of the entire lawn gets much higher than surrounding mow strips or sidewalks. I am in the thought process of renting a sod cutter to cut my lawn back down 2 being level with the surrounding structures. I think that it looks much nicer like that. This may not be a common issue, just wanted to mention it.
D M yes i totally agree with you my lawn use to be level with my sidewalk. After a fee years of mulching. Its now much higher.
I should have been bagging.
-- Not bad. Not something I'd recommend for people with underground sprinklers :)
Dethatch your lawn to get rid of the built up layer and you could roll the lawn to flatten it back out. I would also suggest you aerate at some point.
I know your post is 2years old but... thinking of alternating between mulch and bagged.
Im thinking that every time i mow bagged, it might pickup and dispose of last times mulch run... or whats left of it.
I can't deny the fact that mulching raises the ground level. However, that is miniscule compared to the fact that concrete driveways and walkways (and even stepping stones) sink at a much higher rate than mulching raises the grade. The problem is weight. Also, if the ground is moist, it will sink faster. If automobiles or trucks (or even heavier battery powered vehicles) are allowed to park on said concrete, the sinking rates increases. Delivery trucks don't help either!
Rather than removing the entire lawn, one can temporarily remove the section near the driveway. After excavating several inches of soil, the grass can be returned. One of the main reasons for doing this is so that it will be easier to edge the lawn.
Another plus for bagging: compost. Carbon when it's brown, nitrogen when it's green. Just now putting out my first batch and the results look amazing. If you use a lot of herbicides probly complicates things. Ever scoop up a handful and see hundreds of baby worms? Most of the time I'm in mulch mode though. Last fall I put a great effort into evenly spreading leaves across everywhere and then mulching it 2 or 3 passes. But come spring I saw no result this time. We had so much rain last winter I believe all the nutrients were washed away. This fall I'll bag the leaves and compost. Grass loves tree leaf mold.
I think an advantage of side discharge is also nutrients for the soil and grassroots. But of course, the frequency of mowing is also going to determine that. The more frequent, the better.
I always bag. I despise mulching and side discharge. I truly believe that more chemicals are better than less. I love the way Phosphorus makes my lawn look so green! I believe a bright green suburban lawn, with absolutely nothing laying on it is perfection!!
👍
use to work with a guy before I retired that did lawn service. I suggested to him the grass clippings he was paid to haul off should be turned into compost then sold back to those customers. paid to haul away then they buying it back. LOL and these are educated doctors
I do this. Part of my agreement with bagged customers is that they need topdressing annually. so we mow, bag haul, charge for it, compost it, and once or twice a season bring last year's clippings/leaves back as compost and topdress some new seed.
win win win
Can't agree more! Every time I see grass clippings bagged and hauled away. I can't avoid thinking "what a bunch of morons"! Honestly it's in the edge of ridiculous! If one have a the space for a lawn. He'll surely have the (tiny) space needed to compost. While considering that most of the work is "dumping" it all in the same place and let it be... Really make me wonder about sanity and stupidity, all wrapped in the same package! LOL 😂
@@crpth1 so the doctors etc are paying you a fraction of what they can make in an hour to do what would take them an hour to do. You're a genius.
That's why I rarely pay anyone to do anything.. and contractors hate people being down their back while doing a job, but there is always good reason to keep them honest.. they all have the "fuck em when you can" policy.
@@jorgejeffries5855 It's to prevalent in the industry sadly. The law is almost always on their side which makes it worse. But not everyone is like that. All the good builders usually end up commercial leaving residential the unwanted a lot of the time.
Been mulching St. Augustine grass for the past 10 years, including leaves in the fall, and have never had an issue. I fertilize once per year with weed & feed and keep an eye on the color. If green begins to turn yellow, then I'll spread some ironite but keep it low.
I do the same. The lawn looks fantastic and it grows thick.
I was sitting out front of the house Yesterday. I told myself I couldn't mow the lawn until I saw a NJ License plate. it wasn't 30 mins later and here came a car from NJ. Damn the bad luck. I had to mow.
@Gus Goose No Texas. Thought I would get out of mowing but it backfired
@Gus Goose for sure
Not suggesting you’re stupid or something, but I wonder if Einstein sat on his porch and decided he would design a nuclear bomb if he saw a New Jersey plate drive by.
@@causarumcognitio Maybe so
@@causarumcognitio I guess he didn't see that NJ plate given the fact that he never designed any nuclear bomb.
That lawn with the old house in CT is huge! I used to side discharge, then I bought a bag to start composting. On a half acre lot, I have the perfect balance of grass and leaves to make about 5-6 yards of compost a year. You can then distribute that compost onto your lawn as well as a garden or raised beds. I make more than I can use, so I share it with the neighbors.
OMG, this was great. Being new to mowing, I had no idea what the difference was. No wonder my old mower got so gunked up - I was mulching and had no idea. Thank you so much for this great, informative video. Sharing everywhere :)
Glad I could help! Thank you very much for the nice comment
I use a mowing service to cut my yard after having done it myself for years and years. I almost always bagged or mulched depending on conditions. Bagging was my favorite for a good looking mow. However, I find that most commercial services want to side discharge. Now I know it's because of the speed factor. I did find one guy who did mulch but he disappeared on me between seasons. I finally gave in and hired a service that does side discharge. So far I have no complaints and the yard looks really good. Keeping fingers crossed.
Took my eyes off the video for a second and came back and saw the microwave scene with the tiny mower got me laughing 😆
That was a walker mower. The real ones are thousands but they are real nice!
I bought a device on Amazon called the Bag Buddy Bag Holder that you can put up to a 45 gallon lawn and leaf bag on and it spreads open the bag for you so you can take your shovel or pitchfork and pick your clippings up and put them in the bag. It's a single person operation, I love it.
It’s a pretty stark difference when you look at my lawn compared to my neighbors around me. Most of my neighbors have professionals do their lawns. The professionals bag all of their grass. My neighbors and I mulch our lawns, and this spring there was a stark difference between my lawn and the professionally maintained lawns. The professional lawns were much greener.
Your story ended differently than I expected hahaha
@@DittyDafku in order to mulch, you must have perfect grass and no weeds, then the occasional mulch during a normal quick trim is best. Mulching with weeds just spreads the weeds’ seeds all over your lawn. Eventually you won’t even have grass, you’ll just be mowing weeds. First thing is first. Get rid of pests, moles, grubs.. then get rid of weeds.. then overseed with grass seed fit for your climate region. Then water water water.. then fertilize. Honestly if you use fertilizer then there’s no need to mulch anyway. And mulching and side discharge just leaves the yard looking messy with all the brown grass clippings dying all over and sticking to everything. Just bag and fertilize once you get the yard in shape.
I'm really late on this, but I had a similar situation, and I think I solved it by buying a dethatching-rake and using it. My lawn was notably healthier afterwards, and it was really bizarre to see how much I got up with the dethatching rake (which I named "Margaret'... "Margaret Dethatcher"). My point is, if I had been bagging all along, I bet I wouldn't have gotten up so much thatch... and I bet my lawn would've just been naturally happier.
@@TROOPERfarcry I detached last year and it looked truly terrible afterwards. This year that paid off though, because my lawn is deep green even though we are in a drought.
The professionals in my town side discharge, then spend an equal amount of time blowing the clippings into the street. Makes no sense.
This was the best video to help me decide what type of mower to buy. Thanks
Strictly mulch all the time, sharpen blade often, aeration every other year, best looking lawn in the neighborhood 👌 most neighbors bag clippings and take twice as long. When the hot days of summer come around my lawn handles it better than theirs thanks to the layer of decomposing material (clippings) protecting the soil from the hot sun 🌞
All my neighbors around me pay for lawn service including spraying for weeds, etc. I do it all myself and my lawn just looks as good as theirs does. A couple bare of patches where the bulk trash crane scored the lawn but that's it. I don't bag either and I cut the lawn short.
@@warehouse13-motorsports They pay for their time. Yours is a hobby. Nothing wrong with either option.
I've never ran a tally of what all my neighbors do. Do you guys put a sign up that says "call me about your clippings", or just dash outside every time you hear a mower turn over?
Man, best video about mowing I've watched yet. Haven't bought a mower yet, but this is exactly the format and help I've been looking for. Thank you!
Everything I was afraid to ask, answered! Thanks!
Yes thank you .. I tend to run over the grass once with the rear flap open and then go over it again with the bag... seems to work really well the bag tends to collect more finer grass and don't have issues with blockage .. and I'm sure there's a bit of mulch left down 👍🏻
My experience with mulching is that a thick layer builds up and prevents rain from hitting the soil which causes it to harden up. The water then runs off rather then seeping into the soil makes the problem worse. Imo the best method is to bag most of the time with the occasional mulching.
Same thing with my lawn. That and by fall, I had a massive layer of thatch. Last spring & this one, I'm bagging as much as I can. Mulching in the spring just makes the grass grow twice as fast, and I'm NOT mowing every two days!
Try mowing with golf shoes on.
@@jcrockett870 Good idea. It might help.
He left out that side discharge, just like mulching, adds nutrients back into the soil.
It just takes longer because they are longer blades of grass. Not finely chewed up grass that can decompose quicker. So take it for what it is.
That is a bit of a hit and miss. I had a mow situation where I was basically making hay the grass had got that long. Without addressing the top cover of the clippings 'hay' it would have smuthered the grass and killed it.
I’ve found that side discharge builds thatch and doesn’t get absorbed as well as mulched
Makes grass grow much faster too and thus mowing more frequently.,
@@ElkStirrinTheHoneythere's no one solution for every situation. If you cut more regularly, then the side discharge is very short. If the grass is longer like if you've left it a while or the first cut of the season, then options:
Use a catcher; OR
Set height to high with side cutter, then set to low and do a second go around slower. It will cut small blades off the shorter grass plus mulch up the first cut.
Bagging is a pain in the neck, dealing with the bag and clippings, mulching is best for me and its free fertelizer.
Nice ride what engine?
I have a JD S240 riding mower with the 18.5 HP Kawasaki V twin with 42" Deck. I removed the plastic discharge cover and left the rock guard intact. I discharge to the wind. We have a 1/3 acre city lot and we irrigate and feed the lawn. We use a pre-emergent in early spring (right after the snow is gone and frost is out of the ground) and a high quality slow release firtilizer in mid May. We put a winterizer down about two weeks before freeze up.
I live in a desert why am I watching this lmao
😂😂😂😂😂
Knowledge is Power?
You need to impress the girls
😂😂
I mow the lawn for my grandparents, and their battery electric mower has no power issues when mulching, and even when wet, it just has a diminished cut quality, and no speed loss. It minimizes fertilizer use, and I always weed the whole thing by hand before mowing, which is surprisingly easy when you keep up with it. It's the greenest lawn on the street, too.
yea electric lawn mowers are far superior now than they were years ago they almost match gas mowers in power now. I got the ryobi 40v self propelled mower and it kicks butt
I compost my grass clippings and use the compost for my vegetable garden.
RompotMechanikos Communist!
Best option, my grandparents had a pretty large compost pile from clippings and kitchen waste from three meals a day.
I have never seen tomatoes like we could grow with that stuff heavily mixed in the soil
I can't do that with couch grass. Don't want that invasive grass starting in a vegie patch!
Great info. I have a crappy lawn and out of being lazy just mulched. After seeing this, I will start bagging.
Great information, but mulching in my case improved my lawn. It was very short and lots of gaps, 2 months of mulching my lawn looks like ones in better neighborhoods.
Great video I tried side on backyard and it does go a lot faster, helps especially when using a charger.
Very thorough and very helpful. Based on this video I will be bagging for most of my cuts with mulching maybe twice per season.
I bag all grass clippings. I have a large yard with many beds, so I use the grass clippings for mulch in those beds, as buying mulch would be quit expensive. Thank you, Sue
Sounds like your beds are full of weeds then.
Thank you. This was just what I needed. We just bought our first lawn mower and ended up mowing using both the bag and the side chute the first time because I assembled the mower as described in the manual...with all of the features. However, it didn't make sense to have the clippings shooting out when we had the bag attached. Now I understand that it's two different options. I think bagging is our best option.
How's it coming along with the bagging? I went electric for our new home with less than 1/3 acre to cut. I've always used a side shoot with gas mowers then mow over it again on the next pass which kind of mulches...that was just kind of the tradition. Now I have options and not sure what to do. Side shooting will make a mess on the sidewalk but nothing the blower won't fix. I have the bag that came with the mower but not sold on doing that yet...I just need to give it a shot.
I've always used side discharge with no issues for 30 years. I will continue to do so.
Same here.
Side discharge also provides nutrients to your lawn, both mulching and side discharge provide mainly nitrogen, that's great because it promotes leafy growth (exactly what grasses are) however it provides way to much and usually will not breakdown fast enough so it can create a dense layer on your lawns sub surface that could result in anaerobic conditions that kill your lawn. My best results have been side discharge with a yard sweeper behind the tractor, set to just put pressure on the ground and pick up about 75% of the mulched clippings. Doing this, I've restored a yard that was neglected for about 6 years into a visually appealing lawn, next step is removing the thistles
Definitely this video cleared a lot of unknowns for me , so i would choose bagging 1st , next mulching if conditions are good , i don't have side shoot on none of my mowers, so i have only two options and i like to mulch but as you mentioned it needs a good dry , low grass to do that.
Tks and i enjoyed the video
Thank you very much for the nice comment and for watching. Glad it was helpful.
Same have a lawn boy with no side discharge (getting one from lawn boy) so I've been mulching. And mulching is good for people with bad grass allergies like me
Wow, very helpful video! I just purchased a new and first ever lawn mower, I’m assembling it and the manual asked if I want to use the bag or mulch, I had no idea what the difference was. Watch a diffrrrnt video before this one and was completely lost, however, you explained everything so easy and thoroughly! I think I’m just going bag, since it seems the most convenient to me 🤷🏻♀️👌🏼
First two cuts, mulch.
Third cut, bag.
That way grass gets nutrients and cleared every three cuts.
First cut, bag.
All next cuts, side discharge.
The first cut, bag to pick up debris.
The next cuts side discharge to put nutrients back in the soil.
Thank you for this video! I have been mulching my grass ever since I bought the house in 2016. It's a 1 acre property, so I bought riding Ryobi 480e electric mower. The mower does a great job of mulching. The lawn was never amazing from the get-go, but I've noticed that ever since I bought the property, the lawn has simply been getting worse and worse. Bald patches, discolored areas, uneven appearance, etc. etc. I do have a company that puts down weed and feed, and fertilizer, but the lawn just hasn't been staying healthy. I'm also getting some topsoil put down in a few days, but I'm when I heard you say that mulching is not good if you're starting with a poor lawn, a light bulb went off in my head! It sounds like what you're pointing out about mulching is what's happening with my lawn: weed seeds and other, undesirables in my lawn are probably just getting spread around by the mulching. So I'm going to try bagging rather than mulching for a while, and see if the law improves. I'll post here again in a few months to let you know.
Weed and feed has the ability to be detrimental to the naturally occurring "new" grass within your lawn. There is a very small window of time in the calendar year that weed and feed can be effective, and that's assuming the amounts of the active compounds in the weed and feed are a good match for the type and condition of your lawn. If the mix is off a bit in any direction you can risk burning your existing grass and discouraging the growth of new grass chutes. Different types of weeds often require different treatments to effectively combat and the weed and feed addresses everything, grass and your variety of weeds, the same way. If everything is spot on with your specific mix of weed and feed, if your timing of application is accurate, and the rate at which it is applied is on target weed and feed can be a short-term option, but if any or all of these variables are off a bit you run a high risk of doing your grass more harm than good. At the very least I recommend that you explore all available options and reassess your goals for your lawn and the treatments you use to achieve them. The broad spectrum approach is not always the most effective way to improve your lawns appearance and overall health.
Always mulch your clippings. Only idiots who have no clue about lawn maintenance will bag their clippings. This guy knows absolutely nothing about mowing.
Like mulching, side discharge also doesn't work well when grass is wet. It clumps together at the discharge chute and clogs up your mower. You have to stop and clean it out every other pass or so, and then your lawn is full of grass clumps.
Just mowing in general sucks when the lawn is wet. The bag chute gets clogged, side chute clumps and mulching... just no. Don't even think about it. Best advise, wait for the grass to be as dry as possible before you do mow.
Mow when the lawn is dry, not when wet! Good luck and be safe.
Question to you is why would you want to cut your grass while it's wet it's much better when the grass is dry you will think it's just common sense that's all.
@@jasweb147 That's right Jas Web.
@@ProverbsrUs That's right.
Thank you for your poignant wisdom. You findings are precise. I've been mowing on a semi-professional basis for 25 years. My experiences have been similar to yours. Although bagging is frowned upon in many contemporary discussions about best practices in dealing with clippings, I find it to leave the best cut. It allows the grass to breathe and thus lifts the grass up. I've also found side discharging to be more beneficial than mulching. I've find, after mowing many lawns over the years, that mulching drops too many clippings in one spot. If the clippings are not given enough time to decompose, the grass tends to suffocate. With side discharging, you're able to spread the clippings over a larger area. As long as you go over the clippings to reduce the size of them, I have found side discharging to be of more benefit than mulching. The problem today, however, is that many municipalities and cities don't collect clippings leaving bagging a limited option unfortunately.
Thanks for sharing. I grew up using side shooters...that's just how it was and mowing over it again on the second pass was in a sense mulching. I know have a new mower with all 3 options this video discussed and now I'm contemplating. I don't mind the bagging but I just would need to get used to it. The mulching option seems the less hassle but as you mentioned I don't want to suffocate the grass. I keep it rather short though so that shouldn't be an issue. I'm in a new subdivision with the fresh grass and in central Texas where it gets hot. It's also my first time having a sprinkler system. My question is if I'm doing more harm than good mulching on the short grass. I'm mentally just used to side shoot and need to step out of my comfort zone a little. And nowadays the bagging is easier to do with the new mowers. I never thought I'd be watching videos like this lol.
@@Texas_Cruiser What height do you cut your grass at?
@@joeraptor1 around 2-2.5 inches.
@@Texas_Cruiser I live up in Canada and that's pretty much the height I cut it at. Considering the heat where you are, I'd just mulch at 2.5" during the peak months for heat. Then, as things cool down in the fall, you can always turn over to bagging.
@@joeraptor1 ah that makes sense. I'll give that a try. Thanks for the advice! 👍
Always used side discharge, but if we get too much rain and the yard gets away from me, it needs double cut to look good.
From the UK... thank you for taking the time to make this video.
Ohhhhhh, that Toro with the Suzuki 2-cycle engine that you show at 1:35 is one of the best mowers ever made. I gave mine to Dad many years ago, and he forgot to add oil to the gas, so it seized. But I must have cut a million lawns with that thing when I was teenager. It paid for itself many times over. It was a joy to run. Just bought my first Honda this summer. I absolutely love it, but I still carry a torch for this Toro.
I called Dad to confirm this and he said no one ever gave him a mower. He also said to stop by more often.
the hondas are great but the old toros will be forever be the staple in the 21 inch mowing world.
Thank you. I have spent the day educating myself. I have a headache but this is very helpful. It’s no problem to dispose of clippings. The city issues cans for that and pick them up every week.
Yeah, I use to directly bag it..Now I use the side discharge method. My wife is much happier...
Very funny, looks like most people don't get your meaning though!
Chris Bailey 😂👌🏼
@@chrisbailey4759 Now you know, when he was bagging it, his wife was having to take it somewhere in her trunk to dump it...
thanks for a clear explanation. I've been bagging my lawn for the past few years...I may switch to mulching the front and bagging the back. The backyard isn't as good as in the front.
Thanks. The problem is leaving clippings on the lawn. We’re told it’s a good thing, however your video points out not necessarily so.
Its not good if the grass it too long when you cut. I cut the grass twice per week and never have clippings on my lawn after I cut. My nephew lives across the street from me and he goes weeks without cutting his grass. A few hours after he cut the grass there is dead grass all over his lawn. I know people say it's bad to leave that grass on the lawn but for some reason the dead grass is gone after a few days and his lawn still looks good
I finally decided last month to bag my front lawn & side discharge the back yard.
Thanks for another great tutorial. Your videos are always to the point and informative, perfect for the busy DIY'er. I've already learned a lot and I've only been subscribed a couple of days.
Thanks for the tips. I had an awful time mowing my front lawn yesterday. The grass was too long and too wet. I will definitely use the side discharge today on the back lawn.
Its very good for that situation for sure. Thanks for the nice comment
@@SilverCymbal I just finished my backyard using the side discharge. Quick and easy. Now that it's manageable I should be able to mulch on the next cut. Thanks and Happy Memorial Day.
@@PerezMaxwell Its funny. I am demoing another mower today and I decided to do side discharge. I love how fast you can go and it really looked good since it lets the mower run at full blast. Good stuff, mowing like the old days can be cool still!. You as well my friend.
I bag my clipping then throw them in my compost tumbler and eventually return them to the lawn in the form of a light top dressing.
Composting is good stuff!
Same here, works a treat!
I purchased a season long grass clipping pickup this year. Best thing ever. We have had so much raid this year my grass is always overgrown by the time it's dry enough to cut. In those times I bag and it's working nice. If I tried to mulch long grass it would be a mess on the lawn. You really cannot mulch unless you are taking 1/3 of the grass off. If it's over grown or wet bagging works great.
This sounds like a great idea. I never heard of that before but it sounds like it is working very well and a good idea for a business. Thanks for this info.
Big fan of side discharge. If you cut it often enough, it's essentially mulched. If you wait too long, bagging takes longer than side discharging it all in one place, then raking.
I generally mow "Zamboni circles" so that all the grass is discharged in the same direction, then just one pass with a rake.
I agree with Bagging with the weed control. I have heard that alternating between bagging and mulching may be a good practice
I always bag, give the lawn a nice clean look.
I side discharge and always have a nice clean look. If I see any grass clippings, I go over them again. Generally this is just one or two runs across the yard.
Don't know why there are so many thumbs down on this review. Beautifully done. I learned a great deal.
Solved this problem! I use high lift GATOR glades on my ZTR mower WITH THE BAGGING UNIT. It leaves some grass clipping on the lawn and picks up about 50% of the excess. You can go pretty quickly without having to empty the bagger.
Good discussion of all three methods, thanks!
I mulch everything, every time. I keep the blade sharp and keep a spare sharpened, so all I have to do is swap it out.
get the best stripes with mulching too. also with mulching there is less leaf blower time and no need to stop to keep dumping clippings.
I am new at all this so this helped immensely. Now subscribed.
I've mulched for decades. If you remove it you must replace it, hense fertilizer. I side discharge, the worms have all the clippings worked up within two days, no longer need to mulch.
7:20 why does that engine look like its on backwards
Backwards isn’t a problem ... upside-down IS a problem ...
I bought a John Deere mower at a auction when started using it I realized it was a mulcher.I love it no more windows.
Windrows
@@randykroells8049 I have a side discharge Cub Cadet...I have a few less windows!
best explanation I've seen on Mulching vs. Bagging
Composting at home if you can is enjoyable and rewarding.
Grass clippings and leaves are a no brainer for use in your compost.
I just dug a big compost pit, and was planning to do just that... but then I was told that you shouldn't if you're treated your lawn with anything. I recently used weed and feed, so....? Now I'm not sure what to do.
Bastian... greetings.
By the way it sounds like you've used some kind of pesticides.
If so definitely keep right away from your future beautiful clean (organic only) compost.
If possible...( hopefully I'm understanding your predicament) have an area "if possible", where there's an area that's 100% pesticide free.
That area should be anywhere near compost/vegetable gardens.
If you can, this is only a suggestion.
If you're very concerned, start your composting in a bin (small bin/size is irrelevant) away from what you sprayed/fertilizer.
Don't despair...it will happen.
Initially we ALL have mishaps along the way.
If the "feed and weed" is water soluble maybe weaken with the water hose.
Also if toxic...that it doesn't run into your future compost.
I hope I understood your comment.
Love your composting and care for it... guaranteed to repay your dedication.
Hope this was some help.
Have a great day.
@@norman-gregory Thanks!
I always bag for a couple reasons. We have thick, fast growing grass and if we mulch or spread, it clumps and kills the lawn. I also like to use my yard for activities and play with the dogs and I don’t want the clippings tracked into the house or get a bunch of grass stains all over everyone’s shoes.
Keeping the clippings out of the house is a huge benefit.
I mulch at full speed but i normally mow every 3.5 days. My lawn is probably 1400-1600sq ft, takes me under 15 minutes sometimes.
Those frequent mowing really make your lawn happy! I try to keep that frequency as much as possible. That helps a lot, great point!
Honda mower and rear discharge - great cut and can mow my fairly large lawn in 45 minutes and don't have to worry about how to go around or against objects. Downside for me is that somehow grass clippings get inside my boots and socks are complete full of grass clippings.
-- I was a groundskeeper at a country club for several years when I was young. This video more or less lines up. I'd add that mowing wet grass doesn't work in any scenario (though shooting it works best) The bag is designed to breathe for vacuum force. A wet, gunky bag doesn't do so well. You find the chute clogged frequently. Mulching wet grass, forget about it. And shooting (side discharge) can get clogged as well. Moral of the story: just don't mow your grass when it's wet. But, I said I worked at a country club. In that case, you have to mow, rain or shine. I'd like to give homeowners a secret they could use to help them do what we did, but the answer is good old fashioned horsepower. You can chop damn near anything with hydraulic reels/rotors when you've got a 500cid diesel sitting behind you. STILL: Here are a couple of tricks for your yard at home. In very bad conditions, shoot it, go slow, and take half swaths. And if you want to 'mulch' while you shoot, start from the middle and work your way out. You'll 're-cut/chew up' that grass you've already cut. But I have to say it again: the ultimate solution is always going to be power.
what's that saying........ you can never have enough HP..... and when you don't people bitch and moan
Nicely put. That's really how I grew up cutting. Side shoot then go over it again half ways or even 2/3s which is in a sense mulching but with less strain on the mower. Yes more trips around but works for me.
I wonder if water repellent paint would help in that scenario or is the paint too weak/brittle and will get easily chipped off.
I've always been a bagger of grass and weeds. Now after decades of doing this I've a composting system that works for me and a method for handling the grass cuts. I use the leaves dropped in the fall around my flower beds as mulch. Come spring I rake the flower bed fall leaves and mix it with the grass cuts in a wired bin I make from fencing material. The grass cuts provide the composting material that I lay down on my lawn. I use to put the grass cut compost in my flower beds but grass would grow . So kitchen scrap compost goes in the flower beds and grass cut composting goes back on the lawn for reseeding in the fall. I finally have a composting system that's easier on my back and complete system for handling every kind of composting material in the yard becuz I bag my grass.
Great information. I’ve got some bare spots and thought mulching would be the answer. But I’ve also got a few persistent weeds, so I think I’ll switch back to bagging for a few weeks until they’ve been addressed.
I'm 2 years late, but it still matters. I've side-discharged my front yard for years, and -- in the busy mow season -- I mow once a week, so I'm not cutting off much off of the top on each session. But two things:
1 - Mow side-discharge in strips, each time running over the side-discharge from the previous pass. In doing so, you prevent a lot of grass-clipping build-up on the top. It also half-way mulches it, because you're mowing over the already mowed over grass clippings.
2 - My lawn was sluggish this year, and I bought dethatching rake, and I can scarcely believe the amount of thatch/debris that I got up. I suspect that had I been "bagging" all along, that this would not have happened. After dethatching, my lawn has become notably healthier.