How mulching works, the benefits of mulching and the importance of the right mulch mower
To mulch or not to mulch? Both options are fine – there are pros and cons either way – but if you go for mulching, it’s good to know the following.
What is mulching and what are its benefits for your lawn?
Starting with the basics, mulching is where the grass that you mow is cut up into very small pieces (two to three millimetres) by your mower and then reintroduced to your lawn, sinking or pushed down to the roots of the grass.
This is good for your lawn in a number of ways. By mulching, you don’t end up with large clumps or lengths of cut grass on your lawn, which can promote moss and create an unsightly mess. So, your lawn looks better and is healthier.
Also, by mulching, you’re reintroducing the nutrients that have been cut off rather than throwing them away. Again, this makes your lawn healthier. And you don’t have to keep emptying the grass box, which means fewer trips to the compost heap or garden waste bin. This allows you to mow without interruption, which means you spend less time cutting the grass.
Importance of the right mulch mower and how it works
If you want to mulch, it is important to use a good mulching mower. A machine designed specifically for mulching is your best bet. What you don’t want is a mulch mower that doesn’t do the job properly and dumps large clumps of grass onto your lawn, leaving it a mess.
A proper mulch mower has no exit for the grass other than back down into your lawn. The blade on a mulch mower normally has two cutting edges at different heights that cut the grass multiple times as it tumbles around inside the mower deck of the machine.
Recommended lawnmowers with a mulcher include the Honda HRX 537 HY self-propelled petrol lawnmower (with hydrostatic drive), the Honda HRX 537 HZ petrol rotary mower (with hydrostatic drive and key start) and the Honda HRX 537 VY petrol rotary mower (with variable speed drive).
Alternatives to mulch mowers and what to look out for
The alternatives to mulching are using a lawnmower with a grass box, which you have to empty as you mow, or a mower that discharges the grass to the side or rear. When you use the latter type of mower, you end up with long lengths of grass clippings that can hang around for some time, but it does allow you to cut long grass quite quickly.
There are also mowers that allow you to switch between mulching and side or rear discharge. Often this can be done simply by moving a lever on the mower, but for some machines, an extra part needs to be fitted or a mulching plug needs to be inserted to stop the grass going into the grass box.
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