Hi all,

Is there any way to get rid of dead overgrown grass other than pick it by hand?

I live in Sauble Beach. Ontario (at the bottom of Bruce Peninsula). What zone am I in?

May

ZONE If you click on the 'Zone Map' just below the 'I Can Garden' banner at the top of this page you will see that your beautiful part of Ontario is in zone 5b.

GRASS For years, I used to vacuum the lawn with a bag lawnmower dumping all the chopped grass into the compost. After a visit to Emmaus Penn., the mecca for organic gardeners, I started leaving the clippings where they lay. A demonstration plot there underlined the benefits of this.

Two years ago the importance of organic lawncare was further strongly underlined. The lawns in our area were being devastated by grubs. The largest organic lawn care company with over 800 customers reported ZERO infestations.

Thats why mulching mowers are so great....never use a bag on your mower. Your throwing away the best lawn fertilizer you could ask for!

Hi! Budding Poet & Debbie,

Thanks for your reply. We do have a mulching mower. However, the dead overgrown grass is on a slope, and it is LONG. Will the mulching mower be of any use in such situation?

Mow it maybe 3 times over using the highest height and decreasing the height with each mow. That way the mower will be able to mulch each time effectively. After that you will have to mow religiously. The smaller the grass clippings the faster it breaks down and feeds the soil. It actually helps to break down any thatch.