Mulch mowing is becoming increasingly important in lawn care. The grass clippings are chopped up into small pieces and spread over the area. Although this method is controversial, its advantages outweigh the disadvantages. However, mulching against moss is not suitable for every location.
Mulch protects the soil from drying out
Species shift when mowing without mulching
Seed mixtures for the garden mainly consist of seeds of the meadow meadow grass (Poa pratensis) and other types of grass, which produce a lawn that can withstand heavy traffic. Regular mowing removes nutrients from the lawn. The plants need to draw additional nutrients from the soil to regenerate. If there are not enough nutrients in the substrate, the species composition shifts in the direction of competitive plants. Dominant sweet grasses such as red fescue (Festuca rubra) or bent grass (Agrostis) push back the meadow meadow grass.
Due to the species shift on the lawn, its resilience decreases. Meadow panicles form dense carpets of grass, which are not a problem for footsteps. An area with red fescue and bent grass reacts more sensitively to such loads. Gaps appear in the lawn and the fresh shade of green fades. Thatch formation is particularly high in bent grass lawns. Here, mosses have the best growing conditions.
Benefits of Mulching
Regular feeding of forage increases the amount of organic matter on the soil. This promotes the activity of the soil organisms, which can also multiply well under optimal temperature conditions. They release nutrients from the biological material and make them available to plants. Regular mulching ensures resilience and competitiveness. The grasses benefit from the nutrients that are available in an optimal proportion. The lawn grows magnificently and increases its resilience. At the same time, nutrient recycling prevents the spread of mosses, because these organisms prefer a nutrient-poor substrate.
Additional advantages:
- improvement of the soil structure
- Evaporation protection in summer
- cheaper than fertilizer from the trade
- no additional fertilizer necessary
Not suitable for every location
This form of nutrient return is only suitable for dry soils where the mulch layer quickly rots. Fewer soil organisms live in sandy soils than in nutrient-rich soils, which is why the mulch layer rots very slowly here. Moisture accumulates on heavy soils with poor water permeability, which negatively affects the rotting processes. The same applies to lawns in a shady location. Mulching only makes sense in these locations if you pay attention to dry weather and shorten the lawn to two centimeters beforehand.