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I am in the process of doing this. I would highly recommend starting with your backyard... because it's surprisingly difficult and it's better to make your mist

I am in the process of doing this. I would highly recommend starting with your backyard... because it's surprisingly difficult and it's better to make your mistakes out of view of the street. I've already noticed an increase in bees and other insects though! Another tip for helping out your local insect (and thus bird) population... leave your yard "waste" where it is! It's a whole ecosystem that most people pack into bags and take to the dump every year.

cptskippy 5y ago
> leave your yard "waste" where it is! It's a whole ecosystem that most people pack into bags and take to the dump every year. Every year? During peak summer in Georgia, my 1/4 acre lawn was producing 8-12 30 gallon yard waste bags of grass clippings.
- Faaak 5y ago
  We used a mulching lawn mower. no "waste", and never the need to fertilize the lawn as nutriments never leave the area
  - bluGill 5y ago
    I use a regular blow out the side mower. Even when the grass is thick it decomposes fast. The windrows will make the grass turn brown if I let the grass grow tall (like 30cm tall), but two weeks latter it all decomposes and you can't tell.
    - cptskippy 5y ago
      > Even when the grass is thick it decomposes fast. I don't know what region you're in but that was not my experience in Georgia. During the summers there isn't enough rain and the grass clippings just dry into hay. It doesn't matter if you vary your cut pattern and go over the windrows of cut grass from the previous week to scatter them about. It builds up and quickly kills the grass. It's next to impossible to maintain a healthy looking lawn without picking up the clippings. You can try composting but, unless you're diligent about watering and turning your piles, it's too slow and you eventually run out of space due to the amount of grass clippings that amass.
  - cptskippy 5y ago
    I used a mulching lawnmower as well but it doesn't matter. The volume of grass clippings dry out into hay that sits on top of the lawn and kills it. If left in place it will kill the yard in a few weeks time.
- i_haz_rabies 5y ago
  It will decompose! Grass clippings are a bit different, I was referring to leaves and other debris. But grass clippings are amazing for compost.
  - cptskippy 5y ago
    Not if left on the yard. It dries out into hay and clumps up. The clumps kill the grass they're laying on and eventually kill the yard.
    - bluGill 5y ago
      No they don't. They decompose in a couple weeks and then the grass - which went dormant but is still alive) comes back.
      - cptskippy 5y ago
        I maintained lawns in Georgia for almost 20 years. During that time I went through a couple bouts of depression where I couldn't be bothered to bag the clippings and was just mowing to appease the HOA. I can tell you with 100% certainty that in Georgia in summer, Bermuda and St. Augustine grass clippings do not decompose "in a couple weeks" time and do in fact kill the grass underneath.
        HeyLaughingBoy 5y ago
        Must be a region-specific thing. I've been a homeowner in MN for 20+ years and have never bagged grass clippings.

cptskippy 5y ago

> leave your yard "waste" where it is! It's a whole ecosystem that most people pack into bags and take to the dump every year. Every year? During peak summer in Georgia, my 1/4 acre lawn was producing 8-12 30 gallon yard waste bags of grass clippings.

Faaak 5y ago
We used a mulching lawn mower. no "waste", and never the need to fertilize the lawn as nutriments never leave the area
- bluGill 5y ago
  I use a regular blow out the side mower. Even when the grass is thick it decomposes fast. The windrows will make the grass turn brown if I let the grass grow tall (like 30cm tall), but two weeks latter it all decomposes and you can't tell.
  - cptskippy 5y ago
    > Even when the grass is thick it decomposes fast. I don't know what region you're in but that was not my experience in Georgia. During the summers there isn't enough rain and the grass clippings just dry into hay. It doesn't matter if you vary your cut pattern and go over the windrows of cut grass from the previous week to scatter them about. It builds up and quickly kills the grass. It's next to impossible to maintain a healthy looking lawn without picking up the clippings. You can try composting but, unless you're diligent about watering and turning your piles, it's too slow and you eventually run out of space due to the amount of grass clippings that amass.
- cptskippy 5y ago
  I used a mulching lawnmower as well but it doesn't matter. The volume of grass clippings dry out into hay that sits on top of the lawn and kills it. If left in place it will kill the yard in a few weeks time.
i_haz_rabies 5y ago
It will decompose! Grass clippings are a bit different, I was referring to leaves and other debris. But grass clippings are amazing for compost.
- cptskippy 5y ago
  Not if left on the yard. It dries out into hay and clumps up. The clumps kill the grass they're laying on and eventually kill the yard.
  - bluGill 5y ago
    No they don't. They decompose in a couple weeks and then the grass - which went dormant but is still alive) comes back.
    - cptskippy 5y ago
      I maintained lawns in Georgia for almost 20 years. During that time I went through a couple bouts of depression where I couldn't be bothered to bag the clippings and was just mowing to appease the HOA. I can tell you with 100% certainty that in Georgia in summer, Bermuda and St. Augustine grass clippings do not decompose "in a couple weeks" time and do in fact kill the grass underneath.
      - HeyLaughingBoy 5y ago
        Must be a region-specific thing. I've been a homeowner in MN for 20+ years and have never bagged grass clippings.