Leaving grass clumps on your lawn can be as detrimental as overgrown thatch. Grass clumps can eventually suffocate the grass beneath it, resulting in yellowing blades or brown patches where lush green grass should be.
Here are a few helpful tips for dealing with clumps on your lawn:
Mow When It’s Dry
Mowing wet grass is a bad idea for many reasons. Wet grass is heavier and sticks to the blades. It cuts unevenly, and sometimes your blades can even rip it from the root! After that, your mower requires extra cleaning, your damp lawn looks sloppy, and you’re putting your lawn at risk for fungus to spread.
If you’re using a mulching blade, wet grass becomes clumpy and needs to be removed from your lawn. If it isn’t, you’ll risk suffocating the grass beneath it and invite unwanted pests and diseases.
Maintain Your Mower
If your mower blades become damaged or dull, you need to sharpen or replace them. Dull blades won’t cut cleanly, which sometimes leads to clumping.
If you’re using a riding mower, disconnect the mower deck and scrape the bottom of it with a putty knife or a plastic scraper. Thoroughly clean the discharge chute while you’re at it. As dried grass and debris build up, it can clog up your deck and cause grass clumps to form while you’re mowing.
Rake Your Grass Clumps
Raking sounds like an obvious solution, but it’s still one worth mentioning. When raking, working across the grass clumps. For example, if your clippings run from east to west, then rake across them north to south until they disappear into the rest of your lawn.
Use Mulching Blades
If you have time to mow every 3-4 days and can monitor your lawn closely, using a mulching blade can help. Mulching blades can reduce clumping and distribute grass clippings into your lawn. However, If your lawn is damp, mulching blades won’t make your life any easier.
Use a Grass Catcher
There are multiple reasons why you should use a premium grass catcher, and several of them pertain to dealing with grass clumps.
As long as you’re maintaining your grass catcher, you’re not going to find grass clumps on your lawn. A clump-free lawn reduces your chances of disease pathogens, and saves you time that you’d otherwise spend raking your yard.
Also, grass catchers let you cut grass less frequently in spring because you’re not distributing your fresh cut grass clippings as mulch. Since lawns are frequently wet in the spring, this gives you more opportunities to cut your grass when it’s dry to ensure for a clean mow and healthier, greener grass.
If you want to - mostly - avoid dealing with grass clumps altogether, using a grass catcher is the way to go.