Topic: Grass mulch

[terrier]

Any reason NOT to grass mulch round base of apple and pear trees. Just wondering if it would be detrimental to the tree in some way?

[goodlife]

I assume you mean grass clippings as mulch..there is no reason why you should not...though I would compost any that is treated with some chemicals separately.
Grass clippings mulch is perfectly good for the purpose, though if you use lot of it.., it can get bit smelly, slimy and hot.
I use mine by first putting down course and fibrous layer to 'soak' up the grass 'juices' and keeping the grass layer from turning 'bad'....this fibrous stuff could be straw, rakings of last years dead plants, crumbled up newspaper or cardboard. Oh, and try to keep bulk of the mulches away from the tree trunks.
All the mulch materials will all eventually end up making the soil underneath better and as result providing some 'feed'  too 

[artichoke]

Now that I use a scythe I have piles and piles of grass/hay to use as mulch. Last year I heaped it onto a very weedy bed and covered it with tarpaulin for several months. When I took it all off, the soil was soft and virtually clean, and with the addition of manure has grown a tremendous crop of beans and cucumbers. I am now mulching other beds for the winter.

[terrier]

Thanks for the reply,Goodlife. I've read loads about mulching fruit trees, all sorts of mulches being used, but no one seems to use grass cuttings. I thought maybe grass mulch was a no no but now I shall carry on using it with a clear conscience 

I wouldn't be without my Scythe, Artichoke, best tool ever invented, beats a brush cutter hands down.

[galina]

I sprinkle grass during the growing season several times for a bit of mulch, but not heavy enough for the grass to mat on the surface and cover the plants.  Slightly thicker on potatoes because the plants are strong enough to push through a thinnish layer of grass.  Grass rots down very fast and adds a boost of nitrogen as well as organic matter which helps with the soil structure and improves water holding capabilities of the soil.

At this time of year I add grass in thick layers on unused and coarsely dug areas of the garden.  It keeps weeds at bay and by spring it has almost disappeared.  We are on heavy clay and the grass mulch does help with lightening the soil (as does a good mulch with autumn leaves, I use both).  In spring the last few remnants get turned under with the final digging before sowing or planting.

As goodlife said, only use untreated grass.  I would gladly use our neighbours grass from their large plot, but they start every year with a moss and weed killer treatment and that does not go with vegetable growing.  It would need to be composted for quite a long time and just grass does not make a very good compost.  But supplemented with cardboard, paper and other 'brown materials', then left for a year it could still make a very useful addition to the garden.