Only grass as a mulch?

[Hyacinth]

Well, this is a very basic question :-[

I'm going to have lots of clear spaces in my borders and shrubberies this year. My soil is (improving) heavy clay, I shan't be watering,  and it is already baked hard. My muck man hasn't called this year & I've no access to a straw supply. I have a constant supply of grass clippings, guaranteed chemical free,  from the work I do.

So can I bring these home, drench the borders, etc. first,  and start mulching with these?

Pros and cons, please?

btw. my own grass clippings, soft garden debris etc. go on the compost heap and eventually make lovely soil for the veggie patches but I really do want to cover the exposed soil in the borders etc. now.

Many thanks.

[Hyacinth]

[isbister]

I get a constant supply of grass clippings too - last year I mulched all my potatoes with it, basically it got baked and turned into straw, as I dug the potatoes up I threw it on the compost heap. Worked well. Would recommend. As a rule I  think grass clippings make a good mulch - not very attractive though.

[grawrc]

I think it's only a problem if they are too thick then they go slimey and yucky. :o :o

[Hyacinth]

Thanks ever such a lot both for answering..I really don't know the chemistry of this....like Modom Controller  :P my general experience is that it goes 'slimey and yucky'.......so am I doing damage to borders that contain.....purple sage, berries (various) ie black/red/.white currant & gooseberries....roses and assorted perennials ie osteospermums, etc. in between? I'd normally be filling the spaces with home-grown stuff, but this year not.....and then the shrubberies?

Take Isbister's comments on board....I'm actually not conccerned about the aesthetics this year, but AM concerned about damaging the structure of the soil (and possibly, dunno? creating a deficiency in this or that?) for next year - and the years after....

Again, thanks for any input.....off-cuts of carpet always the exception ;D

[OllieC]

The council dump their cuttings from a big park beside our plot. Last year I gathered up loads & used as a mulch - it made a lovely baked crust on the top & kept things nice & moist underneath. Later on & this year I've had loads of grass growing from seeds in it - even though I avoided the later clippings. Just something to look out for as it's easily turned over & dies (& competes with the couch & Ground Elder!).

[louise stella]

Well Bob Flowerdew swears by it and i'd use it if I couldn't get anything else!  But layer it thinly and build it up to avoid slimey bits! Oh! - and water the earth first!

Louise

[Hyacinth]

And if it's good enough for Bob Flowerdew (my Hero!) it's good enough for me 8)......yes, take the points of scattering thinly, well-watering first, oh! and weeding grass forever more...I'll give it a try, starting this week :)

Thanks again.

[Robert_Brenchley]

As long as you use no more than a few inches of fairly fresh grass, you won't have any problems. The only difficulties I've had were when I used squelch which had already gone slimy. Only the toughest plants can grow through this, but it's really good for the few things like rhubarb that can, or for putting round fruit bushes.

[Hyacinth]

loads of fruit bushes in that border....yep! going to go for it..

[mikey]

And if it's good enough for Bob Flowerdew (my Hero!) it's good enough for me 8)......yes, take the points of scattering thinly, well-watering first, oh! and weeding grass forever more...I'll give it a try, starting this week :)

Thanks again.

Lish,
is your hair as pretty as Bob's  ;)

grass cuttings, we use them all the time, as folks have already said, not too thick +/- 3 inch about right. We put them a bit thicker under our Leylandii hedge.

The worms love it, but the Birds, who are hunting the worms throw it all over the lawns and driveway ... no big deal just a bit of tidying up now and again

Mikey