In the Garden with Pat Rubin

Bee garden writer Pat Rubin writes about everything that grows, from flowers and trees to vegetables and lawns. Pat volunteered for several years as a Placer County Master Gardener and has written about gardening for many national and regional publications. In addition to gardening, she spends time raising and showing miniature horses and miniature donkeys.

In the Garden will include news, events, advice and other gardening tidbits. Pat will also answer reader questions.

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March 31, 2008

Don't worry about thatch

Myth: Grass clippings cause thatch.

Answer: False. Grass clippings do not cause thatch.

In fact, leaving the clippings on your lawn is good for it. The clippings are high in water content, says Bruce Augustin, chief agronomist for the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company. They break down rapidly and add nutrients back to the soil.

The key, he says, is to time your mowings so you don’t mow too much off at one time. If you have your lawnmower set at three inches, mow the grass when it gets to four inches. Try to avoid mowing more than a third of its height off at one time.

And as for the dreaded thatch, it's a worry of the past, Augustin says.

“We just don’t see it or get many questions about it any more,” he says.

Thatch is a build-up of roots and stems. People don’t fertilize like they used to in the 50s, 60s or 70s, Augustin says, so there isn’t an excessive build up of slow-to-break-down stems and roots.

Bottom line: leave those clippings on the lawn, or if you must bag and remove them, turn them into compost.

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