# How do you dispose of your clippings?



## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

I'm newly landlocked due to new construction in my development and I've lost my clipping disposal area. Somebody is building a beautiful new house on what used to be an empty, weed-infested lot. The nerve. :lol:

I generate 2-3 HD yard waste bags every time I cut, and that's 3-4 times a week. As you can imagine, that piles up quick. I don't live within range of the nearest City's sanitation service and my regular trash hauler does not do yard waste.

So I know I'm not the only one on here in this situation. What do y'all do if you don't have anywhere on your property to compost these clippings?


----------



## krevo81 (May 29, 2019)

We've got a mulch/clippings/leaves can that's included with our trash and recycling. They alternate pickup of that can every other week with recycling. I usually fill that up in 3-4 mows so when it's full I mulch on the lawn. As soon as they empty it, I go back to bagging until it's full.

I also keep a garden in the back yard and use a 5x5 section of it to compost clippings, leaves and all our compost scraps under a tarp. There are spray recipes to help expedite the composting process to a few weeks, but I think your volume would be too much. One plus of composting the clippings is that I always have free dirt for the lawn and any plants or beds in the yard.


----------



## Durso81 (Apr 10, 2018)

Why not just mulch, clippings are good for the lawn free N.


----------



## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Durso81 said:


> Why not just mulch, clippings are good for the lawn free N.


I agree, but when you are cutting at low heights, I'm at .500", they don't just disappear like they would on a taller canopy. They tend to float during intense rainfall and gather in ugly clumps. Also, fresh clippings get tracked into the house, by all who use the lawn, and this upsets the Mrs.


----------



## JRS 9572 (May 28, 2018)

Tough problem. 
I've got a weekly pick up of yard debris with the household garbage and recycling.

You know if you have a neighbor that has a small garden or does compost....you could offer to give it to them.

I totally get collecting the clippings. I've never let it sit on the turf.


----------



## Durso81 (Apr 10, 2018)

MasterMech said:


> Durso81 said:
> 
> 
> > Why not just mulch, clippings are good for the lawn free N.
> ...


I get it I mow at 3/4" I just leave them and will use my blower to try and disperse any big clumps. Don't want to upset the Mrs.


----------



## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

JRS 9572 said:


> Tough problem.
> I've got a weekly pick up of yard debris with the household garbage and recycling.
> 
> You know if you have a neighbor that has a small garden or does compost....you could offer to give it to them.
> ...


I sure wish I had a weekly pickup option. It would help! I did try the free compost/mulch option. No takers. I'm not sure I'd use them on a vegetable garden as mulch with the regular apps of PGR and herbicides. Maybe after the full composting cycle. But no luck on convincing the neighbors to take up mushroom farming either.


----------



## JRS 9572 (May 28, 2018)

Yeah. Forgot about PGR. No telling what that would do to "maters."


----------



## ThomasPI (May 18, 2019)

Maybe free CL ad in garden section for free compost weekly etc?


----------



## w0lfe (Mar 19, 2018)

IDK.. With large lots, there are too many clippings to keep


----------



## AdamA (Jun 6, 2019)

MasterMech said:


> Durso81 said:
> 
> 
> > Why not just mulch, clippings are good for the lawn free N.
> ...


I found that out the hard way! I always thought that the mulching mowers were good, but now I have a lawn littered with just dried dead grass. Also not sure how to get that up, other than just raking with a light plastic tong rake ....


----------



## FlowRider (Apr 7, 2019)

The city I live in has heavy lawn debris pickup every two weeks, and you can toss grass clippings in the weekly trash pickup.

The heavy lawn debris (which includes grass clippings) has to be in clear plastic lawn bags. 15 bag maximum. Pay a fee....

I bag clippings because I usually have been spraying herbicides to finish rehabilitation of my lawn from the whack & hacks.


----------



## Hawgwild69 (May 1, 2018)

Thankfully I have enough property where I'm able to spread the clippings out. I only bag around 8,000 of my short grass that I use my reel mower on. I cut the other with my Grasshopper. I do have a pile of dead trees and other landscaping that needs to burn but we've had so much rain it's too wet.


----------



## BadDad (Mar 13, 2019)

I can put anything at the curb and the garbage company takes it away weekly. Whole trees, mattress, cans full of diapers, 20 bags after the spring scalp....

You have a burn pit for s'mores? Grass burns pretty quick.


----------



## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

I have 10 acres I could spread it on but I still dump it in the back of my truck. I then drive a few miles to a friends house and spread it out on a sandy road he has going through his pasture. @Hawgwild69 I have a burn pile also. I've been adding to it for 5 years now and haven't burned it. I'll have one heck of a bonfire one of these days.


----------



## Hawgwild69 (May 1, 2018)

J_nick said:


> I have 10 acres I could spread it on but I still dump it in the back of my truck. I then drive a few miles to a friends house and spread it out on a sandy road he has going through his pasture. @Hawgwild69 I have a burn pile also. I've been adding to it for 5 years now and haven't burned it. I'll have one heck of a bonfire one of these days.


The last time I burned mine it was pine trees that broke off during a huge ice storm. People thought that it was a house fire as the flames could be seen from over a mile away! LOL, it was a hot one!


----------



## samjonester (May 13, 2018)

Do you have the option of getting another trash can? Our city has a trash contract and will give you a second can to add to your regular pickup for a one-time $50 fee.


----------



## FlaDave (Jul 10, 2018)

My work let's me toss stuff in their dumpster.


----------



## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

I just bag and set out on trash day. Our trash company will take just about anything. I did feel bad when I first scalped and I tossed all the bags in the truck and took them myself to the dump. Now if I have a lot for the normal trash pickup I go out and toss the guys a $20 for the extra work from time to time. Funny how my trash bins are always placed upright where others may end up anywhere 

Heck just last week a neighbor set out what looked like a queen size mattress (top and bottom) and they took it. You just have to tell them in advance if its bulk items...


----------



## Brackin4au (Jun 13, 2018)

I had the same thing happen to me @MasterMech i was dumping in the empty lot beside me for a long time. I have to largest lot in the subdivision and the one beside me was actually the smallest, so it was the last picked haha. Then somebody finally started building and I was stuck. Luckily I researched and found out that we had a weekly yard debris pick up, on a different day than regular trash. I never knew because it's on Monday's and I'm at work so I never saw it come through.... good luck finding your solution, I know those clippings pile up very quickly..


----------



## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

So there is some resolution here. The local transfer station is kinda on my way to work. I can easily divert that way one day a week and lose few bags of clippings. Not too bad other than having to hang onto the clippings for a week.


----------

