# Clumped up grass clippings from heavy rain



## 95mmrenegade (Jul 31, 2017)

We have a yard that has some slope so we get water moving after every heavy rain. The rain picks up the grass clippings and clumps them into snake like piles across the yard. What is the best course of attack. I have tried blowing them with backpack blower but they are almost glued together and raking them with a metal leaf rake. Raking them in a 90 degree cross hatch and blowing them seems to work but it leaves the grass looking a mess.


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## SGrabs33 (Feb 13, 2017)

Yeah, these are my enemy in the spring with the heavy downpours. I rake them out but man that's a workout. Almost want a Swardman just because the scarifier looks like it wouldn't make easy work of them.


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## RayTL (Jun 4, 2018)

Right there with you ... Mine looks like a washboard. Rake seems to be the only tool that works well.


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## 95mmrenegade (Jul 31, 2017)

I am going to try a short bristle deck brush and see if that is any better. I will report back.


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## reidgarner (Jun 18, 2018)

Haha, I call those lines "natures dethatcher." Was just dealing with this today too. Set my groomer a little lower and it cleaned them up a little bit (or at least to where they aren't too noticeable from afar). Good news is in a month when the Bermuda is in full growth mode we won't be dealing with them anymore.


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## thesouthernreelmower (Aug 28, 2018)

I deal with them too. I broke them up with a rake, sucked them up with a push mower, then mowed the lawn with the reel. Pain in the rear.


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## NClawnnut78 (May 23, 2018)

yup same here.. Got a pic of my yard during a rain storm recently.... I was raking for 2 days. I want an allett with a scarifier. Swardman does not have a dealer near me at all.


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## smurg (May 30, 2018)

I busted mine up with my electric dethatcher, but if you already dethatched and don't want to stress out the lawn more, raking may be your only option (maybe a drag mat could work?).

Borrowed a neighbors rotary which sucked up the dispersed clippings quite well.


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## Brackin4au (Jun 13, 2018)

I have the issue as well. I've been doing the rake method, just frustrating bc I know those clippings are just going to pile up again next time it rains. This past time I actually pulled up the larger clumps by hand and trashed them, just to get rid of some of it. Any of the thin lines I don't bother trying to pick up though, just rake it out. It's definitely a pain to deal with, I agree.

By the way... I tend to call them "clipping dams"...


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## lavish_traveler79 (Apr 22, 2019)

Hey guys:

I just joined actually to ask this very same question. The past 18 months I've been having this issue every time it rains. Primarily in my backyard is where I get the pile of clippings as it's sloped more than my front yard. It also gets much more use from the dog running around all week. I try to leaf blow these lines of grass after each rain but it's growing tiresome. I seem to just be blowing the pile apart into other parts of the grass, and the next time it rains they all gather back together again. I tried bagging it for the first mow of the season which had me dumping 50+ bags of clippings, but apparently doing it once isn't enough. It's almost like I need a vacuum of some sort to suck them all up so I can start from scratch again.

From reading all of these posts, I guess I'm sort of stuck with leaf blowing and waiting for the next rain? It's just really thinning out my grass in areas as the clippings seem to be keeping the sun from growing my grass back as it should.



Any other ideas?

Thanks!


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## Symbiont01 (Nov 20, 2018)

Same here. I rake up as much as I can and the rest I use a blower on. Its a PITA, but it will all be worth it soon.


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## TC2 (Sep 15, 2017)

Put a shop vac on a suitable cart and attach a pole to the hose to use standing up. The cable would be a PITA though.


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## jimbeckel (May 27, 2018)

NClawnnut78 said:


> yup same here.. Got a pic of my yard during a rain storm recently.... I was raking for 2 days. I want an allett with a scarifier. Swardman does not have a dealer near me at all.


I have an Allett with a scarifier cartridge and it cleans up the bermuda snake patterns once they dry.


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## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

Scarifier would definitely scoop those right up


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## Steverino (Dec 14, 2017)

My pressure washer with a wide angle tip will make light work of this... I've had to use it to get sticky wet PRG off my driveway and discovered it brooms off the grass incredibly well without even disturbing my stripes... I know it will do well on the mounds of dried grass as well. It water sweeps any wet piles of PRG I have left behind. Second to that is dropping the groomer and multiple passes, but the power sweep of a pressure washer is great.
I usually do it real quick while I'm hitting the driveway and I really don't want the neighbors seeing me pressure wash my yard.... I did spot two ladies come across the street and touch the grass... when they saw me, they said they we confirming it was real grass... ha!


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## Wes (Feb 15, 2017)

I have found the following process to be effective at getting rid of the piles of clippings:

1. Run over them with my rotary mower (at lowest setting) with bag attached.
2. Lightly rake anything that wasn't originally sucked up by the mower.
3. Make another pass with the mower and bag the remaining clippings.

If you aren't sucking up the clippings, you will have the same problem the next time it rains. Also I typically only have this issue after scalping or if I violate the 1/3 rule.


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