Amazing Things You Can Do With Grass Clippings

As lawn care picks up in the growing season—spring and fall for cool-season grasses and summer for warm-season ones—so does the accumulation of grass clippings.

While many homeowners bag and discard them, these seemingly insignificant scraps of green hold surprising value.

With a bit of creativity and practical knowledge, you can repurpose grass clippings to improve your lawn, garden, and even benefit your pets and home.

Let’s take a closer look at the many smart, sustainable ways you can make the most of your grass clippings.

What Exactly Are Grass Clippings?

Grass clippings are the fine pieces of grass cut by a lawnmower during routine mowing. They’re rich in water and packed with essential nutrients—primarily nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Because they break down quickly, they’re an excellent organic material that returns value to your soil almost immediately.

The size of your clippings depends on your mowing habits. Following the “one-third rule”—never cutting more than one-third of your grass height at a time—will produce small, manageable clippings that break down efficiently and evenly.

1. Grasscycling: Feed the Lawn Naturally

Grasscycling is the simplest and most environmentally friendly use of grass clippings. Instead of collecting them in bags, leave them on the lawn after mowing. They’ll settle into the turf and break down quickly, feeding the soil with nutrients and retaining moisture.

Benefits of Grasscycling:

• Reduces fertilizer needs: Nitrogen-rich clippings feed your lawn naturally.
• Improves moisture retention: A thin layer helps reduce water evaporation from the soil.
• Saves time and effort: No bagging, hauling, or dumping required.
• Supports soil health: Beneficial microbes thrive when organic matter is consistently replenished.

Grasscycling Tips:

• Mow frequently to avoid clumping.
• Only cut dry grass.
• Keep mower blades sharp for clean cuts.
• Don’t mow more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time.

2. Mulch Garden Beds and Borders

Clippings make an excellent, no-cost mulch for garden beds, shrubs, and vegetable patches. Spread them in a thin layer (1–2 inches) around plants. This layer prevents weed growth, insulates the soil, and improves texture over time.

Why Use Grass Clippings as Mulch?

• Suppresses weeds by blocking sunlight to weed seeds.
• Keeps roots cool in the summer and warm during cooler months.
• Prevents soil erosion from heavy rain or watering.
• Adds nutrients as the clippings break down.

Important: Always dry the clippings slightly before using them as mulch. Wet, clumpy layers can create mold or unpleasant odors.

3. Add to Your Compost Pile

Grass clippings are a rich source of green (nitrogen-rich) material, which helps speed up composting. When mixed with brown (carbon-rich) materials like dry leaves, cardboard, or straw, they create the perfect environment for microbes to break everything down into dark, crumbly compost.

Best Practices:

• Mix grass clippings into the pile to prevent matting.
• Combine with shredded leaves, paper, or sawdust to balance moisture.
• Avoid adding clippings treated with herbicides.
• Turn the pile regularly for proper aeration and breakdown.

Over time, you’ll produce a well-balanced compost ideal for garden beds, potted plants, or lawn topdressing.

4. Supplement Livestock Feed (With Caution)

If you raise small livestock like goats, rabbits, or guinea pigs, fresh grass clippings can serve as a supplemental food source. However, they must be untreated and handled with care.

Guidelines for Feeding Clippings to Animals:

• Only use clippings from chemical-free lawns.
• Feed shortly after mowing or dry them thoroughly into hay.
• Introduce gradually to avoid upsetting digestion.
• Don’t let clippings sit in a pile, where they can ferment and become harmful.

Well-dried grass clippings can also be mixed with hay or other forage, helping to reduce feed costs for small farms.

5. Brew Liquid Fertilizer

Turn your clippings into a nutrient-rich liquid fertilizer (or “compost tea”) that’s great for feeding vegetables, shrubs, and flower beds.

How to Make It:

1. Fill a bucket about halfway with fresh clippings.
2. Top off with water, covering the clippings completely.
3. Cover loosely and let it sit in a shaded spot for 1–2 weeks.
4. Stir occasionally to help fermentation.
5. Strain the mixture, dilute it (1 part tea to 5–10 parts water), and pour it around the base of your plants or spray it on leaves.

This homemade fertilizer boosts plant growth, especially during active growing periods.

6. Build a Lasagna Garden

A lasagna garden—also known as sheet composting—is a no-dig garden bed created by layering organic materials that decompose directly into nutrient-rich soil.

How to Start:

• Lay down cardboard or newspaper to suppress weeds.
• Add alternating layers of green materials (like grass clippings and food scraps) and brown materials (leaves, straw, cardboard).
• Water each layer lightly as you build.
• Let the bed sit for several weeks before planting, or build it in the fall and plant in spring.

Grass clippings in this system provide essential nitrogen, helping the other layers break down into a fertile planting medium.

7. Make Pet and Livestock Bedding

Grass clippings can also serve as bedding for animals. When dried thoroughly, they create a soft, natural layer that keeps pens comfortable.

Steps:

1. Collect clippings and dry them in a sunny, breezy area for a couple of days.
2. Spread them in pens or enclosures to create a 6-inch bedding layer.
3. Fluff occasionally to prevent compaction.
4. Replace regularly and compost the soiled material to reuse as fertilizer.

Avoid using clippings from chemically treated lawns. Bedding made from untreated clippings is biodegradable, sustainable, and cost-effective.

8. Use as Natural Dye

Surprisingly, you can extract natural dyes from grass clippings to color fabric, yarn, or paper in soft green or earthy brown tones.

Dye-Making Instructions:

• Simmer about 1 pound of clippings per 4 oz. of fabric in water for 1–2 hours.
• Strain the liquid to create a dye bath.
• Add pre-wetted natural fabric and simmer for an hour, adjusting the time for color intensity.
• Rinse thoroughly and air-dry out of direct sunlight.

This eco-friendly dyeing method works well on cotton, wool, and silk. It’s a great project for hobbyists, crafters, and those looking to reduce chemical use in art materials.

Final Thoughts

Grass clippings are more than just lawn waste. From fertilizing your garden to feeding your animals and enriching your soil, they’re a valuable resource hiding in plain sight. With these practical, eco-friendly ideas, you can reduce waste, save money, and enhance your home’s sustainability—all by making smarter use of something you were probably throwing away.