{"id":111154,"date":"2025-02-24T12:20:36","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T15:20:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/?p=111154"},"modified":"2025-02-24T12:26:06","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T15:26:06","slug":"mulching-vs-side-discharge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/","title":{"rendered":"Mulching vs. Side Discharge: The Best Way to Deal with Grass Clippings"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>You may have wondered about the best way to deal with grass clippings. Mulching and side discharge are both popular options that return clippings to your lawn.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p>However, homeowners and pros alike prefer one over the other for different reasons. In the battle of mulching vs. side discharge, which comes out on top?<\/p>    <p>We\u2019ll tell you right now: It all depends on what you want out of your grass clippings, how much time you have, and how much effort you\u2019re willing to put into mowing. Let\u2019s take a look at the differences between mulching and side discharge so you can figure out which method of handling lawn trimmings suits you best.<\/p>   <div class=\"wp-block-ub-table-of-contents-block ub_table-of-contents\" id=\"ub_table-of-contents-26e08ff3-12ab-4ace-81e8-b32db5cc3972\" data-linktodivider=\"false\" data-showtext=\"show\" data-hidetext=\"hide\" data-scrolltype=\"auto\" data-enablesmoothscroll=\"false\" data-initiallyhideonmobile=\"false\" data-initiallyshow=\"true\"><div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-header-container\" style=\"\"> \t\t\t<div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-header\" style=\"text-align: left; \"> \t\t\t\t<div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-title\" style=\"\">In this article, we\u2019ll cover:<\/div> \t\t\t\t \t\t\t<\/div> \t\t<\/div><div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-extra-container\" style=\"\"> \t\t\t<div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-container ub_table-of-contents-1-column\"> \t\t\t\t<ul style=\"\"><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/#0-what-is-mulching-and-why-should-i-do-it\" style=\"\">What is Mulching and Why Should I Do It?<\/a><ul><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/#1-pros-of-mulching-lawn-clippings\" style=\"\">Pros of Mulching Lawn Clippings<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/#2-cons-of-mulching-lawn-clippings\" style=\"\">Cons of Mulching Lawn Clippings<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/#3-what-is-side-discharge-and-why-should-i-do-it\" style=\"\">What is Side Discharge and Why Should I Do It?<\/a><ul><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/#4-side-discharge-pros\" style=\"\">Side Discharge Pros<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/#5-side-discharge-cons\" style=\"\">Side Discharge Cons<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/#6-is-mulching-better-than-side-discharge\" style=\"\">Is Mulching Better Than Side Discharge?<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/#7-faqs-about-mulching-vs-side-discharge\" style=\"\">FAQs About Mulching vs. Side Discharge<\/a><\/li><\/ul> \t\t\t<\/div> \t\t<\/div><\/div>   <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"0-what-is-mulching-and-why-should-i-do-it\">What is Mulching and Why Should I Do It?<\/h2>    <figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/grass-cuttings.jpg\" alt=\"Grass clippings in lawn\" class=\"wp-image-88778\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/grass-cuttings.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/grass-cuttings-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/grass-cuttings-646x430.jpg 646w, https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/grass-cuttings-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/grass-cuttings-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicdomainpictures.net\/en\/view-image.php?image=24085&amp;picture=grass-cuttings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PublicDomainPictures<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>    <p>A mulching mower (or mulching attachment) chops up your grass clippings into tiny pieces to help them decompose faster on your lawn. The small pieces of grass (mulch) fall onto your lawn as you mow. Mulching lawn mowers have closed decks, while converted mowers have chute covers that keep the grass inside the mower deck until they\u2019ve been chopped up.<\/p>    <p>This table details the pros and cons of mulching your grass clippings:<\/p>    <figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Mulching Pros<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Mulching Cons<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>\u2713<\/strong> Returns nutrients to your lawn<br><strong>\u2713<\/strong> Faster than bagging<br><strong>\u2713<\/strong> Clippings look cleaner when mulched compared to side discharge<br><strong>\u2713<\/strong> Safer than side discharge<\/td><td>\u2717 Not ideal for tall or wet grass<br>\u2717 Need to clean mower more often<br>\u2717 Tall grass strains the mower<br>\u2717 Slower than side discharge<br>\u2717 Doesn\u2019t cut as cleanly as side discharge<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>    <p>Let\u2019s go over these points in detail.<\/p>    <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-pros-of-mulching-lawn-clippings\">Pros of Mulching Lawn Clippings<\/h3>    <p><strong>\u2713 Returns nutrients to your lawn:<\/strong> The main <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulch-grass-clippings-healthy-lawn\/\">benefit of mulching grass clippings<\/a> is that you\u2019re returning nutrients to your lawn<strong> <\/strong>every time you mow. The experts at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.canr.msu.edu\/resources\/mowing-lawn-turf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Michigan State University Extension<\/a> say that returning grass clippings to your lawn (a process also known as <strong>grasscycling<\/strong>) can cut down on fertilizer use by as much as <strong>1 pound per 1,000 square feet <\/strong>every year. That\u2019s a lot of free nutrients!<\/p>    <p><strong>\u2713 Faster than bagging:<\/strong> Another reason to mulch your lawn clippings is to cut down on mowing time. It\u2019s not the fastest way to deal with grass clippings while you mow, but it\u2019s faster than emptying or replacing your grass catcher bag when you bag your clippings.<\/p>    <p><strong>\u2713 More aesthetically pleasing:<\/strong> If you need to leave clippings on your lawn, mulching them is the better option in terms of aesthetics \u2014 at least, when it comes to the clippings themselves. Smaller clippings blend into the lawn<strong> <\/strong>and don\u2019t sit on top of the grass, so your lawn looks cleaner than if you side discharge.<\/p>    <p><strong>\u2713 Safer than side discharge:<\/strong> Lastly, mulching your lawn clippings is safer than side discharge. While mowing, any rocks and debris can get under the mower deck. With side discharge, this debris can get flung out at high speeds. The closed mower deck required to mulch lawn clippings makes this less likely to happen.<\/p>    <p><strong>See Related:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/how-to-improve-lawn-mulch\/\">How to Improve Your Lawn With Mulch<\/a><\/p>    <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-cons-of-mulching-lawn-clippings\">Cons of Mulching Lawn Clippings<\/h3>    <p><strong>\u2717 Can\u2019t mow wet or tall grass:<\/strong> You can\u2019t mow and mulch clippings if your grass is wet or too tall. Mowing your grass while wet is already bad (read why here: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mowing-lawn-when-wet\/\">Why Mowing a Lawn When Wet Is (Usually) Bad<\/a>), but using a mulching mower on wet grass will make it clump up. At best, the mower will spit out clumps of wet grass; at worst it will clog the mower.<\/p>    <p><strong>\u2717 Need frequent cleaning:<\/strong> Mulching mowers are more prone to building up gunk underneath the mower deck, so they need to be cleaned more often. This is especially true if you\u2019re trying to mow wet grass and tall turf.<\/p>    <p><strong>\u2717 Tall grass strains the mower:<\/strong> Mowing tall grass with the intention of mulching puts strain on the mower. The lawn mower has to work harder to chop up longer pieces of grass, and as a side effect, it\u2019ll also take you even longer to mow your lawn. Tall grass mowed with mulching blades also won\u2019t be cut cleanly.<\/p>    <p><strong>\u2717 Mulching is slower than side discharge:<\/strong> Compared to side discharge, mulching is slower. You have to give the mower time to cut up the grass clippings and drop them onto your lawn. If you go too fast, you may end up with an uneven spread of grass clippings on your lawn.<\/p>    <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-what-is-side-discharge-and-why-should-i-do-it\">What is Side Discharge and Why Should I Do It?<\/h2>    <figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mulching-grass.jpg\" alt=\"Red Lawn mower cutting grass\" class=\"wp-image-128489\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mulching-grass.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mulching-grass-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mulching-grass-656x437.jpg 656w, https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mulching-grass-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mulching-grass-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.istockphoto.com\/photo\/red-lawn-mower-cutting-grass-gardening-concept-gm1132875675-300498841?clarity=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">iStockPhoto<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>    <p>A lawn mower with side discharge takes the grass clippings and expels them out a side port or chute as you cut your grass. Usually, these grass clippings are ejected several feet away.<\/p>    <p>This table shows the pros and cons of side discharge:<\/p>    <figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Side Discharge Pros<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Side Discharge Cons<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>\u2713<\/strong> Faster mowing times<br><strong>\u2713<\/strong> Good-quality, clean cut even on tall and wet grass<br><strong>\u2713<\/strong> Even distribution of grass clippings<br><strong>\u2713<\/strong> Stripes better than mulching<\/td><td>\u2717 Can shoot clippings into unwanted places<br>\u2717 More likely to shoot debris<br>\u2717 Grass clippings look messier and won\u2019t decompose as fast<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>    <p>Now, let\u2019s dive deeper into these bullet points.<\/p>    <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-side-discharge-pros\">Side Discharge Pros<\/h3>    <p><strong>\u2713 Faster mowing time:<\/strong> The most compelling reason to switch to side discharge is just how fast it is compared to both mulching and bagging. You don\u2019t have to worry about bagging or distributing your mulched lawn clippings evenly, as everything is spewed out of the mower. All you need to do is mow.<\/p>    <p><strong>\u2713 Provides a nice, clean cut:<\/strong> Next, side discharge results in a cleaner cut, even if your grass is tall and overgrown or after a rain shower. The force required to expel the grass clippings is strong enough to dislodge wet and long lawn clippings. The cleaner cut of a side discharge mower is also better for lawn stripes, if you like that look. (And if you do, we have a guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/how-add-stripes-lawn-grass\/\">How to Add Stripes to Your Lawn Like a Pro<\/a>.)<\/p>    <p><strong>\u2713 Even distribution of grass clippings:<\/strong> Lastly, side discharge distributes the grass clippings more evenly as long as you keep mowing at a steady pace. You might need to take a rake to your clippings once in a blue moon, though. Otherwise, the clumps of grass might choke your lawn, resulting in brown spots.<\/p>    <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"5-side-discharge-cons\">Side Discharge Cons<\/h3>    <p><strong>\u2717 Shoots clippings everywhere:<\/strong> The number one disadvantage of side discharge is how the grass clippings can get into places they shouldn\u2019t be: flower beds, walls, driveways, streets, and even your neighbor\u2019s yard. At best, this leads to a mess; at worst, you may be flinging weed seeds into your landscaping and your neighbor\u2019s lawn.<\/p>    <p>There are ways to prevent \u2014 or at least control \u2014 the discharge:<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong>Operator-controlled discharge chutes (OCDC) <\/strong>offer a way for homeowners to stop the mower from ejecting grass clippings for a short period.<\/li>    <li><strong>Chute blocks or block-off plates <\/strong>are used to block the side discharge temporarily. Some can be opened at an angle to allow side discharging closer to the mower.<\/li>    <li>Simply <strong>changing the direction of your mower <\/strong>will prevent grass clippings from getting spewed onto unwanted spaces.<\/li> <\/ul>    <p><strong>Note: <\/strong>Some areas will fine you (usually for littering) if you leave lawn trimmings on the street or the road. Lawn clippings can also be dangerous to motorcyclists when left on the road (read why here: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/lawn-clippings-deadly-danger-motorcyclists\/\">Lawn Clippings Can Pose Deadly Danger to Motorcyclists<\/a>).<\/p>    <p>So, if you don\u2019t want to get in trouble with your neighbors (or worse, the authorities), make sure to blow grass clippings back onto your lawn if they\u2019re discharged outside of your property.<\/p>    <p><strong>\u2717 Shoots rocks and dangerous debris:<\/strong> Grass clippings aren\u2019t the only thing that can come flying out of a side discharge chute. Side discharge can also chuck out rocks<strong> <\/strong>and other debris several feet away at fast speeds. It\u2019s not much of a problem if you hit a wall, but it can injure others if the debris hits them. As a safety measure, close the lawn to pets and people (especially children) while you mow.<\/p>    <p><strong>\u2717 Makes your lawn look messier:<\/strong> Lastly, grass clippings stand out on your lawn more. They might even stay on top of the grass instead of filtering down to the soil. Aside from being less pleasing aesthetically, these longer clippings also break down less quickly and return nutrients slower than those that were mulched. They may not even decompose if they don\u2019t reach the soil.<\/p>    <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"6-is-mulching-better-than-side-discharge\">Is Mulching Better Than Side Discharge?<\/h2>    <figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mulch-leaves-1.jpg\" alt=\"mulching autumn leaves\" class=\"wp-image-128483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mulch-leaves-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mulch-leaves-1-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mulch-leaves-1-656x435.jpg 656w, https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mulch-leaves-1-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/mulch-leaves-1-768x510.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicdomainpictures.net\/en\/view-image.php?image=222766&amp;picture=mulching-autumn-leaves\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PublicDomainPictures<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>    <p>As we said earlier, it all depends on you \u2014 your wants, time, and willingness to put in effort \u2014 that determines whether mulching or side discharge is better for you.<\/p>    <p>If you and your lawn have the following attributes, you may find that side discharge will be the more attractive choice:<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong>Large yard space. <\/strong>If you have a large yard, the speed and ease of side discharging will ensure you don\u2019t spend your whole afternoon mowing. A large lawn also means you\u2019re less likely to get your grass clippings in places they shouldn\u2019t be.<\/li>    <li><strong>Overgrown grass. <\/strong>Whether you like to go a longer time in between mowings or if you\u2019ve accidentally let your lawn grow out too much, side discharge will be better for you. However, we do recommend following the one-third rule (cutting off only 1\/3 of your grass\u2019s total height at a time) if you can. Learn more here: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/lawn-mowing-tips-cut-grass\/#6-set-the-perfect-grass-height\">One-Third Rule<\/a>.<\/li>    <li><strong>Wet turf. <\/strong>If it rains a lot in your area, you may be better off with side discharge, as your lawn will almost always be wet. You can also opt for side discharge if you can\u2019t wait for your lawn to dry off.<\/li>    <li><strong>Little time. <\/strong>If you\u2019re someone who doesn\u2019t have a lot of time to spare, side discharge will probably work best for you, as it\u2019s the fastest way to deal with lawn trimmings. Side discharge also works best for homeowners who can only mow their lawns every two weeks, especially during your turf\u2019s peak growing season.<\/li> <\/ul>    <p>On the other hand, mulching your lawn clippings might be the better option for you if you and your lawn have these qualities:<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong>Small yard space. <\/strong>Mulching is better for smaller yards, as it\u2019s not likely to spray grass clippings onto your walls, landscape beds, driveway, or neighboring property.<\/li>    <li><strong>Frequent mowing schedule. <\/strong>Since the grass is less likely to be tall and overgrown when you mow weekly (or even more frequently), mulching mowers have less difficulty chopping up the lawn clippings.<\/li>    <li><strong>Conscious about turf health. <\/strong>Your lawn will benefit a lot from the free nutrients returned from decomposing clippings. Opting to mulch your lawn also means committing to mowing your lawn more frequently, which means you\u2019re more likely to follow the one-third rule.<\/li>    <li><strong>More free time. <\/strong>You don\u2019t have much to lose except for time if you opt to mulch your clippings. You get a neater lawn and free fertilizer; what\u2019s not to love?<\/li> <\/ul>    <p>Most of the time, you won\u2019t have to buy a whole new mower just to convert from mulching to side discharge or vice versa. Many modern lawn mowers offer both (some also offer bagging), either built-in or sold separately as attachments. But if you are in the market for a new lawn mower that can do it all, you can take a look at our <strong>best lawn mower reviews<\/strong> for some ideas:<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/reviews\/best-lawn-mowers\/\">Best Lawn Mowers<\/a><\/li>    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/reviews\/best-mulching-lawn-mowers\/\">Best Mulching Lawn Mowers<\/a><\/li>    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/reviews\/best-lawn-mowers-big-yards\/\">Best Lawn Mowers for Big Yards<\/a><\/li>    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/reviews\/best-lawn-mowers-for-small-yards\/\">Best Lawn Mowers for Small Yards<\/a><\/li> <\/ul>    <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"7-faqs-about-mulching-vs-side-discharge\">FAQs About Mulching vs. Side Discharge<\/h2>    <div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1739935925056\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Do Grass Clippings Make Thatch Worse?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">You may have heard that leaving grass clippings on your lawn contributes to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/signs-lawn-has-too-much-thatch\/\">excessive thatch buildup<\/a>. Thatch is the layer of living and dead organic material that accumulates between your grass and the soil\u2019s surface. Being made out of grass leaves, lawn clippings should contribute to thatch, right? It sounds like a reasonable assumption.<br\/><br\/>However, that simply isn\u2019t true. It was \u2014 and still is \u2014 a common belief, but grass clippings don\u2019t contribute to lawn thatch buildup. Many experts, including those at the <a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umn.edu\/lawn-care\/what-do-lawn-clippings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">University of Minnesota Extension<\/a>, say that lawn clippings break down too fast to significantly affect thatch production.<br\/><br\/><strong>See Related:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/what-is-thatch\/\">What is Thatch in Your Lawn?<\/a><\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1739935935357\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">When Should I Remove Clippings From the Lawn?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Sometimes, leaving grass clippings on your lawn isn\u2019t the ideal choice. You might not want to leave grass on your lawn if:<br\/><br\/><strong><strong>\u2022<\/strong><\/strong> <strong>Your turf is diseased. <\/strong>Grass trimmings can spread diseases. Make sure to deal with lawn diseases as soon as you can (or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/landscaping\/lawn-treatment\">hire a lawn treatment professional<\/a> to do it for you). Learn how to treat common lawn diseases with our article here: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/common-lawn-diseases\/\">Common Lawn Diseases and How to Identify Them<\/a>.<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> <strong>There\u2019s too much of it.<\/strong> Like all things, an excessive amount of grass clippings left on the lawn can smother your turf and lead to brown spots. Usually, this becomes an issue if you aren\u2019t keeping on top of your lawn mowing duties.<br\/><strong><strong>\u2022<\/strong><\/strong> <strong>Your lawn is newly seeded. <\/strong>The new grass is too delicate to handle the weight of the trimmings.<br\/><strong><strong>\u2022<\/strong><\/strong> <strong>Your lawn needs dethatching. <\/strong>And it\u2019s not because the clippings will add to the thatch. The clippings can\u2019t decompose if the thatch layer is too thick because it can\u2019t reach the soil microorganisms that break them down, says the <a href=\"https:\/\/extension2.missouri.edu\/g6958\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">University of Missouri Extension Service<\/a>.<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> <strong>Your lawn is overrun with weeds. <\/strong>You might cut weed seed heads, which can make your weed problem worse.<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> <strong>You have children or pets. <\/strong>They might eat the grass, which isn\u2019t too bad unless they\u2019re not yet dried or if they have been sprayed with lawn treatments. (You can read more about that here: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/grass-clippings-sicken-horses-pets-livestock\/\">Grass Clippings Can Sicken Horses, Pets, Livestock<\/a>.) Also, they might track the clippings indoors after playing in your yard, which makes a mess.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1739935948607\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What Else Can I Use Grass Clippings For?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\"><strong>\u2022<\/strong> <strong>Add them to your compost pile. <\/strong>Grass clippings make an excellent \u201cgreen\u201d waste material that adds nitrogen to your compost pile. Read our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/composting-101-how-to-start-your-first-compost-pile\/\">guide to composting<\/a> to learn more. <strong>Note: <\/strong>Don\u2019t compost grass clippings from grass that has been recently treated with herbicides. Don\u2019t compost if you have a lot of weeds either.<br\/><br\/>Your local community may also offer <strong>curbside composting<\/strong>, so you won\u2019t have to worry about composting them yourself.<br\/><br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> <strong>Use them as mulch elsewhere in your garden. <\/strong>Grass clippings are a source of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/where-to-get-free-mulch\/\">free mulch<\/a>. Just make sure they\u2019re dry before using them as mulch.<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> <strong>Bag and dispose. <\/strong>If your lawn has too many weeds, then just bag your clippings and dispose of them.\u00a0<br\/><br\/>However, not all states allow you to throw away your grass clippings in the trash. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.compostingcouncil.org\/page\/organicsbans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">US Composting Council<\/a>, <strong>the following states limit or ban the disposal of yard clippings<\/strong>:<br\/><br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Arkansas<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Delaware<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Florida (only allowed in landfills with gas collection systems)<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Georgia (only allowed in landfills with gas collection systems)<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Illinois<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Indiana<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Iowa (only allowed in landfills with gas collection systems)<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Maryland<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Michigan<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Minnesota<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Missouri<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Nebraska (only allowed in landfills with gas collection systems)<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> New Hampshire<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> North Carolina<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Ohio<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Pennsylvania<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Rhode Island<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> South Carolina<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> South Dakota<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> West Virginia<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Wisconsin<br\/><br\/><strong>Note: <\/strong>Your local county or municipal authorities also may have banned grass clippings from being thrown in the trash, even if they aren\u2019t banned statewide.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>    <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"8-hire-a-lawn-care-pro-for-a-clean-cut\">Hire a Lawn Care Pro for a Clean Cut<\/h2>    <p>Mulching and side discharge both have their strengths and weaknesses. One of their main differences is the amount of time it takes to complete a mowing session. Side discharge is fast, while mulching is slower (but more helpful to your lawn). But what if you don\u2019t have time to mow your lawn at all?<\/p>    <p>Leave it to LawnStarter\u2019s lawn maintenance pros. We will connect you with a capable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/lawn-care\">local lawn care pro<\/a> from our network of professionals. They\u2019ll come in weekly \u2014 or whenever you want \u2014 to give your lawn a clean cut, and they can handle weeding, fertilizing, and more, too. All it takes is a few clicks to get your free quote.<\/p>   <div class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle wp-block-ub-content-toggle-block\" id=\"ub-content-toggle-block-7b919506-116f-4588-955d-87e3060a05eb\" data-mobilecollapse=\"false\" data-desktopcollapse=\"true\" data-preventcollapse=\"false\" data-showonlyone=\"true\"> <div class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle-accordion\" style=\"border-color: #f1f1f1; \" id=\"ub-content-toggle-panel-block-\"> \t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle-accordion-title-wrap\" style=\"background-color: #f1f1f1;\" aria-controls=\"ub-content-toggle-panel-0-7b919506-116f-4588-955d-87e3060a05eb\" tabindex=\"0\"> \t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle-accordion-title ub-content-toggle-title-7b919506-116f-4588-955d-87e3060a05eb\" style=\"color: #000000; \">Sources:<\/p> \t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle-accordion-toggle-wrap right\" style=\"color: #000000;\"><span class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle-accordion-state-indicator wp-block-ub-chevron-down\"><\/span><\/div> \t\t<\/div> \t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle-accordion-content-wrap ub-hide\" id=\"ub-content-toggle-panel-0-7b919506-116f-4588-955d-87e3060a05eb\">  <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canr.msu.edu\/outreach\/index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Michigan State University Extension<\/a><\/li>    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umn.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">University of Minnesota Extension<\/a><\/li>    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.missouri.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">University of Missouri Extension<\/a><\/li>    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.compostingcouncil.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">US Composting Council<\/a><\/li> <\/ul>  <\/div> \t\t<\/div> <\/div>   <p>Main Image Credit:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/stock.adobe.com\/images\/lawnmover-at-work-in-a-meadow\/113298116?asset_id=113298116\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">danimages<\/a>&nbsp;\/ Adobe Stock<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Side discharge is faster, but doesn\u2019t offer free nutrients like mulching lawn clippings does. Learn more about mulching vs. side discharge in this article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":157,"featured_media":128486,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[9],"class_list":["post-111154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lawn-care-2","tag-lawn-care"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/grass-clippings.jpeg?wsr","author_info":{"display_name":"Janine Caayao","author_link":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/author\/janine-caayao\/"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mulching vs. Side Discharge: How to Deal with Grass Clippings<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Side discharge is faster, but doesn\u2019t offer free nutrients like mulching lawn clippings does. Learn more about mulching vs. side discharge in this article.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mulching vs. Side Discharge: How to Deal with Grass Clippings\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Side discharge is faster, but doesn\u2019t offer free nutrients like mulching lawn clippings does. Learn more about mulching vs. side discharge in this article.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Lawnstarter\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-02-24T15:20:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-02-24T15:26:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/grass-clippings.jpeg?wsr\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"801\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Janine Caayao\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Janine Caayao\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Janine Caayao\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/33379e54d840eb01b42aa7509968b8ec\"},\"headline\":\"Mulching vs. Side Discharge: The Best Way to Deal with Grass Clippings\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-24T15:20:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-24T15:26:06+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2709,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/grass-clippings.jpeg?wsr\",\"keywords\":[\"lawn care\"],\"articleSection\":[\"General Lawn Care\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"WebPage\",\"FAQPage\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\\\/\",\"name\":\"Mulching vs. Side Discharge: How to Deal with Grass Clippings\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/02\\\/grass-clippings.jpeg?wsr\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-24T15:20:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-24T15:26:06+00:00\",\"description\":\"Side discharge is faster, but doesn\u2019t offer free nutrients like mulching lawn clippings does. 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Now, she\u2019s interested in urban gardening with her family. She loves finding new tips and tricks to keep their plants thriving.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/janine-caayao\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\\\/#faq-question-1739935925056\",\"position\":1,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\\\/#faq-question-1739935925056\",\"name\":\"Do Grass Clippings Make Thatch Worse?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"You may have heard that leaving grass clippings on your lawn contributes to <a href=\\\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/signs-lawn-has-too-much-thatch\\\/\\\">excessive thatch buildup<\\\/a>. Thatch is the layer of living and dead organic material that accumulates between your grass and the soil\u2019s surface. Being made out of grass leaves, lawn clippings should contribute to thatch, right? It sounds like a reasonable assumption.<br\\\/><br\\\/>However, that simply isn\u2019t true. It was \u2014 and still is \u2014 a common belief, but grass clippings don\u2019t contribute to lawn thatch buildup. Many experts, including those at the <a href=\\\"https:\\\/\\\/extension.umn.edu\\\/lawn-care\\\/what-do-lawn-clippings\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\" rel=\\\"noreferrer noopener\\\">University of Minnesota Extension<\\\/a>, say that lawn clippings break down too fast to significantly affect thatch production.<br\\\/><br\\\/><strong>See Related:<\\\/strong> <a href=\\\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/what-is-thatch\\\/\\\">What is Thatch in Your Lawn?<\\\/a>\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\\\/#faq-question-1739935935357\",\"position\":2,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\\\/#faq-question-1739935935357\",\"name\":\"When Should I Remove Clippings From the Lawn?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Sometimes, leaving grass clippings on your lawn isn\u2019t the ideal choice. You might not want to leave grass on your lawn if:<br\\\/><br\\\/><strong><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong><\\\/strong> <strong>Your turf is diseased. <\\\/strong>Grass trimmings can spread diseases. Make sure to deal with lawn diseases as soon as you can (or <a href=\\\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/landscaping\\\/lawn-treatment\\\">hire a lawn treatment professional<\\\/a> to do it for you). Learn how to treat common lawn diseases with our article here: <a href=\\\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/common-lawn-diseases\\\/\\\">Common Lawn Diseases and How to Identify Them<\\\/a>.<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> <strong>There\u2019s too much of it.<\\\/strong> Like all things, an excessive amount of grass clippings left on the lawn can smother your turf and lead to brown spots. Usually, this becomes an issue if you aren\u2019t keeping on top of your lawn mowing duties.<br\\\/><strong><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong><\\\/strong> <strong>Your lawn is newly seeded. <\\\/strong>The new grass is too delicate to handle the weight of the trimmings.<br\\\/><strong><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong><\\\/strong> <strong>Your lawn needs dethatching. <\\\/strong>And it\u2019s not because the clippings will add to the thatch. The clippings can\u2019t decompose if the thatch layer is too thick because it can\u2019t reach the soil microorganisms that break them down, says the <a href=\\\"https:\\\/\\\/extension2.missouri.edu\\\/g6958\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\" rel=\\\"noreferrer noopener\\\">University of Missouri Extension Service<\\\/a>.<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> <strong>Your lawn is overrun with weeds. <\\\/strong>You might cut weed seed heads, which can make your weed problem worse.<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> <strong>You have children or pets. <\\\/strong>They might eat the grass, which isn\u2019t too bad unless they\u2019re not yet dried or if they have been sprayed with lawn treatments. (You can read more about that here: <a href=\\\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/grass-clippings-sicken-horses-pets-livestock\\\/\\\">Grass Clippings Can Sicken Horses, Pets, Livestock<\\\/a>.) Also, they might track the clippings indoors after playing in your yard, which makes a mess.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\\\/#faq-question-1739935948607\",\"position\":3,\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\\\/#faq-question-1739935948607\",\"name\":\"What Else Can I Use Grass Clippings For?\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> <strong>Add them to your compost pile. <\\\/strong>Grass clippings make an excellent \u201cgreen\u201d waste material that adds nitrogen to your compost pile. Read our <a href=\\\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/composting-101-how-to-start-your-first-compost-pile\\\/\\\">guide to composting<\\\/a> to learn more. <strong>Note: <\\\/strong>Don\u2019t compost grass clippings from grass that has been recently treated with herbicides. Don\u2019t compost if you have a lot of weeds either.<br\\\/><br\\\/>Your local community may also offer <strong>curbside composting<\\\/strong>, so you won\u2019t have to worry about composting them yourself.<br\\\/><br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> <strong>Use them as mulch elsewhere in your garden. <\\\/strong>Grass clippings are a source of <a href=\\\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lawnstarter.com\\\/blog\\\/lawn-care-2\\\/where-to-get-free-mulch\\\/\\\">free mulch<\\\/a>. Just make sure they\u2019re dry before using them as mulch.<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> <strong>Bag and dispose. <\\\/strong>If your lawn has too many weeds, then just bag your clippings and dispose of them.\u00a0<br\\\/><br\\\/>However, not all states allow you to throw away your grass clippings in the trash. According to the <a href=\\\"https:\\\/\\\/www.compostingcouncil.org\\\/page\\\/organicsbans\\\" target=\\\"_blank\\\" rel=\\\"noreferrer noopener\\\">US Composting Council<\\\/a>, <strong>the following states limit or ban the disposal of yard clippings<\\\/strong>:<br\\\/><br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> Arkansas<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> Delaware<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> Florida (only allowed in landfills with gas collection systems)<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> Georgia (only allowed in landfills with gas collection systems)<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> Illinois<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> Indiana<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> Iowa (only allowed in landfills with gas collection systems)<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> Maryland<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> Michigan<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> Minnesota<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> Missouri<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> Nebraska (only allowed in landfills with gas collection systems)<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> New Hampshire<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> North Carolina<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> Ohio<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> Pennsylvania<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> Rhode Island<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> South Carolina<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> South Dakota<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> West Virginia<br\\\/><strong>\u2022<\\\/strong> Wisconsin<br\\\/><br\\\/><strong>Note: <\\\/strong>Your local county or municipal authorities also may have banned grass clippings from being thrown in the trash, even if they aren\u2019t banned statewide.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Mulching vs. Side Discharge: How to Deal with Grass Clippings","description":"Side discharge is faster, but doesn\u2019t offer free nutrients like mulching lawn clippings does. Learn more about mulching vs. side discharge in this article.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Mulching vs. Side Discharge: How to Deal with Grass Clippings","og_description":"Side discharge is faster, but doesn\u2019t offer free nutrients like mulching lawn clippings does. Learn more about mulching vs. side discharge in this article.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/","og_site_name":"Lawnstarter","article_published_time":"2025-02-24T15:20:36+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-02-24T15:26:06+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":801,"url":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/grass-clippings.jpeg?wsr","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Janine Caayao","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Janine Caayao","Est. reading time":"13 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/"},"author":{"name":"Janine Caayao","@id":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/33379e54d840eb01b42aa7509968b8ec"},"headline":"Mulching vs. Side Discharge: The Best Way to Deal with Grass Clippings","datePublished":"2025-02-24T15:20:36+00:00","dateModified":"2025-02-24T15:26:06+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/"},"wordCount":2709,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/grass-clippings.jpeg?wsr","keywords":["lawn care"],"articleSection":["General Lawn Care"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["WebPage","FAQPage"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/","url":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/","name":"Mulching vs. Side Discharge: How to Deal with Grass Clippings","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/grass-clippings.jpeg?wsr","datePublished":"2025-02-24T15:20:36+00:00","dateModified":"2025-02-24T15:26:06+00:00","description":"Side discharge is faster, but doesn\u2019t offer free nutrients like mulching lawn clippings does. 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Now, she\u2019s interested in urban gardening with her family. She loves finding new tips and tricks to keep their plants thriving.","url":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/author\/janine-caayao\/"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/#faq-question-1739935925056","position":1,"url":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/#faq-question-1739935925056","name":"Do Grass Clippings Make Thatch Worse?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"You may have heard that leaving grass clippings on your lawn contributes to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/signs-lawn-has-too-much-thatch\/\">excessive thatch buildup<\/a>. Thatch is the layer of living and dead organic material that accumulates between your grass and the soil\u2019s surface. Being made out of grass leaves, lawn clippings should contribute to thatch, right? It sounds like a reasonable assumption.<br\/><br\/>However, that simply isn\u2019t true. It was \u2014 and still is \u2014 a common belief, but grass clippings don\u2019t contribute to lawn thatch buildup. Many experts, including those at the <a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umn.edu\/lawn-care\/what-do-lawn-clippings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">University of Minnesota Extension<\/a>, say that lawn clippings break down too fast to significantly affect thatch production.<br\/><br\/><strong>See Related:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/what-is-thatch\/\">What is Thatch in Your Lawn?<\/a>","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/#faq-question-1739935935357","position":2,"url":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/#faq-question-1739935935357","name":"When Should I Remove Clippings From the Lawn?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Sometimes, leaving grass clippings on your lawn isn\u2019t the ideal choice. You might not want to leave grass on your lawn if:<br\/><br\/><strong><strong>\u2022<\/strong><\/strong> <strong>Your turf is diseased. <\/strong>Grass trimmings can spread diseases. Make sure to deal with lawn diseases as soon as you can (or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/landscaping\/lawn-treatment\">hire a lawn treatment professional<\/a> to do it for you). Learn how to treat common lawn diseases with our article here: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/common-lawn-diseases\/\">Common Lawn Diseases and How to Identify Them<\/a>.<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> <strong>There\u2019s too much of it.<\/strong> Like all things, an excessive amount of grass clippings left on the lawn can smother your turf and lead to brown spots. Usually, this becomes an issue if you aren\u2019t keeping on top of your lawn mowing duties.<br\/><strong><strong>\u2022<\/strong><\/strong> <strong>Your lawn is newly seeded. <\/strong>The new grass is too delicate to handle the weight of the trimmings.<br\/><strong><strong>\u2022<\/strong><\/strong> <strong>Your lawn needs dethatching. <\/strong>And it\u2019s not because the clippings will add to the thatch. The clippings can\u2019t decompose if the thatch layer is too thick because it can\u2019t reach the soil microorganisms that break them down, says the <a href=\"https:\/\/extension2.missouri.edu\/g6958\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">University of Missouri Extension Service<\/a>.<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> <strong>Your lawn is overrun with weeds. <\/strong>You might cut weed seed heads, which can make your weed problem worse.<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> <strong>You have children or pets. <\/strong>They might eat the grass, which isn\u2019t too bad unless they\u2019re not yet dried or if they have been sprayed with lawn treatments. (You can read more about that here: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/grass-clippings-sicken-horses-pets-livestock\/\">Grass Clippings Can Sicken Horses, Pets, Livestock<\/a>.) Also, they might track the clippings indoors after playing in your yard, which makes a mess.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/#faq-question-1739935948607","position":3,"url":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/mulching-vs-side-discharge\/#faq-question-1739935948607","name":"What Else Can I Use Grass Clippings For?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"<strong>\u2022<\/strong> <strong>Add them to your compost pile. <\/strong>Grass clippings make an excellent \u201cgreen\u201d waste material that adds nitrogen to your compost pile. Read our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/composting-101-how-to-start-your-first-compost-pile\/\">guide to composting<\/a> to learn more. <strong>Note: <\/strong>Don\u2019t compost grass clippings from grass that has been recently treated with herbicides. Don\u2019t compost if you have a lot of weeds either.<br\/><br\/>Your local community may also offer <strong>curbside composting<\/strong>, so you won\u2019t have to worry about composting them yourself.<br\/><br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> <strong>Use them as mulch elsewhere in your garden. <\/strong>Grass clippings are a source of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/lawn-care-2\/where-to-get-free-mulch\/\">free mulch<\/a>. Just make sure they\u2019re dry before using them as mulch.<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> <strong>Bag and dispose. <\/strong>If your lawn has too many weeds, then just bag your clippings and dispose of them.\u00a0<br\/><br\/>However, not all states allow you to throw away your grass clippings in the trash. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.compostingcouncil.org\/page\/organicsbans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">US Composting Council<\/a>, <strong>the following states limit or ban the disposal of yard clippings<\/strong>:<br\/><br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Arkansas<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Delaware<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Florida (only allowed in landfills with gas collection systems)<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Georgia (only allowed in landfills with gas collection systems)<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Illinois<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Indiana<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Iowa (only allowed in landfills with gas collection systems)<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Maryland<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Michigan<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Minnesota<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Missouri<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Nebraska (only allowed in landfills with gas collection systems)<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> New Hampshire<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> North Carolina<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Ohio<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Pennsylvania<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Rhode Island<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> South Carolina<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> South Dakota<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> West Virginia<br\/><strong>\u2022<\/strong> Wisconsin<br\/><br\/><strong>Note: <\/strong>Your local county or municipal authorities also may have banned grass clippings from being thrown in the trash, even if they aren\u2019t banned statewide.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/157"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111154"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111154\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}