A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Mulching

With the extended summer my grass is SO thick, and we collected bags and bags last time we mowed. Can I just use the grass to mulch my beds before winter, or must it be composted first? Obviously there's not time for it to cook. Is straight grass OK?

We always put our leaves on our flower beds after we rake them...I think that grass would be ok too.

only problem with using the grass is that you will get transplants and grass seedlings... do you want to spend that much time this spring weeding?

Yeah - I hear ya. I spend so much time with my backside up in the air and head down pulling weeds!! My neighbors don't recognize my face!
Most of the beds I want to mulch this way are my temporary holding beds that I have been starting perennials in, then will move to permanent spots next spring. I just wasn't sure if I would mess up the chemistry of the soil with uncomposted grass. Probably making much ado about nothing?!

it should be ok, as long as you don't turn the grass in. in the spring, remove the grass and put it in your compost bin. till then, it'll be fine for what you are wanting (since you don't mind weeding i hate weeding...