Our lush climate means lawns are thick and vibrant nearly all year long. So much so that Seattle was dubbed the Emerald City in 1981 and the name stuck. Mowing, weeding, tilling, and edging are a chore, to be sure, but thanks to lawn care professionals like Spring-Green these things can be done with maximum efficiency.

The Spring-Green staff and owner Mike Bell, consider themselves “personally invested in the health of your lawn. We take pride in the work we do to beautify the community, because it’s our home too.”

Mike Bell
Spring-Green owner Mike Bell is an expert at knowing when and how to fertilize, prune, water, and maintain yards and green-spaces. Photo courtesy: Spring-Green

“When you collect the clippings, you’re robbing your lawn of valuable nutrients,” Bell explains. “While we strongly recommend not catching the clippings after a fertilizer application for a few mowings, it is actually a good idea to leave the clippings after every mowing. Some of your Spring-Green fertilizer stays on and in the blades of grass, so when you collect the clippings you are not receiving the full value of your fertilizer. Estimates by agronomists suggest that as much as one third of your lawn’s nitrogen requirement is supplied by the breakdown of clippings.”

Master gardeners and scientists alike agree, “How can you save time on lawn care chores, money on fertilizer, pay lower water bills and help the environment? By doing less and relaxing more in your garden…Instead of raking and disposing of cut grass from mowing, consider letting clippings lie on the lawn. Clippings break down quickly and encourage beneficial microorganisms and earthworms that digest thatch and maintain healthy soil…Studies show that it takes less overall time to mow more often and leave clippings on the lawn, compared to mowing weekly and bagging clippings.”

Researchers at Oregon State University report add that “Unless you’ve let the lawn grow excessively long, or the clippings are in thick clumps, grass clippings are a good source of nutrients. Leaving clippings helps save fertilizer costs and thereby prevents ground and surface water contamination…Grass clippings contain up to the equivalent per weight of 3-4 percent nitrogen, .5 percent phosphorus and 2.5-3.5 percent potassium.”

Spring-Green Lawn Care
Keeping Washington green isn’t as difficult as you think. Save yourself the work of raking by mulching in your lawn clippings and fallen leaves. Photo credit: Kathryn Millhorn

And mulching, instead of bagging, protects the environment, groundwater, and your aching back.

A healthy lawn also prevents moss, the bane of Northwest gardeners, but needs help balancing the acidity of ever-present evergreens through applications of lime. These regional tips are why hiring a professional is key. Spring-Green offers service packages on a seasonal basis to keep your yard thriving and your sciatic nerve intact.

But don’t worry that mulching is messy. “While removing the clippings may give your lawn a more ‘manicured’ look, they do not stay around long enough to be a problem,” continues Bell. “Clippings are 80% to 90% moisture. When they dry up, they disappear. Plus, think of the toil and trouble you avoid by not having to empty the mower bag or dispose of the clippings, that’s a win-win in my book!”

Lawn Care Tacoma
The experts at Spring-Green Lawn Care know that a healthy lawn doesn’t have to mean back-breaking work…especially if you hire a Northwest professional. Photo courtesy: Spring-Green

To schedule an appointment, call Spring-Green at 360-438-2885 or 877-438-2885. You can also enter your address to find neighborhood discounts on their website. Spring-Green services Thurston, Lewis, Pierce, and southern Mason counties.

Like the Thurston County Local Hazardous Waste Program, many counties encourage a philosophy of “cut it high, let it lie.” By partnering with Spring-Green’s knowledgeable staff, your backyard oasis can be truly magical.