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Grasscycling with Robomow®
What is Grasscycling?
Grasscycling is a proven, simple and natural approach to lawn care.
Grasscycling (grass-recycling) is the natural recycling of grass by leaving clippings on the lawn when mowing; the grass clippings are left on the lawn to decompose quickly, they contain 80-85% water and releasing valuable nutrients that returned back into the soil.
Grass clippings add beneficial organic matter to the soil, which provides free fertilizer and produces healthy, green lawns.
Grasscycling saves time, money, and protects the environment since the bagging and disposal of clippings is eliminated.
Grasscycling leads to a deeper, healthier root system that increases your lawn’s resistance to disease, drought and insects.
Benefits of Grasscycling with Robomow®
Saves Time
The average person spends 2 to 2.5 hours a week on lawn care during the growing season. With the Friendly Robotics Robomow you can set a weekly program and forget about mowing for the entire season!
You save the time and hassle of pushing the mower, raking, sweeping, bagging, and disposing of grass clippings.
Friendly Robotics Robomow will automatically depart at the day and time scheduled and when it’s done mowing it automatically returns to the Base Station to recharge and get ready for the next scheduled operation. The weekly program can be adjusted or reset at any time, if and when required.
Saves Money
Fertilization – Grasscycling reduces the amount of lawn fertilizer needed because the clippings provide about 1/4 of a lawn's annual needs. Free-falling clippings are free food for your lawn. Grass clippings act as a natural fertilizer. When clippings decompose, they release their stored nutrients back to the lawn. They contain nitrogen (as much as one-third of a lawn's total requirement), potassium and phosphorus, as well as lesser amounts of other essential plant nutrients. Since these nutrients are returned to the soil, you don't need to purchase fertilizer as often.
Water – When grasscycling the amount of water needed by lawns is reduced since the clippings are about 80 - 85% water. Grasscycling slows evaporation losses from the soil surface, and conserves water. Most lawns need less water when Grasscycling.
Taxes - Grasscycling means there’s no need to spend tax money on hauling grass to the landfill. The cost of trucking grass clippings to landfill sites comes out of residents’ tax dollars. This is a wasteful practice when all those nutrient-rich clippings could be fertilizing people s lawns, thereby saving money on fertilizers and water bills. Those same tax dollars could be spent on community services and programs rather than on the labor, trucks, fuel and precious landfill space used in grass disposal.
Helps the Environment
Grasscycling with Friendly Robotics Robomow is a simple, easy opportunity for every homeowner to do something good for the environment.
Save landfill space - Grasscycling is a responsible environmental practice and an opportunity for all homeowners to reduce their waste and to save landfill space. Grass clippings add 20% to 50% to the volume of residential waste between the months of March and September.
Save energy resources - Using Friendly Robotics Robomow you help save energy resources by eliminating the need to haul grass clippings to distant disposal sites.
Grasscycling enhances lawn tolerance to drought, slows evaporation losses from the soil surface, and conserves water. Reducing fertilizer and water usage means less runoff from your lawn that can lead to surface and groundwater pollution.
Save our air - Most of us don't think of garden equipment as causing much air pollution, but the small engines found in lawn mowers are actually a significant source of smog. Garden equipment engines emit high levels of carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides, producing up to 5% of the nation's air pollution. A conventional lawn mower pollutes as much in one hour as 40 late model cars.
So what's the solution? Friendly Robotics Robomow is battery-driven and can run for three hours between charges. It easy to start and requires no gas, oil, tune-ups or spark plugs, making them a bargain to maintain and there are no emissions.
Reduce noise pollution – the Friendly Robotics Robomow noise level is significantly lower than a conventional lawn mower, something that enables it to operate at any hour you want without disturbing the neighbors.
Enjoy a Healthier Lawn
By grasscycling you enrich the soil. The valuable nutrients released through grass cycling will make lawns greener and encourage a healthier stand of grass. Grass clipping decomposition can enhance soil microbial activity and add beneficial organic matter to the soil. Healthier lawns prevent erosion and may increase property values.
Improved Lawn Quality
Friendly Robotics Robomow is fully automatic mower that has an optimal combination of cutting parameters:
• Blades speed of 5,800 RPM
• Drive speed of up to 0.5 meter/sec
• Systematic area coverage algorithm; sets of triangles in different directions so every point in the lawn is mowed few times from different directions.
All of the above results in a high quality of mowing and a homogeneous beautiful looking lawn. When grass clippings are allowed to decay naturally on the lawn, they release valuable nutrients, add water-saving mulch and encourage natural soil aeration by earthworms.
Tips for Successful Grasscycling
Mowing
Lawn mower
Use a mower with a mulching system. Friendly Robotics Robomow was designed specifically for mulching, it has a well-designed mulching deck and blades that designed to lift up the grass and keep it suspended for repeated cutting (up to 10 times) before allowing it to fall back down to the ground as a natural fertilizer. It cuts grass into smaller clippings for faster decomposition into the soil and then moves them down as rapidly as possible.
Mowing frequency
One of the most important keys to Grasscycling is to mow more and cut less. Many lawn jockeys favor mowing once every week, usually on an otherwise quite Saturday. With grasscycling, lawns are mowed when the grass needs cutting, rather than sticking to an artificially imposed schedule.
With Friendly Robotics Robomow it’s easy as Robomow does all the work itself. Schedule your Robomow to automatically depart from the Charging Station whenever you like and as often as you like.
During the active growing season the mowing frequency should be increased to once every 5 days, before the grass is too long.
If the grass is long, cut off short amounts in several mowing rather than all at once. More frequent and proper cutting will also yield smaller grass clippings, which can readily filter down to the soil surface and decompose within days.
Cutting height
Follow the "1/3 rule:" mow the lawn often enough so that no more than 1/3 of the length of the grass blade is removed in any one mowing.
Proper mowing will produce short clippings that will not cover up the grass surface. You may have to cut the lawn more frequently, or double cut, when the lawn is growing fast, such as in the spring.
Any time the lawn is mowed, the plant's ability to photosynthesize and to produce carbohydrates essential for root growth is decreased. To maximize photosynthesis and reduce turf stress, remove no more than one-third of the leaf at one time.
If more than one-third of the leaf area is removed, root growth is temporarily slowed by the plant's inability to produce sufficient carbohydrates. If the lawn has been severely cut, the plant uses stored carbohydrates to produce new leaf growth. If the lawn is repeatedly cut too short, carbohydrate reserves will be depleted, weakening roots and predisposing the grass to weeds, diseases, insects, and drought injury.
Two common mowing mistakes are:
1. Many people mow their lawns too short.
This is a bad habit, one that promotes all kinds of problems, from excessive weed growth to pest and disease problems to rapid browning during periods of drought. Taller grasses produce healthier root systems and require less water because the longer-leaf blades serve as shade from the sun. A grass's root system grows about as deep as the leaf blades are tall.
2. Letting the grass grow too tall before it is mowed.
Don't wait until the grass is too high before mowing because the very act of mowing creates considerable stress on the grass, and it may take days for the grass to recover from the shock. If the grass gets too high, raise the cutting height, mow, and then gradually lower it over several mowing sessions.
This will also reduce shock to the plants from cutting too much at once. When cutting more than third of the grass height, let Robomow to run for more time than normally used to mow over the clippings a few times. This will further shred the clippings.
When to mow
Mow your lawn when the grass is dry. You have probably already noticed that wet grass cuts poorly. Damp clippings will cling to the blade causing ragged cuts; the mower deck (the blade housing) will become clogged, interfering with overall mowing; grass clippings will form unsightly clumps; and clippings won t be able to filter down to the soil surface.
Mow your lawn late in the day rather than during the heat of the day. It's far less stressful on the grass. This will prevent the newly cut grass from burning as well as give the clippings a chance to settle overnight.
Mowing direction
Vary the mowing direction. Grass tends to grow in the direction it is mowed. To prevent your lawn from appearing to lean one way or the other, vary your mowing direction each time you mow. This will keep your grass looking straighter. Friendly Robotics Robomow doing sets of triangles in different directions so every point in the lawn is mowed a few times from a variety of directions.
Blades
Keep your mower blades sharp. Sharp blades provide a clean, safe and efficient cut. Dull mower blades will tear and shred the tips of the grass, which can provide an entry point for disease organisms and weaken the grass plant. If your lawn looks dull after mowing, or perhaps turns straw-brown a day or two later, your mower blade is likely dull and causing damage.
Watering
Water deep and infrequently
Deep and infrequent watering will allow water to penetrate the top 6 to 8 inches of soil and will promote healthy root growth. Typical lawns should receive at least one inch of water per week. It also maximizes water-use efficiency and turf-grass quality. Deep, infrequent watering produces a deeper, extensive root system, which enables turf to resist disease and stress.
Light sprinkling is only beneficial for newly planted turf when the roots are developing in the very top portion of the soil. As turf is established, roots extend deeper into the soil. Light sprinkling will encourage root development only near the soil surface and stunt deeper root growth. Shallow root systems require frequent watering to keep the surface wet, creating an ideal environment for weeds and diseases.
Water uniformly
Lawns need uniform coverage to maintain their vigor and a healthy appearance. Brown spots in a lawn are often due to uneven coverage. It is a good idea to regularly check irrigation systems for even coverage. To determine the rate at which your sprinkler system applies water to your lawn, place several small containers (about two inches deep) in the area being watered. Run the system for 15 minutes, see if the containers fill evenly, then measure the depth of water in all of the containers and average them. Multiply the average by four to determine how much water is applied to the lawn per hour. Adjust sprinkler heads to avoid dry or soggy spots.
Do not over water
Too much water is not only wasteful but can also increase turf growth, which requires more frequent mowing. Saturated soil can cause poor soil aeration and, as a result, weaken turf making it vulnerable to diseases and invasions of weeds. Not enough water can cause turf to dry out. Let the soil partially dry out between watering. Water when the top two inches of soil have dried out. Use an object such as a screwdriver to probe your soil and measure the depth of the moisture.
Irrigate only when your lawn needs water
In general, your lawn needs water when the top two inches of soil have dried out. If footprints remain visible after walking on the lawn or if the grass has changed color or has started to wilt, you have withheld too much water.
Irrigate early in the morning
The best times to water are between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. in the morning. At these times, water use is most efficient, water loss from evaporation is minimal, and distribution is usually good because of good water pressure and limited wind. During the afternoon, water is wasted due to high evaporation rates. Do not water during the evening or pre-midnight hours because thatch and blades are susceptible to diseases, especially fungal diseases, if they are wet during cool nights.
Irrigation scheduling
Because there is so much variation among lawns, there is no one single answer for how much water to apply. Turf species, climate, and sprinkler output must be taken into account.
Get in the habit of watering every seven to 10 days during the growing season, maybe every three to five days in the middle of summer. Depending on your local water pressure and the type of sprinkler you're using, you may have to water for an hour to really soak the soil.
Avoid run-off
If you're trying to water a problem site, such as a slope or in soils that are heavily compacted, watch for runoff. To avoid wasting water, water the area a little bit until runoff begins, then stop, wait awhile, water again and repeat that process until the soil is thoroughly soaked.
Irrigation system
Check your irrigation systems regularly to avoid water runoff or over-spraying, especially if the lawn is on a slope. Look for broken, tilted, or clogged sprinkler heads, and adjust sprinkler heads to ensure even coverage.
Fertilizing
Proper fertilization is essential in maintaining a healthy lawn. However, over-fertilization can weaken a lawn by causing excessive and succulent top growth.
Lawn fertilizers are available in three basic types: synthetic quick-release; natural or organic slow-release; and a slow-release hybrid form that combines both synthetic and natural ingredients.
For moderate, even growth, use a combination of fast acting fertilizers (ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, or urea) and slow release nitrogen sources such as sulfur coated urea, urea formaldehyde, IBDU or organic fertilizers. Avoid using large quantities of fast acting fertilizers. These fertilizers produce very fast growth for short periods.
Whichever fertilizer you choose, get in the habit of fertilizing routinely. Ideally, lawns should be fed once in the spring just as the grass begins to grow vigorously, and again in the late summer or early fall. At the fall feeding, you won't get the instant green that spring feedings provide, but you'll be keeping your grass healthy because turf grasses have the ability to store food supplies during the winter months and draw from them once they begin to grow in the spring.
Aeration
Aeration is one of the most overlooked lawn-care practices, yet it improves the health of any lawn, especially those that have been neglected or compacted over the years. This opens up the soil and permits greater movement of water, fertilizer, and air by increasing the speed of decomposition of the grass clippings and enhancing deep root growth. Aeration machines are available for rent or hire from lawn-care services. A lawn might not look like much once it has been aerated, but by watering regularly, fertilizing and reseeding, it will bounce back in no time.
Do Grass Clippings Contribute to Thatch?
The most common issue people concern in grasscycling is letting the grass clipping lay on the lawn and not to bag them. Their concern is won't that contribute to thatch and make the lawn look bad? The answer to this question in a word is - NO!
But first, what is thatch?
Thatch is an intermingled organic layer of dead and living shoots, stems and roots that develops between the green vegetation and the soil surface. Thatch has high lignin content and resists microbial breakdown.
Thatch may cause the following problems:
1. Thatch tends to shed water, preventing its infiltration and creating localized dry spots.
2. Thatch can minimize the movement of air and fertilizers into the soil layer weakening the turf and making it more susceptible to insect and disease problems.
3. Diseases are enhanced by thatch.
4. Thatch can provide an ideal environment for turf damaging insects. Thatch is an ideal layer for disease-causing organisms to produce spores and other infectious bodies and build up. Thatch is also reported to attract chinch bugs.
Are there any benefits from thatch?
A moderate level of one-quarter to one-half inch thickness has the following advantages:
1. The grass is more tolerant of wear
2. The soil is less susceptible to compaction due to the cushioning effect
3. The layer of thatch acts as a mulch preventing accelerated drying of the soil surface
Causes of Thatch
Thatch accumulates because the growth of the roots, crowns and lateral stems exceeds their decomposition. Heavy nitrogen fertilizer applications or over watering frequently contribute to thatch, because they cause the lawn to grow excessively fast but prevents the development of those soil microbes responsible for the decomposition of thatch. Other factors that influence thatch and mat buildup include:
1. Soils with a pH above 7.2 or below 6
2. Heavy and salty soils.
3. The use of fungicides and other pesticides that kill or impede the growth of soil microbes and earthworms
Do grass clippings contribute to thatch?
In a word - NO!
Clippings and thatch are simply not connected; research has shown that grass roots are the primary cause of thatch, not grass clippings. Thatch is composed mainly of roots, stems and crowns; it results from the abnormally fast growth of roots and other plant tissues and is caused by improper fertilizing and watering. These plant materials contain large amounts of lignin and decompose slowly.
Grass clippings are very high in water content, approximately 85 percent water, with only small amounts of lignin, and decompose quickly leaving nitrogen and other beneficial nutrients for the turf.
Grass clipping should be left on the lawn because:
1. Nitrogen and other nutrients in clippings are recycled into the lawn. An additional 1 to 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 square feet (.5 to 1 kg per 100 square meters), as well as supplemental potassium, will usually need to be added each season where the clippings are removed.
2. The decomposition of clippings encourages beneficial earthworms and microbes responsible for the breakdown of thatch.
3. Bagging of clipping will be reduced or eliminated - clippings may be collected on occasion to add to your compost pile
4. The 4. The volume of yard waste that typically ends up at the local landfill is reduced by 25% by leaving grass clippings on the lawn. This helps preserve vital landfill space
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