Is it better to mulch grass or to use regular blades and blow the grass out the side chute?
I own a John Deere Z225 mower with a mulching kit and mulching blades. I mow 6 to 8 lawns a week and lately I've had a lot of problems with the cutting quality. I've had to mow over the grass twice because it's so long and afterwards there are still clumps. Is it better to take off the mulching deck and blow the grass out the side chute of the mower or will this make an even bigger mess? I'm tired of going over the grass twice. Also, if I were to take off the mulching kit, would I put the regular blades on?
The beauty of mulching is that you don't usually have to do any raking or clean-up. And also you are blasting the chopped up nutrients back into the lawn.
If you are having to go back over the lawn twice, it sounds as if your blades are not sharp enough and maybe you are not mowing often enough.
I always make sure my blades are sharpened - I do it myself - because there is nothing more frustrating than trying to mow with dull blades. I mow 8 lawns and sharpen my blades at least once a week.
I don't mow my lawns once a week ; I mow when needed, weather permitting, and try not to let the grass get ahead of me. Another thing, make sure that the underside of your deck is kept clean. Blow out any accumulated clippings with a hose as often as needed ; preferably when the clippings are still "fresh".
I would never go back to side discharge. Too often you have to rake and dispose of the clippings. This is not only time consuming and a pain in the neck , it also robs the lawn of good nutrients.
If you take off the mulching kit , you can leave the mulching blades on. They work fine.
Hope this helps you out !
