Clippings from reel mower driving me nuts, getting into flower beds (lawns, landscaping)

[motifone]

I have been using a Fiskars push mower on our small front lawn the past four months. Generally, I am happy with the cut and I tend to cut high, even though it does tend to mat the grass down some. There is no catch bag to collect the clippings on the Fiskars model, so I have made due leaving the cuttings on the grass (not a big deal, pretty invisible and good for the grass). And then, sweeping up grass on the sidewalk and driveway -- a bit more time consuming (and this is getting old)

Now we have just completed our small backyard landscaping and have two areas of grass to cut out there as well. My weedwacker + mower is the only way to cut the areas, as the spaces are small. But the lack of a catch bag is now more of a problem. The cuttings are flying out the front of the mower into the gardens, all over the mulch and onto the patio. Sweeping around the patio furniture is a PITA and clippings on the new mulch looks lousy, and will only look increasingly worse as they accumulate. I've tried setting up cardboard barriers around the gardens to prevent clippings from entering it, but this is also a big pain. Tried a leaf blower for clean up and that just makes a bigger mess. Picking grass out of mulch every week - forget about it.

FIskars unfortunately doesn't make a catch bag. Any ideas on how to jerry-rig one or any other creative ways to cut the grass with this reel mower.

Otherwise, I might have to trade it in for a gas mower with a bag.

[Bulldogdad]

I would say its your landscape design that is the problem. I think you going to need a standard bagger mower. Why put grass into small space that you cant mow effectively. I would say pull out the grass and be done with the years of hassle.

[motifone]

Thanks for the feedback. We like having the grass and don't mind the upkeep. We live in a condo and had a chance to see a hardscape without grass and it's pretty dreary looking. The grass is good for the kids.

Agreed though that a bag lawnmower is probably required here. This reel mower spits clippings out the front, and it's probably not the best tool for the layout of our yard.

[no kudzu]

I can't imagine that the grass clippings look bad for very long. If you are mowing regularly the clippings should be pretty short and will decompose even if on the mulch. Short of getting a bagged mower I can't think of a solution and I have years of experience as designer. Could you possibly mow so the clippings all go in the same direction and then you gather them up?

[wabanaki]

good post from no kudzu.

"Otherwise, I might have to trade it in for a gas mower with a bag."
if you live in the condo, find a place to keep gas mower will be a challence, why not electric mower.

[motifone]

thanks for feedback no kudzu. true, after a few days the clippings dry and don't look so bad in the mulch (although I blocked the bulk of it with a cardboard partition). i hadn't mowed in a couple weeks, so it was probably excessive this weekend (I usually mow once a week). I try to mow in the same direction, but sometimes with a reel mower if you always mow in the same direction, some areas get matted down over time.

I asked Fiskars btw and they are making a catch bag for 2011.

I'll experiment some more and see how it goes.

[WyoNewk]

If you're talking about very small areas, I'd consider astro turf. I know of a couple people who have done their whole (large) lawn with it this year. I think it's something fairly new....

[texdav]

Well then you are going to have to decide between the reel mower and one with a grass catcher really.I mean that or putup with the porblem at elast unitl it wilts into more like mulch.

[no kudzu]

I''ve designed plenty of yards with postage size turf areas. I call them weed eater lawns which means they are cut with a wacker and are too small to mess with a mower. Sounds like what you have.

With a weed eater you can pretty much direct most of the clippings. If this lawn is really that small and it really bothers you why not keep a sheet or tarp to lay over the mulch and take care of it that way. Then you could create a little compost pile of clippings or dispose of them another way. Good Luck

[motifone]

thanks no kudzu. By weed eater, do you mean weed wacker? I'm trimming some areas successfully with that, thanks. Is cutting grass with a weed wacker (the string) more stressful on the grass than with a blade (mower)? Just curious.