When you think about it, grazing animals cut the grass, process it, and deposit some fertilizer back on the ground where it was grown. Choose a mulching-type mower deck, or simply allow clippings to exit the mower onto the lawn will reduce the need for inputs each year. You will want to watch for thatch build up, which can be a problem in some areas, and rake it out if it builds up top thick. In a nicely balanced yard, earthworms and other invertebrates will make good use of the clippings and they can also add organic matter to the soil.
If you are installing a new lawn, check with experts in your area for lawn seed mixes that are lower maintenance and more drought tolerant to reduce your water and mowing investment even further. These days many folks enjoy incorporating White Dutch Clover, violets and other broadleaf species in their lawns as well.
Special thanks to Yanmar tractors for their support of this content.
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Hank Will raises hair sheep, heritage cattle and many varieties of open-pollinated corn with his wife, Karen, on their rural Osage County, Kansas farm. His home life is a perfect complement to his professional life as editor in chief at GRIT and Capper’s Farmer magazines.
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