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Edging my lawn - what to do with the cuts?!

I want to edge my lawn to make it look neat and tidy - Ive bought a lawn edger tool to cut into the turf and cut away the edge inch or so.
Ive quickly realised that I am going to end up with LOTS of waste bits of turf/grass and don't know what to do with it image

Its not as though I can use it to sprinkle back over the beds as its got grass all over it.

Would anybody have any handy suggestions as to what I can do with it?

thanks a lot!

Nick

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Hi Nick- you can pile the pieces up in a corner somewhere if you have one. Put them grass side down and cover with some black plastic and they'll turn into workable soil for future use.Or, if you have a compost bin you can remove the grassy bits - put them in the green waste bin - and put the remaining soil in that, or just dig the soil into a bed or border. image

    If neither option is suitable then you'll just have to dump it as waste collections don't seem to want 'soil' in the green waste....go figure - as they say!  image 

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • GreencabGreencab Posts: 18

    On GW last week, some gardener, cant remember who, collected them and put them in a seed tray. Reason seemed to be to use the 'off cuts' to replace bald spots in the grass. Same grass so no matching needed.

    Not tried it myself, but seemed a good idea.

  • thanks for the tips. We've got quite a large lawn so Ill probably end up with quite a lot of off cuts image.  The problem I think ill encounter is that its quite hard to actually remove the grass from the turf. 

    mmm… perhaps somebody could use it on freecycle - you never know image

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Stacking and storing it to get some soil for next year is the best solution if you can manage it, but it does depend on what room you have and whether you can use it.

    I know what you mean about getting the grass stripped off though! I've lifted loads in the last year to make beds and borders here but I've stored it as described as I'll be able to use it in future. image

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • mmm… we've already got a big area for leaves and  compost. I may be able to make some more space perhaps 

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    In the unlikely event of my trimming the edges of my grass I'd put the bits on the compost heapimage



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • artjakartjak Posts: 4,167

    I enlarged a flower bed in the spring and though I know I should have stacked the turves to make wonderful loam, I just don't have the space for that kind of indulgenceimage So I tore the pieces up and distributed them in the compost bin. The grass was not flowering or about to set seed, so the compost bin is fine.

  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114
    Or you can put the off-cuts in an old plastic sack; seal it and leave it to rot down for six months and you will have some loam.
  • Compost heap, preferably at the bottom, otherwise grass will keep growing which would be a nuisance if spread over beds. Whatever you do you must kill the grass. The resulting soil/compost is great.

  • I trim back my lawn quite often as I have been reducing the size.  I like to return most garden waste to my soil so, with offcuts of turf, I bury it upside down, ensuring that it is covered in soil.  In time it breaks down and enriches the soil. 

    VJ

    http://gardeners-word.blogspot.com/2014/06/panoramic-view-of-small-garden.html

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