Should I Catch, Mulch or Discharge My Grass?

Some people have a very specific need for their particular property and they know exactly what configuration they require for their mower, but it is not uncommon for some people to be a little bit unsure what the best choice would be, or even what all the options really mean.

Lets take a few minutes to break down each option and what they really mean.

Catching

It’s generally accepted that catching your grass offers the best possible visual finish. If you have a nice tidy lawn and you desire that famous ‘manicured carpet’ type of look then catching your grass is probably a wise choice for you.

When done with the right mower in the right conditions a caught lawn will be completely free from clippings, meaning you can walk on your lawn without dragging any grass in to the house on the bottom of your shoes. It’s an excellent way to keep your property looking supremely tidy, and it also means you don’t need to worry about which direction you’re mowing because you are not throwing clippings in any direction.

Some mowers are designed and built purely for the purpose of collecting grass, whereas other mowers offer a catching kit at an additional price that can be bolted on to the mower at any time. Some mowers rely on the speed of the blades to throw the grass up a chute and in to the bag/box, whereas other mowers have a special blower system that is essentially sucking the grass up like a vacuum cleaner. All of these options will produce different results, particularly in challenging conditions such as when the grass is wet, so make sure you speak with your ride-on specialist and get a clear understanding of the differences.

There are some downsides to catching your grass to be aware of. First of all, generally speaking, you will pay more for a catching mower. Mowers that will catch grass in tough conditions require a higher budget, if you buy a cheap catching mower you will likely be disappointed with the results once the grass has some moisture in it. Secondly, catching the grass is only half the job, you now have to have somewhere to dump it all, so make sure you have thought about the logistics here.

It is not uncommon for people to contact us looking for a catching mower and then end up buying a non-catching mower because the results they are looking for can be achieved in other ways. Catching grass is a great way of doing things, but make sure you’ve had a proper conversation with your ride-on mower specialist to determine that it is definitely the best choice for you.

Side Discharge

This is the most common configuration that you will see on the majority of ride on mowers. It quite simply means that instead of catching the clippings in a bag/box and dumping them, you are instead spreading the clippings back in to the lawn, usually via a discharge chute on the side of the deck.

This is certainly the fastest way to mow so if time is of importance to you this might be the best option. Since you are not having to slow down to allow the catcher system to do its job, you can usually utilize the full speed of the mower and knock your lawn down in the most efficient way possible.

Some people are put-off side discharge because they want to avoid ‘wind-rows’ of grass clippings. This is definitely a fair consideration but much of this can be solved with the right mower ie one that has the horsepower, blade type and deck shape to vigorously throw and spread the grass across the lawn evenly, which essentially hides the clippings and can look extremely tidy when done right.

The downside of course with discharging the grass is that you have to think about which direction you are facing in order to avoid throwing grass on to garden beds, vehicles, buildings etc. Mostly this problem can be avoided by simply putting some thought in to your mowing pattern, but if you cant stand the idea of some grass clippings around your property then you may want to consider other options.

Side discharge is the most common choice for ease and simplicity, and unless you have a real genuine need to catch the grass it’s usually the advised route.

Mulching

If you cant decide between catching or side discharge, there is an option that gives you some of the best of both worlds. Mulching utilizes a plug to block off the side discharge chute and a different style set of blades to more finely cut the grass and then hide the clippings back in your lawn. This is different from side discharging it because you are not throwing the grass out the side, you are dropping the tiny clippings back directly under the deck.

Mulching can be a great option because when done in the right conditions with the right mower it can be virtually impossible to visually tell the difference from a caught lawn. The difference is although you cant see them the clippings are there, so you will still drag grass in on the bottom of your shoes. If you want the caught look without the caught hassle, consider mulching.

The problem with mulching is that it only works if you are giving your lawn a haircut, rather than a full mow down. Its generally advised with mulching that you should only be taking the top third of your grass off, so you really need to be on top of your mowing for it to look perfect. If you are prone to leaving your grass too long between mows, we would advise against mulching as it can produce a ‘clumpy’ result in long grass.

There are some mowers out there that allow you to swap between side discharge and mulching fairly easily. There even some mowers that allow you to change between all 3 configurations, but there is always a trade off so as always our advice is to seek the expert help of a ride-on mower specialist and have them demonstrate and explain these differences.

Happy mowing!