The John Deere 717 model, a 48-in. commercial mower with a 19-hp, air-cooled Kawasaki gas engine, can be fitted with high-lift blade (comes standard), the John Deere mulching blade and the John Deere Tricycler??????oe mulch kit.

Back in 1990, the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation (MPR) department tested a prototype mulching mower with a recycling deck by Toro, quickly discovering that the mulching feature cut the number of man hours and number of mowers necessary to meet turf maintenance requirements on its 5,000 acres. MPR was on a 10-day cutting rotation, but found that during the spring the cutting crews could not get to the same locations within 10 days, plus the higher grass could often not be cut in one pass. MPR reported the grass cutting went smoother with the mulching mowers. The crews had to cut a little slower, but they were not double cutting.

The SCAG Cougar utility mower comes with the Mulch Master Mulching system as standard equipment and is easily converted to side discharge when needed.

Because the equipment is self-contained, the crews found they could cut nearer the athletic fields and play areas when people were present, not having to worry that objects might be ejected. In short, MPR cut its costs, mowing man-hours and liked the way the grass looked.

The Toro Groundmaster 3280-D (28 hp Kubota diesel engine) has ?EUR??,,????'??Guardian recycler decks?EUR??,,????'?? that force clippings to be cut and recut. Recycler decks are easily converted to rear discharge with an optional kit.

Are you still collecting grass clippings when you mow, or have you gone bagless? Most turf professionals agree that emptying a grass catcher bag can extend mowing time by a third, not to mention having to mow over certain areas that may have gathered little clumps of clippings. And, of course, if you bag, you have to put the clippings somewhere?EUR??,,????'??+like in a compost heap or otherwise dispose of it. Many states ban garden waste in landfills, as may your local landfills. When you mow turf on a regular basis, clippings, which are mostly water, break down easily and return nitrogen and other nutrients to the soil. Leaving clippings on the lawn can reduce fertilizer needs by as much as one-third and save you time by not having to do as many fertilizer applications.

Today?EUR??,,????'???s mulching mowers can handle most any conditions, a result of more power, wider mowing units and new deck designs that have improved grass flow in the deck. The new generation of blades are said to ?EUR??,,????'??turn turf clippings to dust.?EUR??,,????'??

If you as a turf manager have held off on using mulching mowers (or mulching kits for your mower) because you picture ?EUR??,,????'??clumping?EUR??,,????'?? and ?EUR??,,????'??streaking,?EUR??,,????'?? particularly with regard to mowing in the morning dew or during the lush spring growth, you may want to reevaluate your practice.

Don St. Dennis of Toro states that mulching mowers today can handle most any conditions, a result of more power, wider mowing units and new deck designs that have improved grass flow in the deck. The new generation of blades are said to ?EUR??,,????'??turn turf clippings to dust.?EUR??,,????'??

Exmark?EUR??,,????'???s Micro-Mulch system fits most Exmark side-discharge mowers and features 18,500 fpm blade-tip speed and uniquely angled blades with longer cutting surfaces to slice clippings into a fine mulch. (Note: Tip speed (fpm)=engine rpm x (engine pulley dia./deck pulley dia.) x blade length in feet x 3.14.) Aerodynamically designed deck, baffles and blades create airflow patterns that circulate the clippings for repeated cuttings and even dispersal. Mulching baffles enclose each blade in an individual cutting chamber. Grass is kept in the chamber for fine chopping.

Frank Viggiano of the National Gardening Association notes that some manufacturers create mulching mowers by simply blocking all clipping exit channels. These so-called mulching decks are only moving the clippings from one side of the deck to the other. The longer that clippings are suspended under the deck, St. Dennis observes, the greater the drain on the power, reducing torque and the deck?EUR??,,????'???s effectiveness. The result is clumps of clippings on your turf and even stalling of the mower in wet grass conditions.

There is a persistent myth that thatch accumulation is a result of clippings. However, clippings decompose readily and contribute little to thatch, which is caused more by the stems of grass plants.

The Hurricane mulching system fits all 2004 and newer SCAG mowers. It utilizes ?EUR??,,????'??eye of the hurricane?EUR??,,????'?? mulching plates combined with bolt-in v-baffles, flow directors. ?EUR??,,????'??Eliminator?EUR??,,????'?? mulching blades, a side-discharge close-off plate and hardware complete the system. Because the cutting chambers are not completely separated, grass clippings travel between the chambers for high-velocity mulching.

Mulching Tips

• Mow when the grass is dry, if possible.
• Remove only one-third of grass length per mowing.
• Mow more often in the spring: every five to seven days. If that is burdensome, raise the mowing height to hide clippings better and to make a healthier turf.
• This may be splitting hairs (or is that grass blades?) but when the turf industry speaks of ?EUR??,,????'??mulching?EUR??,,????'?? in regard to leaving grass clippings on the grass, shouldn?EUR??,,????'???t it be ?EUR??,,????'??composting,?EUR??,,????'?? as leaving grass clippings on turf is a form of fertilizing? Some call this practice ?EUR??,,????'??grasscycling.?EUR??,,????'?? Whatever you call it, all mulches help retain water in the soil. Mulch keeps the soil cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
• Toro says its 60?EUR??,,????'????EUR??,,????'??? and 72?EUR??,,????'????EUR??,,????'??? recycler mulching kits deliver the ?EUR??,,????'??industry?EUR??,,????'???s finest mulching performance,?EUR??,,????'?? reducing mowing time up to 38% vs. bagging.