Mulching deck vs side discharge deck

[bullet bob]

For years I've run mulching blades (gators) thinking I was mulching the lawn. Now it appears I was just running the blades w/o mulching the grass unless I convert the deck over to a mulching deck. I should point out this is on a Gravely HD ZT 60. So, I gets me a mulching kit and wow, what a difference. Nothing shoots out the side and absolutely mulches leaves to practically nothing. So now I'm thinking I'm on to something here, going to keep this set-up all year around. Then I read where you shouldn't cut more than 1/2 - 3/4" of grass with these. And naturally nothing wet. Well shoot, that means next spring I'll be mowing every day! And for the days where it rains 4 days in a row.......Don't think I can keep moving the deck up that high. So, finally, my question is, do the pros run a mulching set-up all year round? I should point out I'm just a residential guy mowing an acre of ground.

 

[Rivets]

It has long been recommended that for the best cut you should never cut more than 1/3 of the height you want to maintain. So if you want to maintain a 3” lawn you should cut before the grass reaches 4.5”. This really depends on a couple of other factors. Heavy, manicured lawns need to be cut more often, when thin lawns less. Type of grass is also a factor and condition of the blade. I mulch year round and have a heavy lawn and at times break this rule because of weather and other things that take my time. Does this hurt the lawn, no, just doesn’t look as good until the next cut. How you and your Neighbors want your lawn to look is more important than how much you take off at a time.

 

[bertsmobile1]

I have no idea how you came to that decision.
Gators "mulch" by the flutes recutting the clippings so they are small enough to drop between the blades of grass.
They are a moderate lift blade designed to be used with a standard throwing deck .
Mulching decks are designed to prevent the clipping escaping the deck till they are chopped up very fine.
Generally a mulching deck is a lot deeper between the blades and the top of the deck so all those clippings have some where to go while they are being hacked to tiny pieces.
Mulching decks mulch better than a std deck & gators but are co-dependent so they deck only works properly with the blades it is designed to be used with .
A full mulching deck consumes more power than a std deck & gators , chopping up the clippings does take energy as does holding them up in the air against gravity while they get recut .

The problem comes with volumes.
AsRivets already mentioned there is volume problem in peak growing season .
And if you remember you high school physics & chemistry, the finer the particle the faster the reaction.
This applies to grass clipping rotting down just as much as to gunpowder so if you start mulching bigger clippings in peak growing season these can end up being too big to rot down before the next 3 lots get dumped on top of them.
When this happens air can not get down to the ground level which changes the mode of bacterial action that is rotting down the clippings from areobic ( consumes oxygen ) to anerobic ( does not use oxygen ) .
Now both produce equally as good mulch, in a mulch pile , Peat Moss is an example of anerobic decomposition we are all familiar with . however on your lawn it causes the grass to rot at ground level so you have to dethatch to get air down to the layer of clippings.

To avoid this happening it is essential that the grass be cut more often to keep the clippings finer .
Or you throw ( or windrow ) every now & then to allow the clipping to dry out fully before they fall into the grass.
The bacteria that rot the clippings need air & water .
The dry clippings do not compact so allow air to get down to soil level and they adsorb a lot of the moisture from the clippings that get deposited above them so prevent thatching happening .

For the grass around the workshop in wet summers I catch (bag to some ) once a month and feed the clippings to my compost bins to make compost for the veggies .
In really strong seasons I alternate between mulching & throwing about 2:1 to avoid creating a thatch .

However there is no set rules and it will vary season to season and be different for every yard, every type of lawn & every mower .

 

[bullet bob]

Hmmmmm. I always thought some thatch was healthy.
So, in answer to my question, mulch/throw 2:1?