Grass plants are 75 to 80 percent water by weight. Up to 90 percent of the weight of a grass plant is in the roots. Grass clippings are approximately 90 percent water by weight. 1,000 square feet of lawn will generate 200 pounds of clippings annually. One ton of clippings will contribute 200 pounds of decayable fibrous matter to a landfill.
Clippings contain nutrients usable to the grass, when left on the lawn.
A dense lawn is six times more effective than a wheat field and four times better than a hayfield in absorbing rainfall. Sodded lawns are fifteen times more effective in controlling runoff than seeded lawns, even after three years of management. Sediment loss from sodded areas is eight to 15 times less than for tested man-made erosion control materials. The abundant rainfall the state receives, combined with the natural soil, makes the soil acidic. Lime, in the form of natural ground limestone, is almost always necessary.