Grass cuttings advice needed

[Stillstarving]

We moved house last year and now have a fairly large lawn. The previous owners heaped the grass cuttings up in a corner of the garden probably for many years and there is now a grass mountain. It is truly huge and quite firm - the children have climbed it more than once, it's probably about 8 feet high and at least as wide. I'd quite like to clear it as it's taking up a lot of room but what do I do with it?? I'm clueless about gardening but I don't think rotted grass cuttings are good as a mulch? The lower levels must be really well decomposed though. Do I need to dig it all out and take it away? And any suggestions for what I do with grass cuttings in future? I'm nervous about composting due to mouse/rat phobia (proper terror phobia)

Mix them with kitchen waste, leaves and newspapers.

You could gradually get rid of it via Council green waste collection but as you say the lower levels could be well rotted and useful. If the lawn is really big consider getting a mulch mower which has extra blades that cut the clippings really fine and throw them back onto the lawn (acting as a mulch/feed) so you never have clippings to collect and dispose of.

OP - no time now, but I will try and come back on this sometime.

Thankyou for advice so far - the mixing with newspaper/kitchen scraps worries me in case I'm making a nest for beasts! Probably if I do need to get rid of it I'd be best to do it gradually but I'm going to look into the mulch mower because it won't be long until I start collecting more clippings to add to the mountain. I look forward to any more advice!

Grass is wet in nature that is why you add paper. Veg peelings being added will make a better quality compost.

Hi - grass cuttings on their own won't make compost, but mixed with other plant material, (but NOT cooked food or meat waste) and with shredded paper, card, and twigs, they should heat up with good bacteria, and eventually turn into compost.

However, too much grass on its own will just be a soggy, smelly mess.

It can be used as a mulch around plants, will protect the soil surface, and in due course, will rot down into the soil.

If you are going to grow vegetables, then grass cuttings can go into the bottom of trenches for beans or potatoes.

This site should give some useful information:

www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/mulch