Leave the clippings.

For quality lawn care, as summer begins, finally, it is time to raise mowing heights to 3″ or higher, and try to leave the clippings on the lawn or turf. It is important to leave the clippings to reduce fertilizer use by returning nitrogen back to the soil. Leaving clippings can add as much as one lb of nitrogen per year. Contrary to popular belief, it does not increase thatch.