I am going to describe what I believe to be the worst case scenario. If your city or community operates at a higher standard, there is still potential worth considering in what I am about to share.

Here in the mid size city I live in, there are many vacant houses and just as many vacant lots. The public works department must be overwhelmed with the task of keeping these properties looking presentable, for they only mow them once or twice a year (at least in the low income communities).  When they do come in to cut the grass, they usually drive away, leaving it looking worse (in some ways) than it did before they arrived. Because the grass is so high when they cut it, the LOTS are left with piles of clippings scattered across the property and chopped litter left laying there as well. They have been cut, but they still look an absolute mess!

After observing this for a few years, I began to remember advertisements I had seen for a power lawn vacuum/rake that would hook up to a commercial mower and literally suck the clippings from out of the deck and into a storage compartment pulled behind the mower.
I remembered seeing pictures of knee-high grass that was even wet at times . . . and then seeing it mowed and left immaculate and beautiful.

You see, when grass is tall, it fills the underside of the deck as you mow, slowing down the blades and dramatically decreasing the efficiency of your equipment.
When you attach a power lawn rake to your mower, the grass is drawn out of the way before it has a chance to bog down your blades and allows for a much cleaner cut . . . not to mention that all of the clippings and TRASH are picked up and removed.

Now I know you are going to say that there is no way on earth any city would have the time to "bag" the grass every time they mow a vacant lot.
That is why it is my job help you see the multiple benefits that would be derived from doing so and show that the benefits would far exceed the costs.

So let's ask a few questions and see if we can answer them too.

What would we do with the clippings?

1. We would use them in our own compost program adding much needed nitrogen to the piles of carbon rich leaves we accumulated last fall.
2. We would make them available to our community gardeners to be used by them to make compost.  Vacant lots are virtually never treated or sprayed with any chemicals.
3. We would use them to help suppress weed growth in select places, even topping them with wood chips if needed to make give a more aesthetically pleasing appearance.


What about the litter that's in the clippings?

A large portion of the litter will be paper which will compost right along with the grass clippings (and leaves). The remainder will be plastic or aluminum, both of which are easy to remove even if after the material has been composted . . . both of which are valuable recyclable materials.


Not only would you have vacant lots that are left neat, clean, and litter free . . . after they have been mowed. Not only would it matter far less how tall the grass was when it got mowed (or how wet).  Not only would you produce a vast amount of highly valuable, rich compost material . . .  but you would also have an ideal piece of equipment for collecting leaves in the fall.
What an opportunity for community gardeners to raise funds for their garden, collect valuable compost materials, and give something back to their community.
Their is a lot of potential here . . . if you are willing to take a peek . . . just outside the box.

I strongly encourage you to check out and order a free video from one of these two manufacturers. Cyclone     and  Dr.

You will think of obstacles and challenges to incorporating any potential solution to any problem you face . . . but if you look for a Win Win Win . . . most obstacles are overshadowed. Too many people get stuck looking at the problem, and don't even try to find a solution. If you have one . . . give me a shot at solving it.

Finally, be sure you have read my document on beautification . . . and think about what a difference could be made on people's attitudes within and toward a struggling community . . . when a major eye-sore issue is done away with for good. Isn't that worth investing in?
When you attach