Is it worth living to the wrinkled old age of 120 if you eat nothing but organic lawn clippings to get there?

One reason often given for raking lawn clippings is the belief that even the short ones increase the problems of thatch.

In other words, 20 to 30 percent more fertilizer is needed if the lawn clippings are removed.

For this reason, they must never be fed contaminated fermentable materials such as lawn clippings.

In fact, it has been said that leaving lawn clippings can reduce fertilizer needs by 25 to 30 percent.

Also, a too-thick layer of lawn clippings, more than two inches, can be troublesome.

"When people dump their lawn clippings on the park's edges, they're actually introducing maple seeds right back in."

Then there is always the question of what to do with lawn clippings.

Much more practical is a compost mixture of lawn clippings with soil in a sandwich form.

Put the lawn clippings in the compost; they'll be great for the garden in a few weeks.