For the first time, a team of academic experts from the areas of landscape development and soil ecology have investigated the long-term effects on lawns of mulch mowing. The gardening power tool manufacturer VIKING, as client, and the research team of the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna led by the "lawn guru of Austria" Univ. Prof. DI Dr. Karl-Ernst Schönthaler, were responsible for the research project which lasted for more than 4 years. The positive effects of mulch mowing on lawns were impressively demonstrated in the course of the research project.
Lawn mowing using the mulch-mowing principle entails certain major advantages. Due to mulching or the return of clippings, the disposal of clippings is no longer necessary and it also replaces fertilisation using chemical substances. That is not only good for the environment but also for the household budget. Furthermore, the return of clippings has numerous positive effects on the lawn, so that the overall appearance is significantly more uniform and of a higher quality. "Valuable" grass varieties such as Kentucky bluegrass (poa pratensis) are conserved and promoted by mulch mowing.
"Mulch mowing makes sense. We were able to scientifically prove that the return of clippings not only replaces fertiliser, but also entails a significant improvement in the overall lawn quality", explains Univ. Prof. DI Dr. Karl-Ernst Schönthaler.
"This internationally unique research project, together with the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, not only demonstrated the practical application and the positive effects on the lawn of mulch mowing. The research results will lead to technical further development of VIKING lawn mowers and thus sustainably strengthen the international competitiveness of VIKING", according to Heinrich Lechner, Managing Director and Marketing Manager, VIKING GmbH.