Digging in lawn clippings

[WendyS]

I know it's not recommended to dig fresh lawn cuttings into the soil because they remove nitrogen from the soil but here in a hosepipe-ban area our soil is already as dry as dust. I can't really use them as a mulch as if it ever rains again, the moisture won't seep through. What do all you keen gardeners recommend? Would you take a risk and do it, as well as they are well mixed in with soil?

[Thunderbird+]

I have experimented with grass cuttings as a much in the past Wendy, and it did help retain moisture but the main dissadvantage was an increase in weeds such as annual meadow grass, chickweed and persian speedwell, although I left it on the surface as a mulch rather than dig it in, it was on a shrubery rather than a vegetable plot. To summerise, its not something I would try again or recomend to a friend. Ps small black slugs seem to find it attractive too. A lesson learnt for me, now its always composted first.