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Old May 3, 2006   #1
Tomstrees
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Default Hay Question:

A guy across the street from me was getting rid
of some hay that he had used to start a new lawn and I told him to bag it up for me so I can take it .

My question is, can I use it to mulch my veggie garden ?

~ Tom
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Old May 3, 2006   #2
geoguy_TN
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I would use it, assuming it isn't full of dog turds, etc. Should be safe from that problem if he is willing to bag it for you.
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Old May 3, 2006   #3
carolyn137
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My concern is weed seeds, lots of weed seeds, more weed seeds than you'll ever want to deal with.

Most hayfields have lots of weeds so the seeds are just part and parcel of using hay.

Straw, on the other hand, especially salt straw, has far less weed seeds.

I can still close my eyes and see my perennial and veggie gardens when I used hay to mulch, which I shouldn't have done, but it too was a free gift.
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Old May 3, 2006   #4
Tomstrees
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lol ~ now I've opened another can of worms ...
I almost feel like a city boy, even though I'm not ...

Whats the difference between hay and straw ???

Tom

ps. no dog doo ~ lol
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Old May 3, 2006   #5
timcunningham
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Hay: Any of several nutritional grasses and legumes, such as alfalfa or clover, that is cut, dried, and then used as fodder for farm animals.

Straw: Hollow stalks of grain (such as wheat), used mostly as bedding and garden mulch, but which is also used as feed. Straw has less nutritional value than hay. And if you ask a cow, she'll say that it doesn't taste as good, either.
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Old May 3, 2006   #6
melody
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Generally, hay is harvested when the seed heads are at their best maturity. There is more nutrition at that point...plus viable seeds in the heads of the grass.

Straw, here in KY is the byproduct of wheat farming. When the combine goes across the field, the heads are cut off, and the empty stalks remain to be baled.

I much prefer straw because it has very little seed matter in it...hay, on the other hand is so full of seeds that you'll never get rid of the weeds.
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Old May 4, 2006   #7
carolyn137
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Tim and Melody, thanks for explaining the difference between hay and straw to Tom, so I don't have to.

Tom, trust us, you do NOT want to use hay b'c of the weed seed problem.
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Old May 4, 2006   #8
Tomstrees
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I'm so glad I asked -
and I'm glad for this reason:
What I have is straw and not hay ...
Never knew there was a diff. !

What I have are cream/yellow stalks,
with no heads ...

If I apply now to my garden ,
will it keep my soil cool?

Or will it keep warm at night ?

My nightly temps are around 50 now -
and topping out at 70+ during the day ...

Tom
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Old May 4, 2006   #9
kimpossible
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Tom, if your soil is sufficiently warm for planting, apply it now. If it is still cool, wait. If it's applied to cool soil it will struggle to warm up.
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Old May 4, 2006   #10
Tomstrees
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yes, I was thinking plant -
and mulch later ~

Tom
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