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Straw as mulch

Monkey Hunter

Monkey Hunter

In another thread I was asked about my experiences using straw as mulch, well specifically why we use straw and since we use it as a mulch we have this thread. I know, kinda convoluted but that's generally how I bounce through life. For pics or a description of the garden check out the blog. Enough rambling...

We usually use straw as mulch to keep moisture in as well as to help with weeds (they grow long and spindly trying to get through the straw, making them easier to pluck out), in this case we're also hoping against all logic that it'll keep the raised beds mounded until the roots have a chance to give them some stability. Inevitably it's been nothing but rain and thunderstorms since we planted, so far the beds are holding together though. We have a wet and fairly cold spring, hot dry summer followed by a highly variable fall.

We put a thick layer (8"+) of straw down to try and reduce soil erosion until the roots became established, I'd normally only use 1/4-1/2 as much for mulch. So far it's worked to hold everything together, although as I said our soil is quite heavy so I'm sure that's helped. We also put a couple of inches of newspaper under the straw to direct any water into the beds instead of the loose gravel subsoil.

The advantages I find to using straw as mulch are;
-it's cheap, about 7$ a bail and that'll be more then enough for 100ft bed for a year.
-we just turn it into the soil at the end of the year, helping to aerate and break up our dense soil
-makes weeds easier to pluck as they're long and spindly and white from trying to grow through the dense straw.
-easy to pull out of the way if watering, significantly reduces evaporation by creating a dense humid layer close to soil
-never had a problem with bugs of molds

If there's any questions I'm happy to answers, not that they'll be scientific or proven by any means, just my experiences as I'm really quite new to outdoor gardening.
 
the problem with straw or hay is it's made from weeds that grow in pasture so it contains literally thousands of seeds (if not more) for the weeds you are trying to avoid. i just bite the bullet and buy some bags of mulch. 
 
birdfather said:
the problem with straw or hay is it's made from weeds that grow in pasture so it contains literally thousands of seeds (if not more) for the weeds you are trying to avoid. i just bite the bullet and buy some bags of mulch. 
Click to expand...
 
 
One of them I believe is pretty weed free but cannot remember which.  If I did this though I would have the world biggest ant colony living in my garden :)
 
There's also different grades of straw, we use a clean straw and like I said don't have a problem with weeds.  We may spend 5-15 mins weeding a week at the most, really only at the beginning of the year.  So I haven't noticed any increase in weeding with straw mulch.
 
In going to be using hay this year in my garden. I want to try and keep weeds down as well as to help regulate temps in the root zone. I like the idea of newspaper underneath. I think I'll put down newspaper, the water down a little, adding the hay afterwards.

Does the newspaper affect the worms being able to surface?
 
3/5King said:
In going to be using hay this year in my garden. I want to try and keep weeds down as well as to help regulate temps in the root zone. I like the idea of newspaper underneath. I think I'll put down newspaper, the water down a little, adding the hay afterwards.

Does the newspaper affect the worms being able to surface?
Click to expand...
Don't use hay; you'll be seeding your garden with grass and weed seed. Wheat straw is clean.
 
Worms can eat right through newspaper. :)
 
Hay = the whole above ground plant including seed heads.
Straw = just stalks and maybe leaves, the seed heads have been removed.
 
Hay is grown intentionally as livestock feed and may have some weed plants mixed in since it is not always cost effective to apply herbicides to control the weeds. Straw is mostly leftovers from grain production, like wheat or barley, so it is more likely to have been managed in a way to minimize weed plants in the field.
 
Monkey Hunter said:
In another thread I was asked about my experiences using straw as mulch, well specifically why we use straw and since we use it as a mulch we have this thread. I know, kinda convoluted but that's generally how I bounce through life. For pics or a description of the garden check out the blog. Enough rambling...

We usually use straw as mulch to keep moisture in as well as to help with weeds (they grow long and spindly trying to get through the straw, making them easier to pluck out), in this case we're also hoping against all logic that it'll keep the raised beds mounded until the roots have a chance to give them some stability. Inevitably it's been nothing but rain and thunderstorms since we planted, so far the beds are holding together though. We have a wet and fairly cold spring, hot dry summer followed by a highly variable fall.

We put a thick layer (8"+) of straw down to try and reduce soil erosion until the roots became established, I'd normally only use 1/4-1/2 as much for mulch. So far it's worked to hold everything together, although as I said our soil is quite heavy so I'm sure that's helped. We also put a couple of inches of newspaper under the straw to direct any water into the beds instead of the loose gravel subsoil.

The advantages I find to using straw as mulch are;
-it's cheap, about 7$ a bail and that'll be more then enough for 100ft bed for a year.
-we just turn it into the soil at the end of the year, helping to aerate and break up our dense soil
-makes weeds easier to pluck as they're long and spindly and white from trying to grow through the dense straw.
-easy to pull out of the way if watering, significantly reduces evaporation by creating a dense humid layer close to soil
-never had a problem with bugs of molds

If there's any questions I'm happy to answers, not that they'll be scientific or proven by any means, just my experiences as I'm really quite new to outdoor gardening.
Click to expand...
 
 
+ lower root temps in summer
+ less dirty shoework after rain
 
ok. i did not know the difference. i imagine if you could get some straw without seeds it would work well. i've used a bail of hay that was given to me for free as mulch, and i had tons of weeds everywhere. so you can get a bail of straw without seed for 7 bucks?
 
Only quoting my boss "make sure you buy salt hay" he tells me the seeds like a wet salt marsh to germinate. We use it to spread over freshly seeded lawns. My 2 cents.
 
I've never heard of that Scarecrw, I'll have to keep my eyes out and see if there's a price difference.

@Birdfather; that was the price last time I checked, of course that was in town, I sure you could get it cheaper from a farmer/mennonite.

I was debating whether to spread straw over the beds this year as it's such a tight planting, but after seeing them today and how dry and cracked the soil surface was, it kinda decided for me. I just hate the thought of all the bacterial/microbial/fungal activity slowing day so much between the rains. It may be different once the canopy is grown in, until then the little seedlings will get all the help I can give 'em.
 
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