I just found a local farmer who has tons of straw, he’s very generous and said I can have as much as I want for free!! I’ll going to try it in the gardens and see what happens. Great video, thanks for sharing your knowledge ❤️
I use cut grass...pile it up and let it dry out. It usually starts to break down and has mycelium on it by the time I apply. I mulch everything with it....boxes, pots, even my corn beds. Best thing is its free and plentiful.
@@sandybottomhomestead I honestly do too..I haven't noticed a problem with weeds popping back up. I look for lawn bags on the side of the road and use them too. Its like a tresure hunt every garbage day. I've found full bags of wood chip mulch before too.
@@sandybottomhomestead You're gonna get weeds no matter what. I use lawn clippings, too, and my lawn is at least 70% weeds lol. Only thing you have to pay attention to use what kind of weeds you have. If your yard is infested with something like hairy bittercress, that's a problem and you will definitely spread those seeds in your garden. And if you really want to get some composting in your garden over winter, mix the grass clippings with your straw and use that mixture as mulch. You don't really have to mix it, you can just put the grass clippings on top of the straw. I also suggest giving it a good watering. This will also keep any winter weeds to a minimum, even hairy bittercress, if your lawn clippings are dense and matted enough on top of the straw, which is one reason for wattering it. Dense and matted down grass clippings are great for suppressing winter weeds.
I'm using wood chip and straw as well, but I also started using stones in mulching applications as well, big stones for borders and smaller decorative stones around trees and for paths, it seem to keep the soil underneath even cooler, but dry and looks really nice.
I like putting a layer of straw over my homemade leaf mold. Keeps the leaf mold nice and damp, then both break down. Also use a thick layer in my grow bags. Anything to keep the surface from drying in my hot climate. 🙂
Thanks for verifying using straw. I am a beginner so I was very pleased to know the difference between straw and hay. I used barley straw and have seen some barley shoots but as I only use fabric grow bags of various sizes it's not a big problem to pull them up. Next time I will make sure its straw.
Excellent tip for mulching the straw. I will do that next year. I used it for weed control but because the pieces were so big, weeds popped everywhere. Grass clippings I hear work as long as it’s not too thick. Straw here in summer 2022 is $13 for the good fine stuff
They may have given you the wrong stuff. You will definitely get some sprouts though. I usually tell the people at the store I'm using it for the garden then they know.
Yeah, straw is always gonna have seeds. It's just the way it is, it's from the short wheat stalks that don't get harvested by the machine. I'd rather have to pull a few wheat sprouts than pretty much any other weed I get in my garden. You can buy the straw that landscapers. That doesn't usually have seeds, but that stuff is very long and very tough. It actually sucks for everything IMHO, even for new lawn seeding. I prefer regular old straw, like in this video, seeds and all.
Always let the straw bales sit and age a couple months prior to applying it to the garden to allow any seeds to sprout/rot, I will hose down the straw as soon as I get it home to make sure the process starts ASAP. The wheatgrass that comes out from the bales; I’ll give to the chickens as it sprouts. I also mix the straw with leaves to create a good decomposition.
Dude this the most informative vid Ive seen in a long time concerning straw . So chopping up and using regular length , then leaving on in fall sounds good to me. I have a small tomato garden maybe 10 x 20' not sure how many bales I might need. I grow indeterminate 11 or 12 in that space. Just subscribed, thanks for the info,, Steve
Thanks for doing this video. You helped me out. I started implementing perma practices this past summer and iM like ok i laid straw- Now what? Then what? I got it now.
I’m using a product called EZ straw from tractor supply. Just put it down, so we’ll see. I just side dressed all of the green beans (pole & bush), corn, squash, zucchini, tomatoes and cucumbers with blood meal. I left one row of bush beans out from the side dressing, they looked to be doing so well. Maybe we will see the others catch up to that row and pass it up. Just a little experiment for these next couple of weeks. Thanks for the info, I’m following your channel now
I used EZStraw on my houseplants for mulch. It made my eyes water and itch. I don't like the smell. It looks good but have to take it out of the house. I do like it on my vegetable garden and around flowers. Very convenient.
Thinking of doing the chopping/mulching on my concert driveway so to only collect the straw and nothing else out of the yard. Should be pure that way. Any one else tried this.
I was able to buy chemical free straw for $5/bale is Southeastern Pennsylvania. One thing I would add is that even though this was not hay, I had a ton of sprouting happening! I did not chop it up beforehand. Would aging the bales for a period of time eliminate this, and if so, how long???
Man I just spent $15 on a bale of straw, and I find that expensive, but a single bale of straw is a pretty large amount of material. I also heard something genius. You just wait til after Halloween and drive around bc people will be throwing away straw bales like crazy. I can’t wait to go scoop up a bunch of free straw bales after the holidays lol.
I’m using straw around my fruit trees and most vegetables for the first time. I placed the irrigation head on top of the straw, so is there a big enough difference to over or under the straw to water? Thanks.
I normally add the straw before I transplant or sow seeds into my raised beds. When sowing seeds, should I wait for the seedlings to get up to a certain height? Or should I put straw down and just clear open a small area for each seed I'm sowing?
I add when they get tall and strong enough to grow through. If there is already straw I just clear enough around to sow seeds or clear enough for the seedling
The 60.00 bail that lady must have been talking about are the huge round bails, as I seen them online for sale for that price. I asked for straw and I have wheat seeds all through it! 😳🙄 Thought it wouldn’t have seeds if I got straw instead of hay, unless the guy conned me?!
She was referring to a.normal bale at the time. It was because of the drought. I always get a few seeds but not to bad. Also, they are easy to pull out. I have had people give me the wrong stuff before.
You can get seed in straw also. IF It hasnt been trashed out the straw could have wheat or oat seed still in it, which COULD grow under the right conditions when used as mulch
Straw has the weeds… hay is cut prior to significant seeds becoming viable there for leaving all the nutrients in the hay where pea straw is cut and baled once the crop has been harvested so it is nutritionally poor.. pea straw also runs the risk of peas and weeds..
I used straw on my vegetable garden and since it’s been raining I have wheat growing now, it’s annoying as I have to keep pulling it out, I leave it sitting on top to decompose, how can I stop this from happening?
Make sure you didn't get hay. I usually get a little bit growing in my garden but I just stay on top of it. It's still way better than what would grow. You could always pull it up and change mulches if you wanted to.
I know the difference between straw and hay… I have a horse lol… it’s wheat as some has grown where I didn’t pull it out,, it’s a pain I’m still pulling it out months down the track, lucky I stopped using it as mulch after the first raised garden, I only used it to infill the bottom of the raised beds, there was just too much seed in it.
I bought a bale of something- I’m still confused if it’s hay or straw but I think it might be straw. After mulching, I had sprouts of what looked like grass everywhere so I had to pull the mulch, remove all the seed stalks and then re mulch. It was an absolute nightmare. Now I have holes on most of my leaves. I’m wondering if the mulch is pest friendly? Has anyone else experienced this?
i get some straw growing from time to time but if you have a lot it sounds like you got hay. Mulch can host pests but straw is less likely than say wood chips.
Check out The Backyard Gardens Podcast:
✅open.spotify.com/show/0mhebHqc22jfPsO21BymjO
Mulch gang for life!
Gang gang
I just found a local farmer who has tons of straw, he’s very generous and said I can have as much as I want for free!! I’ll going to try it in the gardens and see what happens. Great video, thanks for sharing your knowledge ❤️
I use cut grass...pile it up and let it dry out. It usually starts to break down and has mycelium on it by the time I apply. I mulch everything with it....boxes, pots, even my corn beds. Best thing is its free and plentiful.
I would do that but I have to many weeds in lawn lol
@@sandybottomhomestead I honestly do too..I haven't noticed a problem with weeds popping back up. I look for lawn bags on the side of the road and use them too. Its like a tresure hunt every garbage day. I've found full bags of wood chip mulch before too.
@@sandybottomhomestead You're gonna get weeds no matter what. I use lawn clippings, too, and my lawn is at least 70% weeds lol. Only thing you have to pay attention to use what kind of weeds you have. If your yard is infested with something like hairy bittercress, that's a problem and you will definitely spread those seeds in your garden. And if you really want to get some composting in your garden over winter, mix the grass clippings with your straw and use that mixture as mulch. You don't really have to mix it, you can just put the grass clippings on top of the straw. I also suggest giving it a good watering. This will also keep any winter weeds to a minimum, even hairy bittercress, if your lawn clippings are dense and matted enough on top of the straw, which is one reason for wattering it. Dense and matted down grass clippings are great for suppressing winter weeds.
I'm using wood chip and straw as well, but I also started using stones in mulching applications as well, big stones for borders and smaller decorative stones around trees and for paths, it seem to keep the soil underneath even cooler, but dry and looks really nice.
I'm a city boy I get free straw on the trash collection after Halloween people put out on tree lawns for collecting
First year using it, but loving it so far. In NH, paid $11.25 each, got 10. Worth it.
I like putting a layer of straw over my homemade leaf mold. Keeps the leaf mold nice and damp, then both break down. Also use a thick layer in my grow bags. Anything to keep the surface from drying in my hot climate. 🙂
Using straw mulch for first time. Looking forward to seeing great results!!👨🌾
Awesome!
Thanks for verifying using straw. I am a beginner so I was very pleased to know the difference between straw and hay. I used barley straw and have seen some barley shoots but as I only use fabric grow bags of various sizes it's not a big problem to pull them up. Next time I will make sure its straw.
Great to hear!
Excellent tip for mulching the straw. I will do that next year. I used it for weed control but because the pieces were so big, weeds popped everywhere. Grass clippings I hear work as long as it’s not too thick. Straw here in summer 2022 is $13 for the good fine stuff
Grass works too. I just don't bag it I let it compost in my yard
Just bought 6 bales of straw for $10 each. Wheat sprouted everywhere !!! Easy to pull out, but not what I was expecting.
They may have given you the wrong stuff. You will definitely get some sprouts though. I usually tell the people at the store I'm using it for the garden then they know.
Going rate at Ace Hardware, TSC or local farmers is about half that. I pay $4/bale
Yeah, straw is always gonna have seeds. It's just the way it is, it's from the short wheat stalks that don't get harvested by the machine. I'd rather have to pull a few wheat sprouts than pretty much any other weed I get in my garden. You can buy the straw that landscapers. That doesn't usually have seeds, but that stuff is very long and very tough. It actually sucks for everything IMHO, even for new lawn seeding. I prefer regular old straw, like in this video, seeds and all.
Always let the straw bales sit and age a couple months prior to applying it to the garden to allow any seeds to sprout/rot, I will hose down the straw as soon as I get it home to make sure the process starts ASAP. The wheatgrass that comes out from the bales; I’ll give to the chickens as it sprouts. I also mix the straw with leaves to create a good decomposition.
That a good method
Dude this the most informative vid Ive seen in a long time concerning straw . So chopping up and using regular length , then leaving on in fall sounds good to me. I have a small tomato garden maybe 10 x 20' not sure how many bales I might need. I grow indeterminate 11 or 12 in that space. Just subscribed, thanks for the info,, Steve
Glad it was helpful!
I bought chopped straw at TSC. Am using it as mulch and also in my chickens run for them to add to it.
Perfect!
I use straw in my hugelkultur bed, raised beds and hoop house but use wood chips around the fruit trees. 😁
Thanks for doing this video. You helped me out. I started implementing perma practices this past summer and iM like ok i laid straw- Now what? Then what?
I got it now.
Thanks brother. Trying it for the first time
Enjoy. I just finished laying some myself👍
I’m using a product called EZ straw from tractor supply. Just put it down, so we’ll see. I just side dressed all of the green beans (pole & bush), corn, squash, zucchini, tomatoes and cucumbers with blood meal. I left one row of bush beans out from the side dressing, they looked to be doing so well. Maybe we will see the others catch up to that row and pass it up. Just a little experiment for these next couple of weeks. Thanks for the info, I’m following your channel now
I have heard of ez straw I have always made it though. A good garden expieremnt is always fun! Let us know what the outcome is. Thanks for following🙏
I use it, I like it
I used EZStraw on my houseplants for mulch. It made my eyes water and itch. I don't like the smell. It looks good but have to take it out of the house. I do like it on my vegetable garden and around flowers. Very convenient.
It makes my skin itch too.
@@sandybottomhomestead it’s straw! That’s what it does!
Good, informative video. I subscribed to your channel!
Awesome thanks for coming by!
I LOVE MULCH
Thinking of doing the chopping/mulching on my concert driveway so to only collect the straw and nothing else out of the yard. Should be pure that way. Any one else tried this.
Thanks this helps✌💫
Awesome glad to help!
Snakes love straws too!
I haven't had any in mine yet...
I was able to buy chemical free straw for $5/bale is Southeastern Pennsylvania. One thing I would add is that even though this was not hay, I had a ton of sprouting happening! I did not chop it up beforehand. Would aging the bales for a period of time eliminate this, and if so, how long???
You always have some sprouting but it's not bad to remove
Just found you! Thx for the great info! Just subscribed!
Glad to help. Thanks for joining us
Man I just spent $15 on a bale of straw, and I find that expensive, but a single bale of straw is a pretty large amount of material. I also heard something genius. You just wait til after Halloween and drive around bc people will be throwing away straw bales like crazy. I can’t wait to go scoop up a bunch of free straw bales after the holidays lol.
I do that as well!
And snakes love straws too!
🐍
Awesome
Hey.Good info.What brand straw did you use?
No brand just a bail
I’m using straw around my fruit trees and most vegetables for the first time. I placed the irrigation head on top of the straw, so is there a big enough difference to over or under the straw to water? Thanks.
Water under and it stays in the soil longer
I normally add the straw before I transplant or sow seeds into my raised beds. When sowing seeds, should I wait for the seedlings to get up to a certain height? Or should I put straw down and just clear open a small area for each seed I'm sowing?
I add when they get tall and strong enough to grow through. If there is already straw I just clear enough around to sow seeds or clear enough for the seedling
Use chopped straw poultry bedding. No chemicals and no seeds.
Always a good option. If you can get a bale it would be cheaper.
The 60.00 bail that lady must have been talking about are the huge round bails, as I seen them online for sale for that price.
I asked for straw and I have wheat seeds all through it! 😳🙄 Thought it wouldn’t have seeds if I got straw instead of hay, unless the guy conned me?!
She was referring to a.normal bale at the time. It was because of the drought. I always get a few seeds but not to bad. Also, they are easy to pull out. I have had people give me the wrong stuff before.
Great information. How long does it take for bark mulch to break down ? I just applied 2 inches .
For mine to totally break down it took a few years
You can get seed in straw also. IF It hasnt been trashed out the straw could have wheat or oat seed still in it, which COULD grow under the right conditions when used as mulch
True we do get a little seed but no where near the amount of hay
I’m going to make a sieve to remove the seed as it is very annoying as I keep having to pull the wheat out
Any benefit of mulch vs hard wood chips? I'm growing cannabis outdoors, organic.
I would not use wood chips on cannabis. If you are growing it outsode I would use straw or leaves
I’ve noticed many UA-cam gardeners say they use hay. Shouldn’t they use straw?
Yup I'm lazy and call it hay. Technically it's wheat straw
Straw has the weeds… hay is cut prior to significant seeds becoming viable there for leaving all the nutrients in the hay where pea straw is cut and baled once the crop has been harvested so it is nutritionally poor.. pea straw also runs the risk of peas and weeds..
We have 0not gotten any weeds from our straw this year. When used hay years ago we had nothing but hay growing.
But what if I put straw mulch and for planting I use a handful of compost in which I'll put the plant?
I don't understand. If you are saying you will put compost in the hole with the plant and the mulch with straw then yes that works great.
@@sandybottomhomestead that's what I meant, thank you
I used straw on my vegetable garden and since it’s been raining I have wheat growing now, it’s annoying as I have to keep pulling it out, I leave it sitting on top to decompose, how can I stop this from happening?
Make sure you didn't get hay. I usually get a little bit growing in my garden but I just stay on top of it. It's still way better than what would grow. You could always pull it up and change mulches if you wanted to.
I know the difference between straw and hay… I have a horse lol… it’s wheat as some has grown where I didn’t pull it out,, it’s a pain I’m still pulling it out months down the track, lucky I stopped using it as mulch after the first raised garden, I only used it to infill the bottom of the raised beds, there was just too much seed in it.
Sixty bucks!!
I live just outside of Portland, and I just paid $9.59 for a full bail.
Yup she said this year it went even higher.
Here you can get straw free after Halloween.
thats an amazing tip!
I bought a bale of something- I’m still confused if it’s hay or straw but I think it might be straw. After mulching, I had sprouts of what looked like grass everywhere so I had to pull the mulch, remove all the seed stalks and then re mulch. It was an absolute nightmare. Now I have holes on most of my leaves. I’m wondering if the mulch is pest friendly? Has anyone else experienced this?
i get some straw growing from time to time but if you have a lot it sounds like you got hay. Mulch can host pests but straw is less likely than say wood chips.
@@sandybottomhomestead understood. Thank you for the reply!
Why won't people say the word wheatstraw
Never thought about it. To be honest I have never hear it called that.
Hay will feed your garden more because it has more nutrients in it. The weeds are not an issue. Really.
MULCH 🥶💦🔥
But your plants look unhealthy, why so ? Are they all at end-of-season?
This was filmed at the beginning of winter. So yes it was the end of the gardening season for me.