Market Farming

[Alex McGregor <waldenfarm AT sprintmail.com>]

John,

Hay makes an excellent mulch.  Because it's coarse and doesn't mat, it
lets any rainfall penetrate and soak in.  It's best for use around tall
plants like tomatoes (not so good around spinach and such because it
takes a lot -thickness- to suppress weeds).

One drawback is the seeds in the hay.  These will get spread in your
growing areas.

Organic Farming Research Foundation sponsored a grant (3 or 4 years ago)
where a potato farmer experimented with different thickness of hay mulch
around potato plants with a clean cultivation area as a control.  He
reported dramatically less infestation of potato beetles in the mulched
areas compared to the control.  He reported that the thickness of the
mulch made no difference in the lessening of beetles.  He concluded that
any hay-like mulch confused the beetles.

Alex McGregor
Walden Farm