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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] hay as a mulch

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  • From: road's end farm <organic101 AT linkny.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] hay as a mulch
  • Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 19:31:49 -0500


On Nov 30, 2006, at 10:45 AM, Sam White wrote:

Folks,

Does hay cause problems for you as a mulch? What
about weeds from the hay? Or do you keep mulching
year after year?


Don't use hay. Use straw. And weeds are exactly why.

I did once get a load of straw which had a lot of matured seed in it; next spring there was spelt coming up all over the garlic patch. (It was spelt if I remember right, anyway; certainly one of the small grains.) My first thought was "oh no where did all that grass come from? this is terrible!" but when I realized it was grain it wasn't nearly so bad; the young grain pulled out very easily, and had apparently helped suppress germination of other weeds; I had very little weed trouble that year after pulling out the grain.


-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale



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