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Santa Cruz, CA

Is it ok to till hay into the soil to add organic matter? I was going to send it through the shredder and then till it in along with some gypsum and what leaves I d o have. Any down sides to doing this? Leaves are taking me too long to collect so I was thinking of buying some hay and adding that too.

12/8/2008 9:25:33 PM

Going Green

Hay has more weed seeds than straw and not all hay is equal! The shredding is very wise as the longer the stalk the longer to decompose! Since you are in Calafornia roll the hay out and cover with dark tarp and let the sun bake the weed seeds. Alfalfa pellets would be another way to go!

12/8/2008 9:37:50 PM

Paradise Mountain, New York

Alfalfa pellets are the same thing as hay.Alfalfa is grown as hay then chopped and made into pellets.

12/8/2008 10:10:10 PM

[email protected]

Creekside
I use hay and straw all the time, and I run it through a chipper.
Depending on the hay you have, but Alfalfa, Timothy, clover and Brome, all common up here and decompose quite fast.
Weeds generally aren't a problem from hay crops, The grasses generally choke them out, and if there are weeds in it, they generally are immature, and don't germinate.
Hay crops are cut at flowering stage, whereas grains are cut at maturity, so actually you could get more weeds from using straw. But neither have been an issue for me.
Try and get hay that has all it's nutrients in it, That is generally hay that has not been rained on, and first cut of the year is also better than second cut.
Eddy

12/8/2008 11:08:47 PM

Santa Cruz, CA

Thanks for the help everyone. How much hay or straw would you recommend for a sixth of an acre with a 5 percent organic matter rating on the soils test? I was thinking two bails? Too much? Too little?

12/8/2008 11:38:41 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

I hope you enjoy weeding if you use hay for OM. In a regular garden situation I new layer yearly would be ok for a mulch.

12/9/2008 9:08:21 AM

[email protected]

Creekside, I use 4 inches of shredder material every year, and till it in.

I'm curious to know why you guys keep claiming the weeds in the hay, I don't have a weed problem at all, Actually , the manure generally has more in it than the hay.

12/9/2008 10:02:43 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

We've used bales of alfalfa/timothy mix (that is what our racehorses eat)in the patch and have never had an issue with weeds.

Creek, we used 2 regular bales on 1000 sq ft in the fall and it was nicely broken down and incorporated by spring time.

Go to the backside of your local racetrack (lots of good ones in Ca) and get your hay there, it will be high quality and weed free.

12/9/2008 11:46:30 AM

Santa Rosa, CA

Creekside,

I have used straw and hay for years in my garden. It is a good way to add organic material. Mowing it with the lawnmower breaks it up into smaller pieces that decompose faster. (Works for leaves too)

However, I have read that the decomposing hay may take nitrogen out of your soil. Just to be safe, you may want to have the soil tested shortly before planting time Then, if needed, you can add the nitrogen back.

Good luck.

Chuck

12/9/2008 3:25:04 PM