Straw over grass seed

[dodge man]

Really? Hay is wheat stalks (or similar grains) after the combine has cut the heads off and collected the seeds. A second optional process can then come through and cut the "literally straw" stalks that are remaining and bale them. There's virtually no seeds in straw. The seeds have already been harvested. Nice straw that's for sale is often described as "bright and clean". Road contractors and hydroseeders, landscapers, etc. always use straw -- never hay.

Hay is obviously the entire plant above the roots. Stalks/stems, leaves, SEEDS and all. All hay is FULL of SEEDS. And since any junky hay that can be bought cheap enough to use for mulch will probably be very weedy, it's going to have lots of weed seeds. Even if you use nice hay you're going to be planting lots of hay seed into your lawn area. Some of the grassy hays won't be easy to remove using selective herbicides.

Agree that you can use old junky hay as a mulch to cover grass seed and it will help retain moisture. But it's really not the same as straw.

Hay is grass or clover baled for feed. Straw is usually the stalks of wheat baled after the wheat is picked and is not used as feed.

 

[CH4Ohio]

Lots of weeds will do fine even mowed. Think sandspurs, it's just a grass, and it is lower to the ground than most people cut, with the spur heads sometimes being tall, other times right on the ground. If hay works for you, by all means use it, but if you can get straw cheap, it's the better choice. You control which seeds your introduce.

Edit: I'll add, the If you can get straw cheap is the issue around here. It's much more expensive and hard to find than hay, here. You can get it, but its normally in micro bails. Not a big demand, no local production, ect.

Small square bales of straw around here (Ohio) are typically about $3 each. About half the price of average hay. Lots of wheat fields so lots of straw too.

 

[CH4Ohio]

I have always put straw down over my grass seed after planting. Just planted some more of my yard and thinking about not putting straw down. Does it matter and will it make a big difference?

If it's going to get some rain and/or you can keep it damp for a week or so till the grass germinates, you don't need straw. Just depends on your situation. Don't let it dry out completely and it will do fine.

Some of the new grass seed products have a coating that absorbs and holds moisture. That really makes a big difference with germination in less than ideal conditions.

 

[Oaktree]

Hay is obviously the entire plant above the roots. Stalks/stems, leaves, SEEDS and all. All hay is FULL of SEEDS. And since any junky hay that can be bought cheap enough to use for mulch will probably be very weedy, it's going to have lots of weed seeds. Even if you use nice hay you're going to be planting lots of hay seed into your lawn area. Some of the grassy hays won't be easy to remove using selective herbicides.

Depends on how fussy you are about your lawn. As long as it's green, some "weeds" don't bother me.

 

[Oaktree]

Small square bales of straw around here (Ohio) are typically about $3 each. About half the price of average hay. Lots of wheat fields so lots of straw too.

I guess depends on where you live. Wheat isn't typically grown around here so it's gotta be trucked in. Lots of dairy farms, so hay is a lot more plentiful.

 

[WinterDeere]

Depends on how fussy you are about your lawn. As long as it's green, some "weeds" don't bother me.

Farm rules: A lawn is anything green that you mow.