Sage-Tips

Can weeds grow through hay?

Aside from well-aged compost, hay is arguably the best mulch for a vegetable garden. Like straw, it’s a good insulator, effective against weeds, and breaks down quickly to enrich the soil.

How do I permanently get rid of thistles?

Apply herbicides to kill thistle, especially in spring and fall, before thistles can flower and seed. Use glyphosate for your garden, and use a broad-leaf herbicide containing 2,4-D or MCPP for your lawn. Since glyphosate kills all plants, you must keep application specific.

Should you put hay in your garden?

Hay will not give you a dry layer of cover that is pleasing to look at, but it is a great mulch for growing flowers and vegetables, and you’ll get a fantastic yield. To start a garden, with seeds or starters, first create a thick layer of hay, up to eight inches (20 cm.), right over your garden soil.

Will seeds grow through hay?

Straw mulch is an excellent option to maintain moisture in the soil and keep down the weeds. It may be the same plant but hay will contain plenty of seeds, while straw is cleaner with substantially fewer seeds. Straw also breaks down quite quickly, adding organic matter and improving the health of the soil.

Which is better for garden hay or straw?

I’ve seen such tenacious perennial weeds like thistle come into a garden as a result of their seeds hiding inside a bale of hay. Straw on the other hand, is much better for use as a garden mulch. Since wheat and other grain crops are so competitive in a field, they suppress the growth of many weeds.

Is straw good mulch?

Straw is one of the best mulch materials you can use around your vegetable plants. It’s clean, it’s light, and it breaks down relatively easily, giving your plants more of what they need to grow.

How do I get rid of thistle in hay fields?

Herbicides are often the most flexible and affordable option for thistle control in pastures. However, like mowing, timing is an important factor for many herbicides. Several commonly used pasture herbicides are highly effective on thistles if applied early in the growing season (Table 2).

How do you stop thistles from spreading?

How to Get Rid of Thistle

1. Plant prolifically. Thistle seedlings germinate in empty, unshaded soil. Pulling them may leave a portion of root behind, which will re-sprout in time.
2. Cover it. Mulch eliminates thistle seed germination and smothers new plants.
3. Snip smart. In lawns, snip small thistle at the soil level.

What do farmers put hay into?

Uses of Hay Feeding hay to livestock is the number one use for hay. Almost any animal on the farm – horses, cattle, sheep, goats, etc. – will eat hay. Hay is usually fed to livestock when they cannot graze or be in a pasture, either because it is winter or because of drought.

Which is better mulch hay or straw?

What can old hay be used for?

Uses for Spoiled Hay

• Mulch. Spread spoiled hay under your flowers and vegetables as an organic mulch.
• Soil Amendments. Chop or shred spoiled hay and add it to your garden soil in the fall as an organic soil amendment.
• Compost. Spoiled hay is a natural for adding to the compost bin.
• Make A Garden Bed.

Does hay get moldy?

Mold and bacteria will grow on hay (without preservative added) at moisture levels above 14\% to 15\%. The mold growth produces heat, carbon dioxide and water, which further damages the hay. Moldy hay can result in dry matter and nutrient loss and produce spores and dust.

How do I control thistles in damp grassland?

Avoid over grazing (especially in winter) and poaching which opens up gaps in the sward into which thistles can spread. Thistles are generally not a problem on damp grassland. Timing of thistle control is crucial and the method used will vary according to the site.

How do you get rid of nodding Thistles?

To kill nodding thistles, cut the stem below the flower head. If another flower head forms, cut again. No digging is required. New plants can come only from seed, which may be dropped on the ground, blown in, or floated in on irrigating water. Stop local seed production and you stop nodding thistle.

What happens when you dig up a thistle root?

Whenever you dig up its roots, you leave small pieces behind. That is inevitable, no matter how thoroughly you dig. Every piece broken off and left in the ground, even a very small one, is capable of starting a new thistle plant. The more you dig, the more new plants you create.

Can I kill Thistles in my lawn overnight?

Every piece broken off and left in the ground, even a very small one, is capable of starting a new thistle plant. The more you dig, the more new plants you create. And as you discovered, Canada thistles are resistant to herbicide sprays. It is possible to kill the thistles in your lawn, but you can’t do it overnight.