bales of hay

I couldn't deceide where to put this post so bear with me. I went to a huge craft store the other day and bought small bales of hay. It says straw. Well I got them for 1.00 a piece,got 11 of them. Hey don't laugh there are no places I can buy a "real" bales of hay. Anyway -- has any one used hay as mulch for the winter?? Does it break down nicely?? Or will it all blow away. Any tips prior to me laying it out there?? Thanks all

I used it last winter. It blew a bit - but once the water got on it -- it stayed put pretty well. It didn't break down as well as the chopped leaves, so ended up raking it up in the spring.

Hay can be quite a heavy mulch. -- We had a very early warm spell here in early spring - before it frosted again. Some of my bare roots started to sprout under the hay and then rotted. -- In light of that I would be careful of leaving it on too long . . . or slowly start to take it off in early spring so it is not so thick and can breath a bit.

This year I am using leaves again and switching to evergreen.

Good luck!

With leaves would I just put them in a trash can use the weed wacker and then dump them on the beds?? Do they not blow away?? I hear about this process but have never done it.

beware!!! I got some bales of hay from a horse show and mulched my garden a few years back. Got all kind of weeds and grasses that i did not want and still have some of the grasses trying to take over the garden and throughout the lawn.

My DH just mowed them over with our lawnmower, then raked them up into wheelbarrel and trash cans. Once it rains the leaves just settle in. I often call the Cornell Univ. Horticulture extention help line and they said that leaves are better than hay and that the best thing is evergreen - because it breathes. He said it is fine to wait until the ground is frozen. The leaves worked great on my rock garden last year which is elevated and gets a lot of wind. . . We plan to cut up our Christmas tree after the holiday and lay that down too.

I have to agree don't use hay it will seed all kinds of things whatever happend to be in the field the hay was cut in. Straw should be ok but it does not break down as well as leaves. I rake my yard and just dump the leaves in the beds once they get wet they stay pretty well.If you want to chop them up they work better but I don't do all that.You should be able to tell if you have straw or hay. If you see lots of seed heads from grass in there its hay.Straw will be a lighter color and you won't see any seeds in it.

you shouldnt use anything as a mulch until it has been composted. The action removed certain compounds from the area it is over. I think it might be nitrogen.