Alfalfa hay for compost?

Hello, I have learned a lot by lurking on this forum and hope someone can help me. I have several old bales of alfalfa hay that were bagged and then not used due to critters breaking into the bags and ruining the hay. This hay has sat for about 15 years and I noticed the other day that it has composted and is nice and loose and looks like I can use it on my new garden beds. I have recently dug up sod and was hoping that I could just apply several inches of this hay/compost and water well and leave until next spring. Will this get the worms to loosen up the soil for me or should I add more stuff and/or cover with plastic or paper? If I sound like I don't know what I'm doing I don't!! We have hard clay soil and I'm hoping to have something I can work with next spring. Any help would be very much appreciated.

Fifteen years? Oh YEAH! I think it's ready for prime-time, Dellrose.

My best guess would be to work it into the soil, if you're not going to be adding anything else to it (leaves, grass, or any other composted materials. You might want to put it all into one of your favorite beds instead of using a thinner layer on a few beds - it really does seem to disappear rather quickly.

I'm sure some other folks will chime in with ideas!

Thank you for the quick answer Pagancat! I have several bales...they are the large round bales so there is enuf to do several inches any place I need it for a looooong time. I am so excited...feel like a kid in the candy store. I also have lots of old cow manure and will have lots of leaves also. Thank you again...Rose

you're going to have extremely fluffy soil & lots of worm buddies in the near future.
Lucky you!

Oh thank you Katye....I feel like a 10 year old!! Christmas has come early to our farm...how great is that! :0)

I think you could do a really energetic happy dance!!!!
Or perhaps, I'll do one for you - after 2 cups of coffee, it wouldn't be hard!

Wow, after 15 years that should be some fine stuff. Hurry and get it on your beds. The worms will love it and most likely by spring your soil will be crawling with worms and other life.

Karen

As a horse owner, I was gonna scream if you were using edible alfalfa, but as a gardener.... *SCORE*!

Thanks everyone for your help and encouragement...I really appreciate hearing from all of you. DH is gonna take the tractor up on the north field and pick up my new treasure...and I'm still excited about this!

Pagancat...Not to worry...if the alfalfa would have been edible the dairy cattle would have eated it many mooons ago!! We were sick about losing it at the time...but it has turned out well thanks to learning about using it on this forum. DG really is a wonderful place!

I hope to have some beautiful gardens next spring and I will post pics for all to see...moocho thanks again....Rose

WONDERFULL STUFF!!!

When it was fresh it contained a growth promoter, NPK nearly as good as fresh manure and lots of trace minerals. In any stage of conversion to compost or beyond all of those elements remain or have actually improved in the process. Some feel your find is equal to or of greater value than kelp meal. I agree. You are returning the material you took from your soil but now in a much improved form. None of this material has had any value extracted to raise an animal.

YOUR GARDENS WILL LOVE IT!!!!

Oh wow, you are going to have wonderful beds! WTG!!

LOL - I just came across this thread and, like Pagan, was hoping that you were not using good hay for your compost. I'm sorry that the critters got into the bags, but it certainly sounds like you did alright with it!

LOL! There is no way that I would use "good" alfalfa hay for mulch...we work too hard to get it put up right. I remember when those big bags of hay were ruined we were just sick about it. If I hadn't been reading the posts on this forum I never would have thought to even look at them. I really did feel like I hit paydirt when I discovered how it had composted so nicely. I have put it on all of my flower beds and have made many many more!! I went up on the hill this morning and got several more large trash bags full. I am going thru garden withdrawal so making new beds is the next best thing.

I have learned so much from all of you here on Dave's...and I thank you muchly!!

I'm sure that I would have been sickened to see the spoiled bags, too, especially considering the prices on hay these days, but that was really smart of you to keep the bags around after all this time. I am GREEN with envy!

I'm soooooooo jealous! LOL

... maybe even so green, I'm brown.... you should hear my horse's view on the subject.

I can imagine you were very upset when you lost it - so glad you found another life for it!