What is growing there is more of the straw you put down, so if you had Oat straw what is growing is Oats, not a problem.

Think of it as green manure.

Dan

yep just more nutrient for the garden bed hey, pull it and tuck it under or let it mature (it won't prolificate) and feed it to your pet birds.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: lens garden page

Yes, it's oat straw. I guess if it's not going to overwhelm the beds, I'll just pick it out. Thanks for the help.

Hi, I have used straw for several years as walkway in the garden, and also as bedding for my chickens, which ends up in the garden beds, so I have a lot of experience with this. First, make sure you are getting STRAW not HAY. (I made a mistake once and learned my lesson!)

That being said, even when I get straw, there are always seeds. Always. I just pull them out in the beds. Or rake it in the walkways (it is still much easier than pulling "real" weeds, and I will gladly trade it's weed supression for a few oat seedlings!). I find the best way to deal with this issue is two ways:

*compost (or at least partially compost) the straw first. Make a pile of it, mix it with some grass, water it down and let it sit for a month or so before you put it in your garden beds. All the seeds sprout, but you spreading it in the garden bed will disrupt the root systems and kill the seedlings.

*If you don't have the space for that, water down the bale of it, and let it do the same thing. It will sprout, and when you spread the bale, it will kill the seedlings (it is hard to spread plain wet hay though, so be forewarned!-- I choose the partially composted method, myself)

Whatever you choose, know that you will only have a couple of weeks of picking the weeds, they will all basicly sprout together, it will not be an ongoing battle.

Good luck!

I agree with arwmommy. I get my straw in the summer, let it sit out, getting wet, hot, whatever. Most of the seeds sprout, and I can pull them out and compost them when they do. I use my straw in flakes, it makes a great mulch layer - hardly anything can get through a flake of straw! I tend to use the bales as the "walls" of my compost bin - that said - it gets a lot of moisture, even here in sunny CA. As the compost is used, I then use the "spoiled" straw in my gardens. Occasionally a seed still sprouts, but WAAAY less than if I used the bales before letting them sit for a while. Just depends on how much space you have!

good luck!
Kathy

Far too many people get far too concerned about those seeds left on straw sprouting. There is nothing wrong with this and those seeds are not "dangerous weeds" but are simply what the straw came from, the Oats, Wheat, Rye, stalks from which a grain was harvested. The only thing that will happen when these seeds do germinate and grow is that you will get more straw, of course if you bought GE straw you may get a visit from some company goons that will threaten you with a lawsuit.

I used straw as mulch last year in a brand new garden at a new home only because I didn't yet have a source for mulch hay. At 8 bucks a bale it was ridiculously expensive and, as mentioned, was full of seeds anyway. I'll never pay cash for it again.

I'll ~always~ use hay, just as I have since the mid-1970's. When the seeds sprout in a hay mulch, I just pull them (they come up easily) or simply throw another handful of hay on top if them. It worked for Ruth Stout all those many years ago and it still works for me.

Paying top dollar for straw is senseless to me when dirt-cheap mulch hay is available.

Wayne

I got a ton of hay early in February and have used it for a mulch and for making "raised beds". (I know, it may seem foolish to some but I could drag them where I wanted them without having to build anything.) We have had some big rains here since and I've seen less than ten seed sprouts in the bales and non on the area where I threw the "flakes".

Mine is probably bahaia grass hay...

According to Ruth Stout, the key is placing it thickly as mulch. Maybe your layer of hay in the lasagna garden wasn't so thick?

Here is a link that might be useful: My hay bales