Robert,

Did exactly that a couple of weekes ago - as soon as Halloween was through. I did get about 10 bales. Not as much as other years. Folks around here are getting wiser all the time...

I let them rot for a year, but try to make their 'rotting' period work for me in the gardens, so I decided to extend a flower bed and used the bales on the back side to hold the lasgna contents in place. (This garden slopes down and away.) Behind this I am accumulating a huge mound of leaves.

I saw an ad on craigs list a QFC grocery store was giving away 40 dry bales of straw that they had used for decorations. Unfortunately the store was 75 miles from me and I could only haul about 6 in my trailer so it wouldn't have been worth the time and gas money. dangit!

I have about 10 of those haybales and on the look out for more as well as pumpkins. The kids next door said " Wow, you have alot of pumpkins" I just smiled. and thought yup I sure do!
I also take all the old mums.. for the soil and green tops. Some I even plant if they are not to dried out.
Cherry

Hello all,

I have two hay bales and I am not sure what to do with them. I do not have a compost pile. I have thought many times about starting one, but have not.

I have flower beds, that I thought About using as mulch, but was worried about the seeds in the hay.

Basically, I want to use it, but I have never composted and am not sure what to do.

Thanks for you help!

Elaine

If they are straw usual they have no seeds but hay does.
I took one apart last year and put it under my row of arborvitae as mulch I never got weeds.. but I did get mushrooms that are a sure sign of organic matter decomposing.

I think if you leave them whole over the winter to rot a bit they may not sprout weeds when used as mulch in the spring.
I know, send them to me...Cherry

Straw bales will often have seeds still on the stalks and those seeds will be what the straw was, so if you have Rye straw the seeds will be Rye and if it is Wheat straw those seeds will be Wheat. Not a real problem because if they do germinate they will be the same product you obtained.