Is this salt marsh hay, or hay from a nearby marsh? Either should work, but wet newspaper between the rows covered with wood chips is excellent. Or cardboard covered with wood chips. Both will break down and add organic matter to the soil for next year.

Lee

I think marsh hay potentially has fewer weed seeds in it than straw, but I would choose either of them over woodchips. Woodchips will break down way too slowly to use in the garden, and will tie up nitrogen while they're decomposing. Hay or straw will decompose a lot by next spring, enriches the soil, and you can rototill it in easily in the fall or spring.

I've heard the same thing about marsh hay, but I've used straw and really haven't had any problems. I don't like wood chip/mulch for the same reasons as Buckhill. I like turning the straw back into the soil the next spring. I know it'll add more to the soil faster than wood mulch. Cardboard or at least 8 sheets of newspaper really do well for keeping my weeds down. The worms love it too. Wet it down well before you put your mulch down.

Kat

I also say no to wood chips. I did extensive wood chip mulch once and always felt my harvest was never the same. I use a spendy option-I buy chopped straw in bags from my hardware store-the best thing ever invented. I also use newspaper and cardboard but I think it is an eyesore. but it really works.

My best recommendations would be for the marsh hay if available, then hay or alfalfa (try to get the 2nd cut to reduce weed seed), straw otherwise. Ask any potential source where the hay came from; sometimes grass cut from fallow pastures, or roadsides, is sold as "marsh hay", and could contain noxious weeds in excessive quantities (like thistle). Only the hay from marsh areas is relatively weed-free.

Fresh grass clippings during the summer are also very good, as long as no chemicals were used on the lawn. I agree with those who recommend against wood chips, in a previous garden they seemed to promote damping off & an increase in fungal wilt problems.

Try to get marsh hay that is still green, and keep it dry until application. Marsh hay, green hay, and grass clippings will provide some nitrogen as they break down; as opposed to the straw & wood chips, which will consume nitrogen. Regardless of which mulch used, adding fresh green material throughout the year will work wonders for your earthworm population, and improve your soil.