Hay typically has seeds. A better option is straw. Sorry for your misunderstanding. The hay can bring in LOTS of weeds. I'd pull it all if it were me.

I doubt the distressed zucc is related to the hay.

Husband just said he bought wheat straw. Is that what you mean?

Most wheat straw has seed in it also. I used some to cover my strawberry patch a few years ago and it had clover seed in it. You do not want clover growing in your strawberry patch! It will take over and crowd out the strawberry plants and is very hard to remove. It also had wheat seed in it and I had a lot of that come up in the spring. I don't put anything on my strawberries anymore and I use grass clippings for mulch, just don't put it on fresh, let it dry before putting it around your plants.

I use hay with no problems just make sure it is the second cutting of hay which has little to no seeds, Another way is to put some newspaper down then hay on top, Grass I use also but I do rake it after mowing and put it on right away with no problems just keeping it a few inches from the plant.

I am using wheat straw as well. It does have a few seeds in it but not nearly as much as hay does. You have to put it on really thick to keep the seeds from sprouting (7-8 inches or so), same goes for hay. As a previous poster suggested newspaper may help too.

Haha Dave that is so true about blaming the new thing. Hahaha. Something else new we are trying this year is planting in mounds. So do you guys suggest leaving the wheat straw on and pulling the wheat plants coming up? there are so many. .. haha but if that's all I have to weed all year I guess it's better. :) i have not seen any clover so that's good.

Do the plants have enough water? everything looks dry

" So do you guys suggest leaving the wheat straw on and pulling the wheat plants coming up?"

I suggested not only leaving it on but applying it much more thickly. Not nearly enough on there. You can pull what has sprouted if you wish or you can just bury it with more straw. If they can't get sun they die so as anything sprouts you just layer on more.

Dave

I'm not an experienced gardener. I've learned that my veggies do much better with a layer of straw mulch. I do get weed sprouting from them (I'm going to take the advice given to you and apply thicker) the benefits from having straw mulch outweigh the weeding. I was going apply Preen on top of straw to prevent weed germination. But read some concerning information online about it. Not sure if I should do it... But I wouldn't get rid of the straw mulch.

I routinely use hay on my beds. I let a section of my yard grow up and cut it with a swing blade type sickle. I apply it as thickly as the plantings allow. While the plants are young, it goes on thinly and is added as the plants grow. I use it straight, and also mix it with grass clippings, leaves, compost, etc... whatever is available. If weeds grow, as was said above, it is a sign that the mulch is not yet thick enough. I never have to use 'cides of any sort. If a weed does poke through... (what, maybe 10 per year? lol...) the mulch has kept the soil so moist and friable that very few weeds can't be easily pulled. Even if they are a persistent type of weed, if you are diligent and keep topping it as soon as you see it coming back, eventually the root loses strength and it quits.