What can I do with old hay?

Clydesdaleclopper · What can I do with old hay?

We have 4 large round bales of hay that were left here when we moved in. Any ideas what we can do with it (it is no good for the beasties to eat)?

Maria

Mulch for no-dig veggie beds? Layer of muck, then cardboard/paper for weed suppressant, then the hay. The worms will do plenty of digging for you then

Can plant through it...and then in spring turn it in, digging any perenial roots out at the same time.

Sassinak

Trouble is that hay takes a long time to rot - much longer than straw.
It works well unrolled as a pathway through the muddy patches in winter

Maria

That's a good point Sass. Would it help the soil in the long run - espec if it's been compacted in the past?

Sassinak

Long term it will but you are probably looking at least a couple of years before it breaks down. It will make it very difficult to dig with the hay fibres there until it rots

Maidenstone

It will also have grass seeds in it! Get some dowels innoculated with mushroom spawn (Ann Miller, Durno) and poke them into it, and just leave outside.

Maidenstone

Sorry, Ann Miller - Wartle!

Smooth Hound

that sounds interesting,

Smooth Hound

you could also have them shifted to along your north side, giving you protection from the wind in the winter, or where ever your worst exposed to wind side is

Clydesdaleclopper

The mushroom spawn sounds interesting. Do you have any contact details for the lady?

lachlanandmarcus

good idea cos I made temporary cross country jumps out of old hay bales and a few months on (with no spawn) there are lots of fungi (not that Ive dared eat them but it does show its an ideal environment for them!)

Maidenstone

You can see her website: www.annforfungi.co.uk but I do know she is in hospital this week, should be home next week though.

pete_inthehills

what you need to do is have a big bbq party with lots of guests and lots of drink. Tell the boys they have to pee on the hay. this really helps with the break down of it. you'll not be able to get rid of it all, but it'll start the composting process nicely...

pete
inthehills

Clydesdaleclopper

Hmm. My new neighbours might be a bit concerned if they saw loads of drunken men peeing on hay bales next to the track

wildgarlic

Julie

We use our spoiled hay from the floor of the field shelter as a mulch around fruit trees and bushes, it is manured a little too. It does take a couple of years to disappear completely but that is an advantage. Gordon had reservations about it containing grass seeds at first but it doesn't seem to be a problem. The main thing that grows through are docks but you could view that as an easy way to spot them and dig them out. Most hay is harvested long before it seeds anyway so that might be why it has proved to be such an effective mulch.
Sounds as if you might have Clydesdales too, by your username? We also use the pee sodden shavings from our next door neighbours stables as mulch. It takes a great deal longer to rot but if it saves us from strimming and mowing in the forest garden, it's all good

Clydesdaleclopper

Yes we do have a Clydie - I guess I should get him to move the bales. Start earning his keep and all that.

Julie

I think I like them better than Shires. I'm not a horsey person and what I know about them would fit on a postage stamp, but it is nice to see them working.
The loggers from the West coast had a couple of working heavy horses at Turriff show a few years back. One of those was a Clydesdale and he stood and let me quietly stroke his nose and face. They go into the forests to work in places that they can't get the machinery into.
It's a nice concept that they can't replace traditional methods with a machine in every case, isn't it?

Smooth Hound

i saw them in turriff

with all here assessories, its amazing what you remember, i cant remember anything else there