Seeds in baled hay?

Question

OK. I mulched my strawberries with a bale of hay I got from my neighbor that he used in a Halloween display. Only afterward did I realize that there were seeds in it. The question now is what to do about it. I don't think that removing the hay immediately will eliminate the problem, as many seeds likely have fallen through the hay to the soil.

I have found Preen to be an effective weed germination inhibitor when used on listed items. My question is will I be able to use this in the spring on the strawberry atch without negatively affecting the plants or the crops?

Answer 1

Mulch such as straw will shade any germination of the dead straw, which has lost it's seed germination possibilities by now, anyway. Straw is a good winter barrier for many plants as coverage against the cold. But remember that the straw will draw the nitrogen out of the soil and the following Spring you must remove the straw and add some 21-0-0 fertilizer to that strawberry patch for it to be prolific. This is a great time to add soil amenities to the existing soil for a good growing medium, for those berries to take off into. Preen is keen , but no matter what the label says stuff like that doesn't belong in your Strawberry patch. With a Hula Hoe you can de weed a strawberry patch of 1/8 acre in one hour, and you'll live longer and your berries will taste much sweeter! If your only weed pest is the possibilites that of your mulch germinating , only one round of hoing will be needed for them and either way 3 or 4 rounds should leave you with just strawberry plants.

Answer 2

dderat, I have lived on a horse farm all of my life. We make our own hay, in square bales. The first thing you have to ask yourself is was the bale yellowish oragne, or was it green or a pale yellowish green. There is no difference either way. The first type I mentioned was straw (most commonly used in halloween decorations). This, when cut has no seeds, and the seeds it does have generally won't germinate. If the bale was a pale yellowish green or green, this is a ble of hay. In my thirteen years of working with hay, we have never had a bale of hay, germinate. We throw hay into our pasture and never have we had a sprout of timothy, a bit of clover or any other component of hay. Now to your question, in using a weed killer there is always the possibility that it will affect what you are trying not to kill. I don't think that you will have any problem with weeds from the hay bale, because I believe what you are reffering to as seeds, is really chaff (a dusty substance that contains sheed sheaths and other pieces of hay that have been broken down to a dusty concistency). So, with my opinion, I don't believe you will even need the weed killer, due to the hay bale, mulched on top. If you are concerned, consult someone at a garden store for the best week killer (that is non toxic) that you can use in your strawberry patch. Just remember there is always a possibility that even a weed killer that is not supposed to kill the "non weeds", there is always a chance it will kill some, or hopefully not all of your crop (not to discourage you).

Answer 3

OK, let's try to set the record straight here. Straw is composed of stalks, it's seed-free, which is why it's such a desirable mulch material. As you obviously know, what you have is hay and not straw. Despite what the horse farmer said, any hay I've ever handled in my 65 years has hayseed in it, so yes, you have seeded your strawberry patch with grass.

So what to do? Given that this is a food crop (strawberries), I would use no pre-emergent like Preen nor any toxic chemical like Round-Up. Your best option might be a cultivator, like those baby rototillers, a mechanical version of the same thing, or a scuffle hoe. Anything that disturbs the ground will prevent weeds from growing. You may have to keep at it weekly all season, but keeping the ground disturbed will do the trick. Another possibility is to mulch really really heavily with newspapers in early spring. Thick layers of newsprint will block out sun and air and prevent growth. Good luck!

Answer 4

You will have lots of weeds come spring. Preen is a barrier used so seeds can not germinate. Once you break that barrier by raking, the seeds will germinate. I'm afraid there's nothing you can do now. You will have to wait till spring and hand pull the weeds. Using a weed killer would most likely hurt your strawbettery plants.

Answer 5

Preen away anytime you use baled hay/straw you run the risk of adding weed seeds to your soil.