Do you have to put straw or hay down when planting grass seed?

Answer 1

It's not an absolute requirement, but straw top-dressing helps to conserve moisture, prevent runoff, and discourages birds. It's a really cheap way to improve your lawn results tremendously.

Answer 2

Straw is the left over stalks from wheat fields. There is no living plant matter in them.

Hay is a grass that is harvested and used to feed cattle. Hay does have live plant matter.

You want straw. The reason you put down straw is to help prevent the seed from drying out or being blown away.

Answer 3

The pupose of putting down hay is to make sure your seeds do not get eaten by birds. The hay also serves as a natural blanket that will help keep the soil beneath it moist, speeding up sprout time. The best part with using hay is that once the grass sprouts and begins to grow, it is usually broken down and acts as a fertilizer! Without hay, grass will not only take longer to grow, but it will usually sprout in patches. Hay allows a uniform seed sprout bed.

Answer 4

Put hay, straw, mulch, leaves, pine needles or other similar material down over the seed, leaving approximately 25% of the ground uncovered. I have done this numerous times, and it really helps hold moisture in the soil surface, and improves germination. The ground is also not so muddy or sandy to walk on after seeding and watering.

Answer 5

I use straw. Hay contains seeds that will grow in your new lawn. Straw retains moisture, keeps the seeds from blowing away and resists bird feeding.

Answer 6

It is best to use straw.

Straw won't decompose as quick as hay or grass.

When things decompose it generates heat which isn't good for the grass seed.

Answer 7

You want to use straw because when it gets wet it won't kill the grass seed. Hay will.