
The layer of straw should usually be around 1/4 inch thick, and no more than 3 inches thick. How much straw should I put on top of the grass? Add a thin layer, and your straw and seed will dry out and either grow slowly or not at all. Distribution amountsĪdding straw to your newly seeded lawn isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation: too much straw will suffocate the seed, trap a lot of moisture, and prevent your grass seeds from germinating.

Similarly, if your straw dries out, then the same high winds that can blow away seeds can also blow away dried straw and create a big mess. To avoid this, you can lay down a tarp in the back to collect all the mess. To start, if you drive a car, a bale of straw in your truck can create a mess you have to clean up. The good news is that the tragic eye sore is only temporary.
#Pine straw free#
Let’s face it – a layer of straw in the middle of your green lawn that is free of weeds just isn’t pretty to look at. If you are looking for a good quality cover and convenient delivery, I recommend the EZ Straw Seeding Mulch, biodegradable and organic.Īffiliate links and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on: Disadvantages to Using Straw to Cover Grass Seeds #1.
#Pine straw upgrade#
Knowing this, you might be able to upgrade the grass seed you were planning to buy and still stay within your lawn care budget.

You can find bales or bags of straw at most home garden stores and in most cases it’s cheap. Raking up the straw before its young roots have developed can pull the grass out of your lawn and you are back to square one. Be sure that the grass seedlings are established in your new lawn before raking or mowing the straw up. If you want to bypass the free organic matter, you can rake up the straw once the seed has started a healthy root system. The decomposed material provides a healthy layer of beneficial nutrients to the soil. Oftentimes, I don’t even clean straw up when I use it for ground cover I just let it decompose into the soil. Straw doesn’t contain any chemicals so it’s environmentally friendly. It is environmentally friendly and easy to cleanup While using straw won’t always keep your seed in place, it will help lock the seeds down until the new lawn grass seed germinates. The same can happen in your yard: a heavy wind can blow your new grass seeds into your flower garden, or a strong rain can wash new seeds away. In the wild, seeds are moved from one location to the next by wind, water, or after it is attached to carried off by an animal. Bird controlĪs soon as you lay down a fresh layer of grass seed, those birds that hang out in your yard now have a new snack! Straw will provide a layer of cover for a newly seeded lawn, allowing new seeds to grow without them all being eaten by birds. The straw will help slow evaporation and provide some relief from the sun, encouraging germination and growth. Grass seed planted in direct sunlight is nearly impossible to keep moist.

Adding straw will help you maintain a consistent moisture level that promotes seed cover germination. It is important to keep freshly laid grass seed moist, but not too wet. Final Thoughts Benefits of Using Straw to Cover Grass Seed #1.
