The Benefits of Hay as Mulch

There are a bevy of uses for hay that oftentimes go overlooked. It is, unfortunately, a little-known fact that hay can be composted and used as mulch. Hay is a useful source of mulch in a myriad of ways: it is easily accessible, malleable, clean, relatively odorless, and comfortable.

A bale of hay can cost between $2 and $6. At first glance, this can appear to be expensive and a burden on one’s wallet when used for anything but livestock feed. However, the advantages provided by hay as mulch, both in the form of reduced labor and cost, makes it a very reasonable investment that will provide future savings.

First off, it traps moisture, but no heat, in the ground. Therefore, the ground is kept at a reasonable temperature that will not overheat the plants, keeping them hydrated at the same time. This greatly reduces the need for excessive labor in the form of watering, and allows the gardener to focus on and cultivate other plots of land, instead of having to neurotically focus on a few plants that are endangered by poor soil quality.

Hay may hold in moisture, but it also drains liquids well, too. Now there is not only no fear of dehydration, but drowning is also not of any concern.  In addition to draining liquids efficiently, hay also circulates air, taking away the worry of the plants asphyxiating.

Hay also takes away the need for tilling. Because dead plants will simply be absorbed by the mulch, there is no need to constantly turn over the soil. In addition, hay mulch also holds weeds down, making the process of weed removal less cumbersome (in fact, in some cases, it removes the need to do it at all).

With hay becoming more and more of an expensive commodity, the idea of using hay as a mulch may seem implausible. When one takes into account, however, how hay mulch can save labor, the bountiful benefits become clear. It frees up labor, in addition to capital, is quite easy to purchase, improves a plant’s quality of life (and, moreover, its chance of survival) by way of keeping it hydrated, cool, and nourished. Most importantly perhaps, hay allows gardening to be a relaxing task—as it should be—as opposed to a monotonous and arduous undertaking.