Straw vs. Hay

• One of the best mulches you can apply to newly seeded lawns is straw. Homeowners who don't clearly distinguish between hay and straw may be in for a big surprise. Hay refers to a cut, dried and baled nutrient-rich grain, such as alfalfa, with the stems or stalks still attached, which is suitable for livestock feed. Straw is just the coarse, dried stalks -- without the sproutable grain and weed seeds that would soon ruin your brand new lawn -- and is often used as livestock bedding because it has no nutritional value. Wheat or rice straw, if available, is generally the "cleanest" choice for garden mulch.
  
  

Seeding New Lawns

• Growing new lawn from seed is inexpensive in terms of materials, but quite time-consuming before and after sowing. Your time is a major investment, so do everything possible to support young grass. After laborious soil and seed bed preparation and applying starter fertilizer, sow seed with a spreader, then lightly rake soil over the seed; you should still see some seeds. Apply mulch before you start irrigation.
  
  

Using Straw in Lawn Seeding

• Apply straw mulch to your newly seeded lawn to reduce seed washing and soil erosion, slow water evaporation to ensure optimal moisture and provide shade for the grass seedlings as they emerge. Shake out enough straw to loosely cover 50 percent of the lawn. Do not apply it too thickly -- a common mistake -- because you don't want to block the sun and air that new lawn needs. You'll need between 50 and 80 pounds of straw (one or two bales, depending on bale size) for every 1,000 square feet of seeded lawn. Once the straw mulch is in place, roll it down with a light lawn roller. Then start irrigating -- soak the seeded area fully until water runs off it, then water it once or twice daily to keep the soil moist.
  
  

Removing Straw Mulch After Germination

• If you applied the straw mulch very thickly, when grass is one to two inches tall gently remove about half of the straw to allow extra sunlight and air to penetrate to the lawn. Otherwise, carefully remove the straw mulch about three weeks after your lawn germinates, either lifting it by hand or with the aid of a light lawn rake -- being careful not to damage the tender new lawn. Don't concern yourself with small straw particles you may leave behind; these will decompose and enrich your soil.