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Could Hay Mulch Poison Your Garden?

in Gardening Tips & How-to's· In the Garden· The Beginner's Garden Podcast· Troubleshooting

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There are few garden subjects I am more passionate about than mulch. It prevents weeds and regulates moisture in the soil, among its other benefits.

But which mulch should you use? Perhaps the most common is shredded leaves, but what if you’re like me and you don’t have access to deciduous trees? Then what are your options?

I’ve used wood chip mulch, hay mulch, straw mulch, and pine needle mulch, and I talk about the pros and cons of each type of mulch here.

But after talking to Jill Winger of the Prairie Homestead, I realized using hay as mulch isn’t without its risks. In this episode of the Beginner’s Garden Podcast, Jill talks about how deep mulching with hay poisoned her garden. Click below to hear our conversation or read on to find out what happened, how she identified the problem, and what advice she gives to other gardeners considering using hay to mulch their gardens.

 

Hay Mulch Poisoning a Garden

*links below may contain affiliate links

Using Hay in a Deep Mulch Method

After struggling for years with weeding her garden, Jill discovered a book by Ruth Stout called Gardening Without Work. In this book, Ruth shared a gardening method called Deep Mulch.

In Deep Mulch Gardening, the gardener mounds several feet of straw or hay over the soil and then separates the mulch to plant in rows. This thick layer of mulch prevents weeds seeds from germinating, and the straw or hay breaks down and contributes to the nutrients in the soil. 

Hay as Deep Mulch

Some people question whether hay introduces seeds to the garden, but Ruth contended that if the hay is deep enough, this will not occur. It worked wonderfully for Jill for a couple of years, and she touted the amazing benefits of deep mulch in her garden.

But then, in the the third year, Jill’s garden didn’t grow as it had in the past. Her tomato plants became stunted and curled, while the rest of her garden ceased to thrive. 

Identifying Hay as the Source of the Problem

Jill set out in vigorous research to find out what happened to her garden.

After eliminating several possibilities, she finally determined the hay mulch was the source of the problem. She learned that the hay she used had been sprayed with an herbicide, and because of using such a high quantity of hay, the herbicide eventually built up in her soil and began poisoning her vegetable garden.

Tomato Leaf Curling - hay mulch

Other Causes of Tomato Leaf Curling

When it comes to soil poisoning, tomatoes are usually the first vegetables to signal a problem. As Jill researched the possible causes of her issues, she found many different causes of tomato leaf curling that do not result from herbicide-tainted hay.

If you find your tomato leaves are curling, you don’t have to assume that your mulch was contaminated. Here are some other possible causes to explore.

  • Too much moisture or not enough moisture. The first thing to rule out is to check the moisture of the soil. The leaves can curl if it’s either too wet or too dry and sometimes they can appear yellow.
  • Tomato or Cucumber mosaic virus. These diseases can also cause curling but you will also notice spots or patterning on the leaves.
  • Broad mites. This pest can invade the garden. If you look closely, you can see their eggs.
  • Too much salt. Some cattle manure, mostly from CAFO farms (concentrated animal feeding operations), can have a high salt concentration and can cause problems in your garden. If you want to use this manure, allow it to sit uncovered in the elements, and some of the salt will leech out of it.

To compare your leaf curling to Jill’s experience, click here to view photos of her tomato issues. Herbicide-tainted hay causes a unique distortion that’s hard to miss.

Hay Mulch in Garden

Should You Use Hay as Mulch in Your Garden?

Be very careful what you put on your garden. Using organic hay would be a better option, or at the least hay that you can be certain has not been sprayed with herbicide, specifically one with aminopyralid.

Jill also believes her problem was a combination of the amount of hay and the repeated use of the deep mulch method, which is why many gardeners use hay without the sudden problems that Jill had.

UPDATE: In the 2019 garden year, I (Jill M) chose to hill my potatoes with hay since it had prevented early blight in my past gardens. I had extra hay so I decided to mulch some of my tomatoes with it for the same reason. Two weeks after application, I started noticing this about those tomato plants:

tomato leaf curl due to herbicide poisoning

hay herbicide poisoning on tomato leaf curling

My other tomato plants — not mulched with hay — showed none of this leaf curling and twisting. I quickly removed all the hay from the tomatoes and potatoes, and I’ve learned my lesson. Herbicide-tainted hay can poison a garden more quickly than I realized. 

Before you add hay to your garden, consider Jill’s experience both of our experiences. Ask questions and use caution.

Prairie Homestead Cookbook

The Prairie Homestead Cookbook

Jill Winger of the Prairie Homestead Blog is also the author of the newly-released Prairie Homestead Cookbook. 

To purchase your copy of The Prairie Homestead Cookbook, click here. (On a personal note, this has become my all-time favorite cookbook!) Then after your purchase, go to Homesteadcookbook.com and enter your receipt number to get a packet of bonuses!

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Filed Under: Gardening Tips & How-to's, In the Garden, The Beginner's Garden Podcast, Troubleshooting Tagged With: Mulch

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Notice a difference between the cabbage seedlings Notice a difference between the cabbage seedlings on the left and the ones on the right?
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I just love testing different things in my garden, and for these seedlings I tested two treatments I’ve never tried before: foliage feeding and a “root dip” using the plant growth product, Organic REV.
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The plants on the left were untreated; the ones on the right were treated.
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A few weeks ago I filled a spray bottle with a diluted Organic REV mixture (per their instructions) and I sprayed the young seedlings on the right. They responded well and began to outpace the untreated group slightly — it was small but definitely noticeable.
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Then last Friday I transferred the seedlings into these larger pots, but before I did it, for the plants on the right, I dipped the root ball in a 50/50 REV/water mixture, saturating the soil and roots before transplanting. Again, the plants on the right were the only ones that got this root dip.
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The soil all plants are growing in is the same: a potting mix plus some Plant Tone organic fertilizer.
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It was after this root dip and transplant that the seedlings on the right started pacing much more ahead of the ones in the untreated group.
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While all the seedlings (treated and untreated) are growing in this fertile soil medium, what Organic REV is supposed to do is appearing to prove true — at least in this test. It helps plants more efficiently take up and use the nutrients that are present in the soil.
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Organic REV is now a brand partner of the Beginner’s Garden. They sent me their product to try first, and I’m continuing to test it in different ways.
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But what I’m sharing with you is my own experience and results. If you’re interested in their product, look them up here: @buyorganicrev Use my affiliate code JILL10 to get 10% off if you want to try it for yourself.
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I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to harvesti I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to harvesting from my garden in the winter. It snowed today, even! (Okay, just a dusting, and it already melted, but in central Arkansas, any snow is worth celebrating! 😂)
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Although I’ve grown cabbage in the spring before, this is my first time harvesting a fall crop. (My last two attempts were thwarted by hungry rabbits or rogue hens 😡.)
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I have several more plants that I’m hoping to harvest from now that the days are getting longer and maybe the heads will start growing again. And I also have a new crop started in my grow room.
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Four-season gardening may sound daunting but I assure you, fall and winter gardening is almost a hands-off endeavor. The only thing it really takes is a little planning (and some nurturing in the beginning).
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And the reward of picking from your garden in the winter (when your climate allows) can’t be overstated. It’s fabulous!!
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If you’re interested in learning how to incorporate more seasons in your garden growing, I have several exciting new resources coming up, starting with tomorrow’s first podcast of the new year on deciding if indoor seed starting is right for you!
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As much as I’m enjoying this winter harvest, I’ve already got one eye in spring! You, too? 😊
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This fall-planted parsley 🌱 has done really wel This fall-planted parsley 🌱 has done really well in my Greenstalk Vertical planter. I recently harvested the lower leaves and dried them for use in the kitchen. But the rest of the plant is still growing well, and I expect to harvest from it for months to come.
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I planted the parsley along with other plants in the Greenstalk planter in September. Although the lettuce is done and I harvested the celery, the herbs like parsley, cilantro, chives, and oregano are going strong!
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I LOVE that I don’t have to buy almost all herbs from the store, even in the winter.
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I’ve spent the better part of two days selecting I’ve spent the better part of two days selecting and ordering seeds for this year. My husband thinks my intensive research is a bit over the top. Maybe.... 🤔
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But here’s what I do:
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1️⃣ Select the seed companies I’ll purchase from. Most of my orders were from @southernexposureseed because I’m in the SE US and the varieties there fit my climate well. Next, I placed a large order from @territorialseedcompany (great selection, informative catalog, and some of the best prices). From there, I supplemented with seeds from @bakercreekseeds (high quality heirloom seeds, highly dependable, free shipping), @johnnys_seeds (unique varieties for different needs than I can get elsewhere), and @seed_savers_exchange (heirloom seeds with a great mission).
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2️⃣ I went through my top 3 catalogs, circling varieties I was interested in.
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3️⃣ I entered each variety in my Seed & Plant Research sheet from my Complete Garden Planner, noting unique characteristics, days to maturity, and price. (Not all seed packets are equal in quantity so it pays to be a savvy shopper.)
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4️⃣ I chose which seeds to purchase.
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I usually plan my entire garden before ordering seeds, but I was a bit nervous about the seed supply (thankfully only a few varieties were sold out), so I did my best in choosing what I’d need.
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The process was LONG but a great way to spend the last two days of 2020 — with HOPE for the 2021 garden season! 💕
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Have you ordered seeds yet? Where do you like to order from?
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(My printable Complete Garden Planner is available in my shop, link in profile.)
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My greenhouse lettuce is coming along! 🥬 I expe My greenhouse lettuce is coming along! 🥬 I expect now that the day length ☀️ will be increasing, the growth will accelerate in the next couple of months.
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I think I planted these in early October, so you can see how slow they grow this time of year, even in the warmth of the greenhouse. But it’s so nice to see signs of growth and hope for future lettuce harvests! 🥬
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I’m almost to the end of my main fall lettuce, so I’ll be glad when these are ready to eat!
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Would love to hear your personal experience using Would love to hear your personal experience using shredded leaves as mulch! 🍂
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🌲 The trees on my property are mainly pine trees, so I’ve never had fallen leaves to collect and use as mulch. (That’s mainly why I use wood chips.) But when my dad offered to collect and bag up his leaves and give them to me, of course I said yes!
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Twenty-five bags later I realized I needed to figure out how to best use them. I knew they’d blow away if I just dumped them on the garden and they’d take forever to break down if I threw them in the compost pile. So I watched a few YouTube videos and settled on a leaf shredder.
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(A lot of people use lawn mowers to mulch their leaves but we don’t have a mower like that. I also tried the weed-eater as an immersion blender in a trash can idea once and it was a disaster.)
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I LOVED this leaf shredder! It was really easy to use and I shredded 25 bags in just a couple of hours. Most people shred the leaves into bags but I created a simple wired bin to collect mine, and I shredded the leaves directly into it. I applied the leaves to several beds already but I have half of them still in the bin to use later.
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How do you use fall leaves in your garden? I’m excited to try this method that I have enviously watched so many gardeners use over the years!
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