Applying an excessively thick layer of straw over your newly-seeded lawn will inhibit seed growth by preventing much-needed sunlight from reaching the soil. A thick layer of straw — with its excessive moisture retention properties — makes for a perfect habitat for growth of fungal organisms like mushrooms. These fungi further choke out your growing grass seeds, thus inhibiting seedling development.
For improved grass seed germination, ensure that the layer of straw that you apply over your newly-seeded lawn is no more than three inches thick. Usually, a single bale of straw should be enough to lightly cover about square feet of lawn area. Applying more straw than this will encourage fungal infestation while applying less will likely lead to bare spots on the lawn. Straw makes for a great mulching material for grass seeds since it lacks its own seeds that would otherwise compete for soil nutrients with the grass seeds.
However, there exist other mulching materials that are just as effective at covering germinating grass seed. Just like straw, pine straw also facilitates moisture and heat retention while still allowing enough sunlight to reach and warm the soil on which the grass seed is growing.
The terpene-laden needles of fresh pine straw tend to inhibit seedling growth. Instead, I recommend using aged pine straw where the needles are brown and the terpene chemicals have evaporated away. You can tell that your pine straw is well-aged and ready for use as grass-seed mulching if the needles lack their characteristic aroma. Sawdust is also another great alternative to straw for covering grass seed. However, you should ensure to apply it very lightly to avoid triggering a matting effect that will discourage seed germination and seedling growth.
Since sawdust is much finer than straw, the particles can form a barrier that will affect evaporation. As a result, you may end up with excessive water in the soil due to slow evaporation, leading to damage of the young roots of your grass seedlings. Typically, sawdust mulch should be no more than a quarter of an inch thick.
Finally, remember that sawdust mulch tends to leech nitrogen from the soil and should- therefore- be paired with a regular fertilizer application schedule. How long is it recommended to keep the mulch on the grass? Thanks for the info! Never use hay because of the weed seeds. Weed seeds germinate in the light, grass seed germinates in the dark. Spread it, roll it, lightly rake it then cover it.
I have been working for about 10 years in greenery and mulch is necessary but the thickness is dependent on the climatic conditions, the slope of the area, and the size of the seed. Can I leave the straw on it through the winter? So, I just re-seeded my back yard two weeks ago. Gardening questions can be tricky since the rules can change based on the region. We would suggest contacting your local Master Gardeners association. Master gardeners train on a range of topics so they can provide advice, at no charge, for people in their area.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I've also read that shredded straw is the best thing to use after planting grass seed.
What do you suggest? A: I'm a keep-it-simple straw guy. You'll find plenty of bagged products these days that come with seed, starter fertilizer and mulch usually paper all rolled into one product. They work fine. The mulch is useful for holding moisture against the seed, especially when the seed-planting person isn't very good about keeping the newly planted grass watered.
Consistently damp seed is a key to good seed germination. My main beef with the all-in-one products is cost. I'd rather maximize my investment in actual seed, not in a bag that's filled largely with recycled paper.
Read the label to see what percentage of grass seed you're actually getting in these products. I've seen mulch rates as high as 88 percent, which means you're not getting much seed in your seed purchase.
I think it's more economical to buy only seed and then buy any fertilizer or mulch as needed separately. For a new lawn, I'd test the soil first to see what nutrients or pH adjustments your lawn soil actually needs.
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