salt marsh hay for garden

Mulch for vegetables: “Salt hay”, also known as salt marsh hay consists of grasses harvested from salt marshes on the coast of the eastern United States. The wiry stems do not mat down or rot as quickly as straw and any seeds that are present will not germinate because they require wet, saline soil.

What is salt marsh hay used for?

Salt hay grass was harvested for bedding and fodder for farm animals and for garden mulch. Before hay was bailed and stored under cover, salt hay grass was used to top the hay stacks in the fields. Many of the salt marshes in Rhode Island have been severely affected by filling, development, and road construction.

What is marsh hay?

Salt marsh hay is a coastal crop, a special product of the eastern United States. The grass is harvested in early July through the fall until the salt marshes freeze solid. ... In Colonial times, salt marsh hay was harvested as a valuable crop and used for animal fodder and bedding, as well as mulch for gardens.

Can I use hay for mulch in my garden?

Can You Mulch with Hay in the Garden? The answer is yes, and many master gardeners swear by it. It's not an obvious choice because it is soft, dense, and spongy. It soaks up water and remains moist, which may seem a little unsanitary.

What plants grow in salt marshes?

Plant Life on the Salt Marsh

Saltgrass.
Saltmarsh Bullrush.
Saltwort.
Woody Glasswort.
Beach Tea.

How do you make salt hay?

After stacking one layer, with the cut edge facing up, salt was sprinkled over the surface before piled up by the next layer. Normally, they throw a handful of rock salt for every two bales, but if the bale seems a little greener, another handful can be added. For example, if the hay is dry, about 50 lbs.

What is difference between straw and hay?

Hay is a crop that is grown and harvested as a feed crop for cattle, horses and other farm animals. Straw on the other hand is a byproduct of a grain crop; in our area it's usually usually wheat straw that we see. ... Hay often is made up of a combination of different plants growing in a field or meadow.

Is marsh hay good for horses?

At least once or twice a summer, Keppel harvests and bales marsh hay, also known as reed canary grass. It's a cash crop he has sold to customers for many years. Cut at the proper time, he said, it is a highly rated feed for cattle and horses.

What is salt hay mulch?

Salt hay, or salt marsh hay, consists of grasses harvested from salt marshes. Their wiry stems do not mat down or rot as quickly as straw, and any seeds that are present will not germinate because they require wet, saline soil. Where it is available, salt hay is the best choice for mulching.

Does Hay keep weeds out of garden?

Aside from well-aged compost, hay is arguably the best mulch for a vegetable garden. Like straw, it's a good insulator, effective against weeds, and breaks down quickly to enrich the soil.

Can you put hay around tomato plants?

Golden straw and wheat straw are good choices. Stay away from feed hay, as this is full of weed seeds. ... layer of straw around your tomatoes, but avoid touching the stems or leaves of plants since this can increase the likelihood of fungal problems.

Should I use straw or hay in my garden?

Straw is the bare stalk remaining after a nutritious seed head, such as barley or wheat has been harvested. ... If your goal is simply to cover the soil, as for paths, then straw is fine. If your goal is to enrich your soil, then the nutritious hay is much better.

How do plants survive in salt marshes?

Many salt marsh plants deal with low soil oxygen levels by shunting oxygen down to their roots through straw-like vascular tissue called aerenchyma. Roots are superficial systems because of the anoxic sediments. They consist of perennial thick roots with a corky layer and without root hairs.

What plants and animals live in salt marshes?

Animal Life on the Salt Marsh

Blue Crab.
Stone Crab.
Hermit Crab.
Mud Crab.
Fiddler Crab.
Horn Shell.
Mussel.
Grass Shrimp.

Are salt marshes dangerous?

The article suggests that people get out and walk on the marsh, and it is not dangerous. There are spots where no grass grows, and some are solid enough to bear a human's weight. Other places look similar. Those are holes, covered with scum, where a man can sink over his head and out of sight in an instant.

How dry does hay need to be to Bale?

In general, hay in small rectangular bales should be baled at less than 22 percent moisture to keep molding and heating to a minimum. Large round bales retain internal heat much longer than conventional bales. Therefore, hay should be less than 18 percent moisture before baling in large bales.

Does salting hay work?

[answer]The basic answer is yes, salt (sodium chloride) can be effective in inhibiting growth of mold organisms in hay. In earlier days, the practice was not uncommon for small rectangular bales.

What is hay salt?

Saltmeadow cordgrass (Spartina patens), also known as salt hay, is a native species of spartina grass that grows in the upper areas of the intertidal zone along the eastern coast of North America. Growing in thick masses, salt hay reaches a height of 1 to 2 feet.

How much is a bale of hay worth?

Straw prices were steady and there is a demand for straw. Small square bales averaged $4.60 a bale (range of $2.00 to $6.00). Large square bale straw averaged $64.00 per bale (a range of $40.00 to $90.00). Large round bale straw averaged $58.00 per bale (a range of $40.00 - $85.00).

Is hay dried up grass?

Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. However, it is also fed to smaller domesticated animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs.

Why are hay bales left in fields?

Storing bales reduces the number of exposed surfaces and can reduce losses, especially if shelter can be provided. Once the bales have cooled, the bales can be taken to the feed yard and stacked. Unless the bales are used for bale grazing, leaving that hay out in the fields until freeze-up can prove expensive.