Jeßus wrote:
A lady I know wrote a rather good book on kitchen gardening and she
says to never use straw straight from the bale but to age the bales
first by letting them sit on the earth and turning them occasionally
for a couple of months till they lose that straw colour. I have
been doing this now for a couple of years and I think she's right.
I now think that fresh straw isn't as good to use for mulch as aged
straw. Plants seem to prefer aged straw.


How do you know this? What are the signs?

Based on past experiences, I tend to agree with the lady author you
know.

Hard to put into words why - perhaps it just 'beds down' better
compared to the stiffer, fresher/bulkier material and so forms a more
effective covering, whilst at the same time providing some organic
material, bacteria etc. to the soil more quickly?

Is what you you are using straw of hay? The two are not the same, they come
form different sources, have different content and behave differently.

David