On Feb 19, 11:42*am, brooklyn1 wrote:
.... the straw will act as a
short term mulch that will significantly inhibit weed growth until the
ground cover gets a good start. *Straw is cheap, needs no tools to
apply other than your hands and becomes composted quickly which amends
the soil, much better than costly, dangerous, and pervasive chemicals.
Even if your ground cover is a newly seeded lawn covering the seed
with straw will encourage faster germination by retaining moisture and
will deter the birds from eating your seed.

Make sure you get clean straw (straw can be full of weeds & seeds),
and don't work it in to the soil - lay it on top. Straw worked in to
the soil will rob nitrogen for a time as it decays.