25 year old bales of hay ok for mulch?
 

picked up some 25 year old bales of hay for free today....they are from an
old barn set to be demolished they stink of animal urine and
feces....apparently raccoons have have been living there for long
time....will this be ok for mulch in vegetable garden?

25 year old bales of hay ok for mulch?
 

In article ,
" wrote:

picked up some 25 year old bales of hay for free today....they are from an
old barn set to be demolished they stink of animal urine and
feces....apparently raccoons have have been living there for long
time....will this be ok for mulch in vegetable garden?

In a word...Gold.

--
Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden

http://honest-food.net/

25 year old bales of hay ok for mulch?
 

On Jun 23, 5:24*pm, "
wrote:
picked up some 25 year old bales of hay for free today....they are from an
old barn set to be demolished they stink of animal urine and
feces....apparently raccoons have have been living there for long
time....will this be ok for mulch in vegetable garden?

Protect your lungs when handling, otherwise great find.

25 year old bales of hay ok for mulch?
 

25 year old bales of hay ok for mulch?
 

On Thu, 23 Jun 2011 21:24:42 GMT, "
wrote:

picked up some 25 year old bales of hay for free today....they are from an
old barn set to be demolished they stink of animal urine and
feces....apparently raccoons have have been living there for long
time....will this be ok for mulch in vegetable garden?

Hay no matter what age makes terrible mulch, you'll end up with a
garden weedier than you can ever imagine... even 25 years old most of
the seeds contained therein will germinate... and once hay becomes
established it is the most awful thing to remove. And hay grows fast,
on a hot day it will grow more than six inches. I have a four acre
field that was once hayed but I mow it trying to get it to contain
more lawn grass than hay... I can actually see it grow while I mow.
And plowing it under will only make it grow better. Hay is strong,
its roots are like manila rope. If you take that hay put it to
compost but do NOT use it for mulch.

25 year old bales of hay ok for mulch?
 

On Thu, 23 Jun 2011 21:24:42 GMT, wrote:
picked up some 25 year old bales of hay for free today....they are from an
old barn set to be demolished they stink of animal urine and
feces....apparently raccoons have have been living there for long
time....will this be ok for mulch in vegetable garden?

25 year old bales of hay ok for mulch?
 

On 6/23/11 5:24 PM, wrote:
picked up some 25 year old bales of hay for free today....they are from an
old barn set to be demolished they stink of animal urine and
feces....apparently raccoons have have been living there for long
time....will this be ok for mulch in vegetable garden?



After 25 years with mice and rats and whatever, I doubt there are many
seeds left. Wear a mask and spread a trial amount and keep an eye out
for seed heads.

Great find - how ever did you get it home

Wondering whether the stink will attract raccoons to your veg garden to investigate ?

25 year old bales of hay ok for mulch?
 

On Jun 23, 2:24*pm, "
wrote:
picked up some 25 year old bales of hay for free today....they are from an
old barn set to be demolished they stink of animal urine and
feces....apparently raccoons have have been living there for long
time....will this be ok for mulch in vegetable garden?

Suggest before contemplating handling these bales - much less
spreading on your vegetable garden - you check out

http://www.raccoonfacts.net/raccoon_...droppings.html

Raccoons can carry a nasty roundworm that won't kill them, but is very
dangerous to humans...and the eggs can survive for years in soil. A
risk not worth taking for a "free" load of mulch.

NT

25 year old bales of hay ok for mulch?
 

On Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:48:16 -0700 (PDT), ntantiques
wrote:

On Jun 23, 2:24*pm, "
wrote:
picked up some 25 year old bales of hay for free today....they are from an
old barn set to be demolished they stink of animal urine and
feces....apparently raccoons have have been living there for long
time....will this be ok for mulch in vegetable garden?

Suggest before contemplating handling these bales - much less
spreading on your vegetable garden - you check out

http://www.raccoonfacts.net/raccoon_...droppings.html

Raccoons can carry a nasty roundworm that won't kill them, but is very
dangerous to humans...and the eggs can survive for years in soil. A
risk not worth taking for a "free" load of mulch.

Yet another good reason not to take those old bales.