BAGGED STRAW

Bagged Chopped Wheat Straw 

• Great to use on freshly sown grass! Applying a light layer of straw to freshly sown grass seed offers several benefits, including  seed protection, moisture retention, and preventing erosion .   It also helps to discourage birds from eating the seeds and can encourage germination by creating a slightly shaded and moist environment.
• Use For Strawberries:
  -The straw really makes a difference in wet weather. The plants get weighed down and the fruit goes mushy against the mud. By keeping the berries off the soil, straw mulch helps prevent them from getting muddy and prevents the spread of fungal diseases. As the straw decomposes, it adds organic matter and nutrients back into the soil, improving soil structure and fertility.  
  -Cover strawberries with straw for the winter. B efore snow covers the ground, cover your strawberry patch with 2 to 3 inches of straw. Apply the mulch once the strawberry plants have gone dormant. There are a few different rules-of-thumb you may use to determine when this should be:
  
• When soil temperatures are consistently below 40°F. This is the most common method that farmers use. However, most gardeners do not own a soil thermometer.
• Wait until daytime temperatures are consistently below freezing for at least 3 days.
• Do the plywood test:
  • Put a piece of plywood over a portion of your strawberry patch as a test for dormancy.
  • After three days, lift up the plywood.
  • If the plants under the plywood are still green after three days, they are dormant and ready to be covered with mulch.
  • If the plants turn yellow after three days, they are still actively growing and mulch should not be applied yet.