hay/straw as mulch?

[faithful4ever]

I hope everyone is having great growing season:)
I have a question for you all out there. I just put some hay/straw down for my vegetable garden and some aruond my flowers to use as mulch. I bought it from lowes, someone told my husband that hay could combust, in a bale when it gets wet then dry. is this true? does it still have a risk of igniting on fire, even when it is spread out in the garden? will very hot tempertures have any effect on it? I live in NC zone 7 it doesn't reach into the 100 degree mark, but it can get very dry and humid. thank you in advance for any feedback.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Here is some information on Spontaneous Combustion. A single bale is no concern and loose is definitly not.

https://ext.wsu.edu/hay-combustion.html


Weed seed is a bigger concern. I would shake it out before apply it to the beds.

[Ozark Lady]

Very good link.

I think you will be fine with your hay. Just, don't drop a match or pour flammable liquids on it, once it is spread out.

[faithful4ever]

Thank you I can breathe easy now

[jmoore]

Interesting link. I have never heard of spontaneous combustion in hay and I've spent a LOT of time in hay country. The farmers around my hunting area have fields lined with hay rolls all over and I've never seen any inidication of fire near them. Their main concern with hay rolls is them rotting in the fields before they can sell them, or it growing so fast they have to do 3-4 cuts in a seson.

[garden5]

Hay is a little better for your garden than the straw because it adds nitrogen and breaks down faster whereas straw tends to lock-up nitrogen while it is breaking down.

[sjohnson9206]

Yes, hay that's baled damp is at a higher risk for combustion, but in general.. properly bales hay will give you no issues.

There's a guy down the road from me that lost his barn and about 1000 round bales because one field he baled too damp.... shoulda put them on the corner and sold them cheap instead of putting them up in the barn with the good hay.