Embracing the Distinction Straw vs. Hay for Sustainable Agriculture

Straw is a stalk, usually a waste product of wheat, that's used as bedding for barnyard animals. Hay—typically alfalfa or a grass—is used as ... Hay and straw both have agricultural and gardening uses, but they are not the same thing. Hay is considered animal feed, and farmers harvest it before the ... Gardeners sometimes buy a bale or two of straw to use as a mulch or a source of carbon in compost. Hay, on the other hand, is typically ... The biggest difference between the production of hay and straw is that hay is typically harvested before the plants make seed and are just ... Both straw and hay are compacted when they come as bales, but, because it's made of straight stalks, straw allows for much greater looseness and ... Hay is a crop that is grown and harvested as a feed crop for cattle, horses and other farm animals. Straw on the other hand is a byproduct of a ... Straw is the superior mulch. Its structure allows for air and water to circulate, promoting healthy root development. Be sure to use caution around fire. Straw works great as an insulator for outside pets. It is not recommended to use straw as equine bedding, as ... A bale of hay and a bale of straw may look similar and be found together in the same places, but they are quite different. STRAW is what you want to use/ask for when decorating. Hay is 1) WAY more expensive 2) will sprout grass quickly 3) usually much heavier by the bale.