Bucky, Thanks for clearing this up. I've read some posts that clearly questions the distinction between hay and straw. Simply, straw is the stems from grains left after combining of the grain. It's then bailed and usually ends up as livestock bedding. Wheat straw is more absorbant than oat straw and is most desireable for bedding. Also, some livestock will eat oat straw bedding. Hay is simply grasses or legumes or combinations of the two that is cut, thetherd into rows and bailed after drying. This is animal feed. Usually horse owners prefer timothy or grasses like orchard grass or a mix of grasses. Legumes are prefered by dairy farmers for milk production. In either hay or the straw the weeds come from weeds that grew with the crop in the field. I use clean straw for mulch in the garden, but not in the orchard.

For many years people did not know about or understand the place wetlands had and I can remember hearing for many years when someone saw a wetland (swamps they mostly called them) that that land should be drained and put to a more productive use. So often that did happen. Today we know that we need these wetlands and these wetlands are very productive places. Another reason that Salt Marsh Hay may be quite expensive is demand. Even if all the wetlands that existed in the 1500's were still here undisturbed today there would not be enough Salt Marsh Hay to provide for everyone that wanted it. One advantage you have living in New Jersey is that every fall there is an abundance of organic matter provided and for free.

I've never really liked the green/brown terminology. I prefer high nitrogen or high carbon. Hay is an example of why. Hay is dried out so it can be baled without heating up. The drying process doesn't remove much nitrogen (some nitrogen may be lost, but not a lot). The green/brown designation is determined by the ratio of carbon to nitrogen. If it's higher than 30:1, it's a brown. If it's lower than 30:1, it's a green. The amount of water in it doesn't change the c:N ratio. If hay isn't sufficiently dried, or if it later gets wet, it can heat to the point where it will spontaneously combust. This happens, not because the water increases the nitrogen, but because it provides enough moisture for the microbes to do their thing.

lavender_lass: Your plan for using spoiled hay should work as long as you patrol for slugs & water weekly if no rain. I've used it numerous times & despite warnings about seeds sprouting I've not had much trouble with either. Straw seems to last longer, but both work. Depending on how much hay you have you might need some layers of cardboard or thick newspaper to stop the onslaught of the weeds/grass. What sprouts in the hay isn't going to be much of a problem even if only tended once a week. Either stack more hay on the sprouts or give a quick tug or hoe action & you're done. I usually run out of hay before my project is complete, so having a huge supply is a bonus! I gather the free sweepings from the feed store, so usually a mixture of straw, alfalfa & grass hay. A big bonus of this method is that next year you'll have an an easy to plant bed with fluffy soil under that hay. I found that out by accident and now know it's called sheet composting. Sure saves me time & energy from having to weed the garden. When our kids were younger they'd ask why the other gardens they'd see had 2' high weeds & my reply would be, "Needs mulch!" I wouldn't garden without it anymore. Some basic tips that have helped us with these crops. potatoes-- leave at least 2-4" green showing to keep them growing. Some varieties will produce a larger harvest with more mulch being added, but Yukon Golds don't. Still the hay mulch keeps it moist so you water less & potatoes continuously grow. pumpkins-- put a board, brick, flat rock, or even right side up Frisbee under the pumpkins to keep them drier & away from the slugs who love to hide underneath. Anything that doesn't collect water or stay damp should work. After harvest, be sure to chop up remains with a hoe or mower, then smother with more hay so you have at least a 6" layer that will be a snap to plant in the spring. Corrine