Compost?

[big rockpile]

On Ruth Stout method you just pull Hay Mulch back and seed on the soil.

If this is your first year wouldn’t the ground still be too hard?

I’m thinking put some Compost down then seed it.

Another thing it was brought up Hay would have too many weeds. But someone was saying Hay and Straw have about the same.

I just got to thinking no Combine gets Seed Heads but yes Straw is harder to break down.

big rockpile

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I think the assumption is that after time the ground that has been mulched with hay will soften up, firstly the hay will keep it moist and secondly it will decay and get drawn into the soil. It's a long time since I read that sort of thing, but I thought yo were supposed to make a hole in the hay and shallowly plant the seed. I do remember them saying when there are weeds bury them with a good wisp of hay, and if they are too vigorous, break the stem first, then bury them with hay.
No weed seed in hay would make me suspicious it had been weed treated, I guess the same goes for straw, maybe even more likely.

 

[roadrunner]

Hay is suppose to be more populated with seeds than straw, because straw is the hallow, left over stalk after harvesting.

However, what I'm curious about...Are you buying these bales of Hay/Straw? The whole point of laying bales of hay/straw is simply to cover the ground from heavy rains/winds and intense sun's rays, also traps moisture and provides food source for the soil organisms, both micro and macro.

Leaves/woodchips do the same thing. That's why I just go around the neighborhood and pick up bags of leaves people lay out for the city to pick-up. I've been doing that for years and it's basically the same thing as the Ruth Stout method, but it's free.

BTW, I'm guessing Ruth got her bales for free, but usually in today's world most of us have to buy bales.


WRT the hard ground, I never till, but I also never say never If you're working with hard, compacted ground you can make it perfectly loamy soil out of it by mulching year-after-year. However, I see no problem with giving yourself a head start and tilling the ground in the beginning, just once and then mulch over and allow the plant roots and soil life to keep it tilled.

Hard, compacted ground is already void of much life, so it's not at all the same as tilling a healthy soil biome.

 

[roadrunner]

Missed one...

As for seeding in heavy mulch, I simply cut a hole or line in the mulch and rake it away before sowing seeds.