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View Full Version : how many sq ft does a bale of straw cover?

marionlandscape
10-12-2005, 07:00 PM
when I am seeding lawns I never know how much straw to buy. Has anyone come up with a figure on this?
olderthandirt
10-12-2005, 07:48 PM
depends on the size and weight of the bales. I've used from 50 to 110 per acre. Will it be blown on or spread by hand ?
Natural Impressions
10-13-2005, 12:00 AM
Are you using straw or salt hay( I think that is how you spell it)?
Planet Landscaping
10-13-2005, 01:02 AM
Approx 900sq for a 40lb square bale of seed free, combined wheat straw.:waving:
marionlandscape
10-13-2005, 08:19 AM
it is regular straw and I spread it by hand. thanks for the info
CutNLawns
10-13-2005, 12:35 PM
I was going to ask the same question today. Looking at renting a blower but wondered what kind of yield for a blower. I have a 34000 sq ft new yard to install and I'm thinking it would suck to do the straw by hand!
nate1422
10-13-2005, 01:25 PM
Just make sure your coverage is light enough to have some soil show through the straw. Did you ever consider penn mulch or no mulch?? I'm not a big fan of straw for residential applications. I just did my lawn with no mulch and my grass is coming in fuller, not near as spotty and much better than my neighbor that used straw. Also, I won't have to rake it off and damage the grass.
olderthandirt
10-13-2005, 07:48 PM
I was going to ask the same question today. Looking at renting a blower but wondered what kind of yield for a blower. I have a 34000 sq ft new yard to install and I'm thinking it would suck to do the straw by hand!

50 # bales of clean wheat straw you should get by with 35-40 blown on. double it if you hand shake it on.
BTW-- 1 hr at the most with 2 people blowing it on.

Also, I won't have to rake it off and damage the grass.

You never rake it off, it decomposes and adds nutrients. If they raked it off they tore out 1/2 the new seedling that you can not see through the straw and if the grass was already up then they just tore out the shoots.
CutNLawns
10-14-2005, 07:56 AM
50 # bales of clean wheat straw you should get by with 35-40 blown on. double it if you hand shake it on.
BTW-- 1 hr at the most with 2 people blowing it on.

That is exactly what i had figured in my cost. Thanks for the help!
GREENITUP
10-14-2005, 08:14 AM
Marionl/s , Not to throw a wrench into your operation, but if you are seeding a lawn and use straw to cover it, in a couple of months you will get tall, clumpy wheat-grass growing up in the lawn you are trying to establish with good seed. (There is a lot of wheat seed in every bale). Can you use some other type of cover? Good luck.
JB1
10-14-2005, 08:44 AM
Marionl/s , Not to throw a wrench into your operation, but if you are seeding a lawn and use straw to cover it, in a couple of months you will get tall, clumpy wheat-grass growing up in the lawn you are trying to establish with good seed. (There is a lot of wheat seed in every bale). Can you use some other type of cover? Good luck.

this comment always amazes me, we have never had problems with wheat coming up, maybe you need to switch suppliers.
nate1422
10-14-2005, 08:57 AM
From Personal Experience. Here in PA we just got a week of rain and all the wheat heads on the straw is now germinating. I didn't use straw when I renovated my lawn but the guy who originally seeded the lawn did. I am hunting all the wheat this weekend, they are easy to identify and pull at this point. Penn Mulch, Lesco Seed Starter, they are a little more expensive but give better results in the long run without the fear of weeds. Just my opinion.