It's Time to Bring Out the Hay Bale Chia Monster

It was time to bring out my hay bale chia monster. Some big shot Master Gardener was doing a class on straw bale gardening in Springfield, Missouri. The news media did a one minute piece on his successful class. He spoke about how straw bales are versatile. You can move them about.  He also said, it keeps pests from molesting your plants due to the upraised bales. And then at last he had to mention that you can use hay bales but they are very seedy.

That last remark got my blood to boil. Seedy, no not the hay bale chia monster. Evidently the guy was a master gardener and didn't know about seed dispersal. There are five main modes of seed dispersal: gravity, wind, ballistic, water and by animals.  Are you really going to mow the field when it's going to seed? By the time the hay begins to seeds, you shouldn't be making any more bales anyway. Planting time  for the most part is over and done with.

Since hay is mostly grass, how is it dispersed, "Like most other plants, grass seed is dispersed by wind, rain or by the indirect transportation supplied by insects, birds and mammals." Wouldn't it make sense not to use grass that has turned to seed. But even if you do, the seeds will visit your garden apart from bring in the chia monster. They will fly in on currents of air or be dropped by your neighboring birds.

I don't know about you, I'm not half as concerned bout tiny grass sprouts as I am about the existing grass and its roots. The roots are everywhere ready to sprout and grow new grass.

If you are afraid of hay then by all means use leaves, lawn grass or cardboard. Are are you rich enough to buy straw bales at five dollar a piece? If your that rich, buy your food at an organic market and quit sweating to grow your own food.

Those who say not to use hay bales and are peddling straw bales instead don't know much about gardening with bales. Maybe it's time for them not to limit themselves to one form of gardening. They should try raised gardens. You can move them about at the first of the season and make them high enough so dogs and cats can't play in them. If it makes them feel better, they could put straw on top of their soil. For a gardener to specialize in one type of gardening is foolishness. Every gardener is valuable and can teach us a thing or two.