Hay is an excellent organic method of controlling garden weeds, made even better by the fact that in many areas you can get old or spoiled hay very cheaply, sometimes even for free. While it’s no longer good as animal feed such hay still makes excellent mulch and can go a long way towards minimizing weed problems in your garden. Tilling the hay into your garden at the end of the season adds nutrients and lightens heavy soil.

• Hay that has gotten very wet is less likely to add weeds to your garden, since typically the weeds will have sprouted and died. If you have dry hay, soak the bales of hay and allow them to sit until they are covered with about an inch of new grass before using them. The sprouts will typically die along with other weeds during the mulching process.
• Grass seed needs to stay consistently moist to germinate, and spreading hay over the area helps hold in moisture without letting the ground get too wet, which could make the seeds moldy. The hay helps hold the newly turned soil in place, preventing erosion so the seeds stay contact with the soil.