Hay is a type of dried grass that's occasionally used in landscapes and gardens as mulch. ... Most hay contains grass and weed seeds, but there is a way to prevent the seeds from sprouting in your garden or landscape when used as mulch.

Does straw have weed seeds?

Hay and straw are different things. Straw is simply the stalk of grains, so after wheat (or rice or rye or whatever) is harvested, farmers will often cut and bale the remaining stalks as straw. ... However, unlike straw, the “grain” of hay is not harvested so some amount of weed seed is all but guaranteed.

Does hay or straw have seeds?

The first thing you need to know is that there is a difference between hay and straw. ... The highest quality hay will have few to no seeds, but some are inevitable. Farmers use hay to feed livestock. Straw is the stalk that is left over after a grain, like barley, has been harvested.