Old hay in gateways

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MegaBeast

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As per the title, does this work? I'm not expecting miracles and field will be rested from hopefully April until September but will it create an unholy mess which will need clearing out or will grass grow through? I've seen different opinions on this but no feedback on how it is after 6 months, 12 months etc.

I've got mud control slabs in the gateway and into the field but where they and I step off the edge it's ankle deep soup for a good few metres.

Thank you!
 
I've tried it, helps a bit but doesn't really last especially if it keeps on raining. I haven't had to clear it away, it rots down, and apparently the seeds in the hay will help to reseed the area in spring so that is one possible upside.
 
Abacus said:
I've tried it, helps a bit but doesn't really last especially if it keeps on raining. I haven't had to clear it away, it rots down, and apparently the seeds in the hay will help to reseed the area in spring so that is one possible upside.
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Have you only tried it this year or is it a previous thing?
 
MegaBeast said:
Have you only tried it this year or is it a previous thing?
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Last year when we had an unholy mess in one gateway. TBH the value of it was limited but it helped slightly. This year we moved the gateways as that seems to be naturally the muddiest place in the whole yard. It hasn’t made things worse long term.
 
If you’re doing it to repair and rest an area it works.

But as it rots down it does create more “topsoil”, so if you subsequently trash the same area again it will be muddier than it was before.
 
Currently I have three bales of straw making a path in the garden,without it I would not be able to stand, never mind walk, on it. Done this 3 years running now and its been a life saver. I didn't find hay worked all that well, and short chopped straw works best for me but I am walking dogs over it and not horses.

It also just 'disappears' eventually.
 
MegaBeast said:
It's brown slop so doubt there's much grass, if any, left!

I'm most worried about it being a stinking disaster even after 6 months rest but have seen it recommended a few times but not by anyone who did it other than recently 🤷🏻‍♀️
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I do it, it definitely does help re seed the area, but best to also use the used Aubiose as well. I also spread spoiled hay on any care,areas of the field, they green up beautifully and it stops the weeds getting in there first
 
MegaBeast said:
Ooh, that's interesting, I've got one on aubiose!
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Its great for gateways after the horses come off a field I find - so for my winter field that will be 8 or so months of rest.

I did grow a fabulous crop of some form of mushroom there the following Autumn!

If I have an especially bad area (not gateways - they just get bad every year) then I will rough the ground up, add some seed then use old hay as a mulch on top to keep the birds off. The grass grows through if the weather behaves and the hay has vanished in 6 months or so.
 
We've had a livery put all sorts in his gateway and it just becomes bottomless - it's scary. It needs digging out and hard core putting down, but the land owners won't do it :(
 
I put some old stuff down in the entrances to the shelters and it was gone in about 2 days and yes it’s quite sloppy mud. I won’t be doing it again!
 
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