Buying hay to start

[ALAIN antoine]

Hello

I live in the middle mountains (Villé-67 region) and the land where the gardening areas are located does not allow a large haystack to be transported there, is it possible to extend the hay with small rectangular boots ?

[Ahmed]

Of course!
This is what I do, since I make my own little rectangular bales of hay using a manual baler. Instead of unrolling the round bale, I take the different layers of hay as we go along, without making them abound and I arrange the resulting squares as a sort of tiling (as close as possible). An advantage of this arrangement is that it is possible to lift these hay squares to access below and also, optionally, to shift them during laying to provide a seed furrow.

[Did67]

Hello "Val de Villé". You are bitten there !!!

Ahmed answered you perfectly ... Good luck.

[perseus]

Hello,

As Ahmed said, I don't see a problem.
I do not have the opportunity to produce my own hay, nor a trailer or van to collect the big bales.
So I get little boots 3 minutes from home and I left for a car cleaning.

@+

[Ahmed]

On this photo we can see a bundle of which I opened the "slices" slightly; just behind, but it is not obvious, we can guess a furrow and another at the top of the image: these are beans that I have just sown, without cutting the hay, but as I described above, by suitably juxtaposing my hay tiles. I then covered the seeds with compost from the recycling center.
Note that these tiles often have a concave side and an opposite convex side: it is better to place the concave side against the ground, the light tightness is significantly better ...

[ChristianC]

Of course!
This is what I do, since I make my own little rectangular bales of hay using a manual baler. Instead of unrolling the round bale, I take the different layers of hay as we go along, without making them abound and I arrange the resulting squares as a sort of tiling (as close as possible). An advantage of this arrangement is that it is possible to lift these hay squares to access below and also, optionally, to shift them during laying to provide a seed furrow.

Hello Ahmed, hello everyone,

A neighboring farmer agrees to leave me the hay he has mown on a plot 5 km from our garden.
He mowed this already dry grass and left it lying; no problem of decay because here in Hérault (near Ganges) it has been dry for at least a month and we don't wait for the rain before long.

So here is apparently the supply of the product I want at the lowest price, or what?

Hence my two questions:
1 / - I should make the bales myself without having the equipment, then transport and store it at the edge of the garden; for transport and storage I have no problem; on the other hand I am interested in your manual baler solution; can you explain to me the ins and outs?

2 / - is this hay cut when the grass was already dry really worth anything from the point of view of phenoculture? Isn't this just a straw?

I obviously ask myself other questions and will seek the contribution of the phenocultural members. Thank you.

[sicetaitsimple]

Hence my two questions:
1 / - I should make the bales myself without having the equipment, then transport and store it at the edge of the garden; for transport and storage I have no problem; on the other hand I am interested in your manual baler solution; can you explain to me the ins and outs?

2 / - is this hay cut when the grass was already dry really worth anything from the point of view of phenoculture? Isn't this just a straw?

Hello,

from my point of view for question 2, whether the hay has dried on the stalk or whether it has dried in the sun with inversion, it should not make a huge difference, at least in the case of use in phenoculture. Soil organisms are not that difficult, and the "physical" effects of a blanket are as important as the "chemical" effects. In short if it was me, no hesitation.

On question 1, I don't have an answer of course, but I think I remember that Ahmed has already shown this to us in photos, but where? On the other hand I have a question: you plan to treat a new surface or a currently cultivated garden? Because if it is a new surface, in my opinion you can now start to spread your hay, it would be silly to bundle then unpack. Obviously 5km it starts to be long and you will have to make more trips if you cannot compact it strongly, but it also depends on the surface you want to treat. To have....
Good luck.

[paysan.bio]

Hello,

round or square boots are important for storage.
for phenoculture, you don't necessarily need boots.

a good part of my hay is recovered without making boots.
I cut grass where I can with a thermal brush cutter equipped with a 3-tooth metal disc.
I let it dry for at least 3 days and I pick it up with the mower with basket.

if I am near the garden, I empty the basket directly there
otherwise I use a big-bag for transport. I put it on my baggage trailer, I fill it.
arrived near the garden, I slide it to empty the trailer.

[ChristianC]

from my point of view for question 2, whether the hay has dried on the stalk or whether it has dried in the sun with inversion, it should not make a huge difference, at least in the case of use in phenoculture. Soil organisms are not that difficult, and the "physical" effects of a blanket are as important as the "chemical" effects. In short if it was me, no hesitation.

So that's an answer that suits me. It seems to me that I therefore gave too much importance to the aspect "life of the soil" compared to the aspect "cover".

On question 1, I don't have an answer of course, but I think I remember that Ahmed has already shown this to us in photos, but where? On the other hand I have a question: you plan to treat a new surface or a currently cultivated garden? Because if it is a new surface, in my opinion you can now start to spread your hay, it would be silly to bundle then unpack. Obviously 5km it starts to be long and you will have to make more trips if you cannot compact it strongly, but it also depends on the surface you want to treat. To have....
Good luck.

We plan to rent the plot which adjoins the one we already cultivate in "traditional" (if you pass me that term).
It was cultivated in 2016 and left fallow, which produced a "forest" invaded by very tall weeds (more than 2 meters) with thick stems (1cm diameter). This plot, like the current one, measures approximately 100 square meters (5 X 20).
For the pickup, I was on technique, but is it worth it (cost)? Cf. http://hippotese.free.fr/blog/index.php ... 20manuelle
Indeed, perhaps by accepting a few trips from this meadow, a lot of raking, that "could do it".

As for starting coverage now, is it time in July? I had (maybe misunderstood) that it was better to wait for the ground to cool down. By the way, should I mow these weeds, leave them in place?
Goods.

[ChristianC]

if I am near the garden, I empty the basket directly there
otherwise I use a big-bag for transport. I put it on my baggage trailer, I fill it.
arrived near the garden, I slide it to empty the trailer.

Yes, well here is the transport solution: stuff a big-bag, hoist it in the station wagon and on the way ... for some round trips.
Thank you for this feedback.