After you put down grass seed, do you cover it with hay or straw?

Answer by  SunnyStars (836)

No you only need to cover the grass seed with dirt. Hay or straw won't keep birds and other animals from eating your grass seeds. After planting grass seed, watch that birds don't eat your seeds. Once the seeds have sprouted, the birds won't eat them.

Answer by  malone (4817)

Use straw, which is made of the left over stalks of harvested grains. Straw provides warmth, and is light and absorbent. Hay is mowed down alfalfa and other grasses. It is nutritious so it is used as livestock feed. It would sprout if spread on your grass seed.

Answer by  Marie (778)

It is not necessary to cover grass seed with hay or straw. Make sure the ground is moist, and keep people and pets off the grass until the seeds take.

Answer by  JeffD (238)

You cover it with straw. Straw just serves to keep seed from washing away, so the extra nutritional value of hay is unnecessary.

Answer by  cody (1331)

when you put down seeds you should put down hay to keep the ground moist so the seeds wont dry up

Answer by  Anonymous

Straw only as hay will spread weed seeds in your nice new lawn. You need to put down straw so to keep the seed from washing away and to keep moist unless you want to babysit it. Needs constant moisture.