[Cob] using hay instead of straw

[Dulane]

1. Straw is the stalks of a grass plant, like oats or wheat. Hay is a leafy
plant like alfalfa or other legume, like clover.
2. Hay has ample nutrients, straw does not...just fiber.
3. Straw doesn't compost quickly, hay does.
4. Mice and voles love eating hay, but may build nests in loose straw.
5. Hay costs more, because it is a feed. (Only mushrooms and mold really
like eating straw.)
6. Straw costs less because it is only good for bedding or other application
that calls for nearly inert biomass.

I recently harvested some of our field grass to use for cob, but I made darn
sure I did it before the seeds had a chance to head up, and tore the heads
off those that were starting to go to seed. I would definitely use local
grasses if you have access to them, but remove all the seeds.
In my little cob house, I only used about 4 bales of straw. When I started
the project, they were $7 per bale, but I paid $14 for the last bale.


-----Original Message-----
From: coblist-bounces at deatech.com [mailto:coblist-bounces at deatech.com] On
Behalf Of Kristen Davenport
Sent: Monday, July 20, 2009 7:26 AM
To: coblist at deatech.com
Subject: [Cob] using hay instead of straw

HI there
Most of the cob books and experts have said we should not use hay for
building with cob, rather than straw, but I'm completely at a loss about
WHY. I've received all kinds of different answers.... "It will sprout" (so
what)... "It's not as strong" (huh??)


To me, none of this makes any sense.

For instance, in the Becky Bee book she says "Do not use hay. It
decomposes." Yet a few sentences later she states, "If you're an ambitious
purist,  you can gather your own grass stalks or experiment with other plant
fibers." Well, HELLO, what do you think hay is? Grass stalks. Not to
mention, as an avid composter, I can tell you that "straw" decomposes just
the same as "hay"... and "hay" can mean anything from brittle stalks with
seed heads to thick straps of wide grass to bales of weeds and wild rose
stalks and willow branches..

Can anyone give me a reason that makes sense to me why we shouldn't just use
my neighbor's weedy hay for building with cob?

Thanks.

Kristen
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