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Lucerne or hay sprouting. Unwanted? Beneficial?

by Kat
(Australia)

I have green 'grass' - which I think must be either the lucerne or the hay sprouting - coming up everywhere! When I pull a piece out, there is a seed attached to the end - hence my guess that it's either the lucerne or hay sprouting.

Should I leave it to sprout (I'm not bothered about whether the bed looks 'pretty' or not!) then turn it into the bed as it appears? Or should I turn it into the garden at a later date, or try and pull it out?

Comments for
Lucerne or hay sprouting. Unwanted? Beneficial?

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Jun 14, 2009
 Seeds sprouting in mulch
by: Elly, UK

Hay for mulch should be chaffed of the seeds, but sometimes a few seeds remain. Lucerne is usually OK, but other hays are more a problem. Often mulch is watered before adding to garden, and then any sprouts are turned over and baked in the sun.
Those sprouts of yours will compete for food and light with your legal plants, so pull them out now or turn them over to try and bake and kill them whilst young. If there is a mat of sprouts it might be best to smother with a layer of papers and then some better mulch.
If you are not planning to plant in your garden for a few months, you can keep growing your sprouted Lucerne or hay and then turn in into the garden or cover with no dig layers as an excellent nitrogen fixing fallow crop.

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