Brits told to put straw in their garden to stop one blight of backyards

Brits have been advised to puit straw in their garden to save a huge amount of time that would have been spent on a tedious task. Vince Braun, founder and CEO of HealthiStraw, a Canadian company specialising in sustainable wheat straw products, said it is the “single biggest time-saver for any gardener”. 

He advises putting a thick layer of straw mulch around plants and garden beds. “This natural barrier blocks sunlight from reaching weed seeds, preventing them from sprouting in the first place,” the expert said. “A two to three-inch layer of quality wheat straw (like GardenStraw) can reduce weeding time by up to 75%.

“Most gardeners spend hours each week pulling weeds, but proper mulching eliminates that chore almost entirely,” Mr Braun added. “The straw also retains moisture, so you’re watering less frequently while your plants stay healthier.”

Setup usually takes between just 15 and 35 minutes, the specialist detailed, depending on the size of your garden bed.

Common home beds typically measure four by four feet, or the standard four by eight feet recommended by university extensions.

“A proper layer of straw mulch can cut weeding by around 50–75%, saving most gardeners roughly 30 minutes to 1.5 hours of weeding each week throughout the growing season,” Mr Braun said.

Straw mulch hinders weed germination by stopping sunlight getting to the weed seeds and their germinants.

In addition, some species of crop that are used to make straw produce allelopathic chemicals.

These can help to suppress weed growth.

Straw can also come in handy when growing vegetables.

Better Homes and Gardens advises straw is inexpensive, easy to work with, and good for your soil.

The site adds: “A layer of straw mulch between your veggie rows sets off your plants and makes your garden look neat and tidy. Although it takes some initial effort, mulching with straw will save you time in the long run when it comes to weeding and watering.

“Unless you garden on a massive scale, one or two bales are usually all you’ll need to mulch your entire vegetable patch.”