Salt Marsh Hay

Salt marsh hay is a coastal crop, a special product of the eastern United States. The grass is harvested in early July through the fall until the salt marshes freeze solid.  It is harvested throughout the year depending on the weather and tides, but a marsh is generally only cut every 2 years.  Until the 1930s, it was harvested using hand labor and draft horses. In Colonial times, salt marsh hay was harvested as a valuable crop and used for animal fodder and bedding, as well as mulch for gardens. 

Its advantages in your garden:

• It resists rotting.
  
• It doesn't pack down and smother plants.
• It is slower to break down than straw, so it will remain a good, in-take mulch for many months.
  
• It is weed seed free. Salt marsh hay requires the saltwater tidal changes to germinate and grow, and your garden isn't a salt marsh.
• Organic mulches will be more effective for the health of the plant over using synthetic mulches. Remember that all organic mulches will decompose, some faster than others.