[WhoisAlanGreenspan?]

Last year was my first year composting in a barrel, I was surprised at how rich the soil was and I planted my garlic in that mix. I also got a bale of hay (straw-? diff?) which was post-halloween free. I covered the garlic in a good 6 inches of it but have a huge amount left over. I managed to get most of the leftover into a contractor bag, and a bunch into my now two compost barrels.

Mine is a very small suburban back yard. I'm thinking one bale is likely to last me many years. Any thoughts or suggestions on handling, storage, or hay use is very welcome.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Your bale is most likely straw if it was used for Halloween decorations - hay is animal feed and usually has seeds in it, which can cause problems for a gardener.

Just keeping the bale covered and out of the weather should keep it just fine. Do you have a shed or can it be tucked under a porch or an open stairway? Even better.

You can use it to top any planters or hanging baskets you’re using. Keeps the moisture in. :)

And, if for some reason it gets wet and rots, then just add it to your compost barrels.

[gleeaikin]

Hay and straw are two different products. Hay is the long grass cut which includes the nourishing seeds and is used to feed livestock. Straw is the stalks, usually of grain crops, after harvest, which makes good ground cover for livestock in stalls and barns. Once swept up after livestock have relieved themselves on it, it can be added to composting remains.

Since you only have a small suburban yard, perhaps share it with a gardening neighbor. An interesting fact is that people use straw, NOT hay, bales if the old rectangular type for building sheds, homes and emergency shelters. Google “straw bale home or building construction” to see some very interesting building uses for those old style rectangular bales. There are some 100 year old homes that have survived.