Question
I have bales of straw I got last year for mulching. I found when I broke into them there was some mold inside. whoops, meant to cover them and keep them dry. Now I just want to get rid of them but don't want them in my car & the garbage won't take them. Gave my poor dog hot spots (hives) and he had to be shaved and wear a cone, poor thing.
Is it safe to use this straw in my front yard (no dog) as mulch on perennials? or to kill grass where I want to plant something else? if not safe, how can I get rid of it?

thanks,
Jackie

Answer
Hi Jackie,

Obviously your straw has some fungus growing in it, and that is the normal decay/recycling mechanism at work.  I am going to state some generalities here, but bare with me.  In most cases, fungi that feed on dead tissue do not harm living tissue.  The processes are much different in terms of enzymes, etc. produced.  If no animals (spores can cause inflammation and allergic reactions) are present, then I would find very little harm of using the fungus-infested straw as a mulch.  Essentially, the same process is going to take place from the soil microbes on which the straw rests.  I would caution that if you use the straw to mulch live plants, that you monitor the live plants for signs of nitrogen deficiency.  It is sometimes the case that in the decay process nitrogen becomes temporarily unavailable to the live plants.  If this is the case, simply supplement the plants with a water soluble balanced fertilizer, such as 10-10-10 (N, P, K).

If you do not want to use it for mulch, then use it for compost; mix yard waste into the pile of straw; add a layer of soil, and repeat this "layer cake".  By the end of the summer, the straw and yard waste will have been recycled for use in the garden next spring, filled with nutrients and organics.