hay is likely to have seeds in it (which will sprout and you'll need to weed); i've had better luck with straw which i now buy bagged as "shredded straw" instead of by the bale. it's pricier, but i prefer the "shredded" aspect of it.

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If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.
- Oscar Wilde

You want straw....not hay. Hay is loaded with weed seeds. My local Agway has bales of both for sale.

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John - Zone 6

I use whatever i can source locally. Be it hay (usually most available and cheapest) sugarcane trash or just raking slashed paddocks of grass. Sure, there are some seeds in it but they don't give me a problem. Depends on the weeds i guess but i don't have too many.. Sometimes the blady grass i get has thistle in it and that's a pain, though easily dealt with. My advice is to get whatever is a cheap and available.

Good for you planning your vegies for next year. You've obviously learned some valuable lessons this first year. I suggest you put your energy into understanding and improving the soil. Ultimately, that's where success lies.

So will you change your handle next year?

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The secret is the soil.