Why use straw on the Bare areas?
Wheat straw is used in the bare, thin, and sloped areas in order to help hold the moisture in the soil. Surface moisture on a bare area will dry out in less than 15 minutes with 80 degree temperatures and a five mile per hour wind. The wheat straw holds the seed in place and keeps direct sunlight off the swelling seeds until they germinate. The majority of the straw is picked up by the mower on the first mowing after the new grass has begun to develop.