Cheap Solution for a Muddy Backyard: My dogs track in mud from my backyard every spring. During the winter the dogs barely step off the patio in the cold to do their business. So my grass well is no more by the end of the winter. So once the thaw happens, my back yard turns into a muddy mess. My daughters birthday is in March and it is usually the 1st really nice day. Which means I have 15 kids running in and out of my home in the mud. So several years ago we decided we needed a solution for our muddy backyard.
Cheap Solution for a Muddy Backyard:
Straw/ Hay
We purchase Straw or hay depending on the garden centers recommendation.
- Straw has seeds so wit will make weeds in your lawn- For us we have not been able to get grass (because of the dog urine) to grow in that area beside the weeds in the straw.. so it is ok for us. Straw is the cheaper solution about $13 bale
- Salt Hay does not have seeds so it will not make weeks in your yard. Salt hay cost about $17 a bale
What I love about this Cheap Solution for a Muddy Backyard is the straw/hay actually will decompose as the spring and summer come so by early summer it the mud and hay are all gone.
1 Bale of straw / hay did a large area I used the entire bale
No more muddy shoes or paw prints in your home .. your welcome. 
Great idea! Luckily we don’t get too muddy around here, but if I find a muddy spot I will keep this in mind!
I love that sometimes, the solutions are easier than you think. Great tip. My kids love the mud too 🙂
Love it! My kids are mud lovers, too. We have a dirt area that they love to play in. It will probably be there for another 5 years. 🙂
Hmmmm…we have one stretch of yard right in the center that gets muddy – we may be trying this!
I think we’re going to give this a try this weekend. Question though, doesn’t the hay or straw just get muddy too?
It is the bottom layers of straw get muddy (create a base layer with the mud) the top layers don’t, Be generous with the hay so you don’t see the mud. I have been doing it for years it is the best solution and straw is reincorporated into the earth come summer.
You’re*
Does the hay get stuck in your dog’s fur? My dog has longish wavy hair, and I’d be worried I was trading in a muddy house for a hay-filled house… But the mud is out of control and I’m getting desperate! LOL
I have to disagree with you about the straw. Maybe it’s because I have 3 100lb. dogs, but you have to constantly pick the straw because once it gets wet from rain or all the pee, it starts to stink right away. And if you don’t, the wet straw gets very, very heavy to lift. After two years of lifting all this wet stuff I finally gave up and had to rake up the whole yard and start over. I’ve tried 3 different kinds of mulch to no success and now I’m so frustrated because I’m back to a very, very muddy yard and muddy dogs ALL the time. Any other suggestions I would appreciate it.
I was thinking about trying this but maybe not after reading this, I also have a couple of large dogs and a very muddy back yard and muddy dogs all the time. What were the other mulches you tried? I will cross them off the list if they don’t work. I also would love some suggestions!
I can’t find where to buy salt hay. Can anybody help. I live in Dearborn, Michigan.