As long as they are cool and dry, you probably would be okay. They might start breaking down (straw is basically wheat stems and are hollow) so you'll see a bit more dust when shifting them around a year from now, but should still look pretty good. I've stored hay in a barn for up to a year with no issues, so I would think straw would be just fine as long as the moisture levels were low.

 

Ok, I did make a correction to my post. In the subject line I accidentally put Straw and Hay in the same line. The bales are STRAW, not hay.



Well, they are in a basement and it is pretty dry down there in the winter, but humidity levels do increase in the summer. There is a dehumidifier down there though. But if you managed to get hay to last for a year, then I would assume that the straw should last just as long.

I had one of those wrapped bails for 10 years and had no problem. Once I used it and it got wet from being outside they start to sprout and rot.

LOL! 10 years....really? Well, I know I will not store it for that long. The thing was that since I didn't use them for this year due to the fact that the hurricane prevented me from setting up the display...I sure didn't want to throw them out and then have to rebuy them next year since I didn't even unwrap them.

So then I guess the key is to not get them wet. That should be easy enough if I keep them in the basement.

Thanks for the info.

Geo

 

I had one of those wrapped bails for 10 years and had no problem. Once I used it and it got wet from being outside they start to sprout and rot.