Pennington's Straw Blankets are an excellent way to establish and encourage new growth when laying seed, These wheat straw blankets enhance seed germination dramatically by protecting the seed, holding the seed in place, controlling weeds and retaining moisture in neutral and challenging areas, Pennington Straw Blankets are the most effective method to preventing erosion and washout, particularly in areas with hills and slopes, They can also be placed around foundations to protect new masonry from mud splatter stain, Once your seed has begun to grow in, your Pennington Straw Blankets will naturally start to degrade, leaving you with amazing results, The blankets are 100% biodegradable and the netting degrades over time with exposure to sunlight, Make sure to secure the blanket tightly to the ground using biodegradable stakes every 2 ft. when applying, When the product is staked tightly to the ground, you can avoid animal entrapment and getting it caught in your lawn mower from the netting, The grass should be 3-4 in. tall before mowing for the first few cuts, The degradation process can vary depending on the environmental conditions and exposure to sunlight - heavily shaded areas will take longer to degrade due to the lack of UV exposure.