straw bale gardening..any ideas or tips?

[benjimum]

Colleen what soil did you use?

[ColleenatStar]

I used a potting soil mix but I think this year I am going to put in something that can hold water a little bit better. When it rains they drain quickly but I think the key is to make sure you start getting the bales to decompose. I did start them a month before I planted anything in them. Made sure they were wet throughout so they would heat up and fertilized once a week once the plants were in. They were used for vine/spreading plants. Due to renovation duty I did not have that much time last year to keep up on them. Hoping this year is different, if not I have something to go in the vegetable garden.

[benjimum]

Collen I have read it is important to "ready" the bales. That is why I added the nitrogen rich fert to them now. They are wet and I will keep them as wet as I can. The ones in the greenhouse will be watered with my automatic watering system, but I bought a drip hose for the ones in the garden. I noticed a lot of people suggested setting them onto plastic to keep some of the water in....For this yr I am not going to do that.

Another suggestin I saw was to use the pop bottle trick to water them. I use that other places in containers and it works well.

I wish you luck in your straw bale gardening! Let me know how it goes!

[Eeyore]

This sounds fascinating!

http://www.beginner-gardening.com/straw ... ening.html

[benjimum]

So I have two straw bales in the greenhouse and four outside by my garden now. I kept them wet and warm for over a weeek and then covered them with good soil and kept that watered. I have planted tomatoes, petunias and peppers in the ones indoors, but i will plant the outdoor ones as soon as the risk of frost ends. I'm still thinking on what I will plant there.

The bales have started to sprout some grass like shots as i expected butt hey are easy to pull or as suggested by many I can just mow them down with scissors. Its an interesting experiment so far

[Melroche]

Huh...well thank you to both of you - I have just learned something completely new! I had never heard of straw bale gardening before. Very interesting stuff! Good luck to you and please keep us posted with your progress throughout the season.

[dsnider]

I have no idea what this is ?????? But. would love to hear about it.