How to condition and plant a straw bale garden when it comes to thrifty. A straw bale garden bed starts with a bale of straw. The technique allows you to put a substantial but temporary garden almost anywhere, even if your yards sunniest spot happens to be the middle of your driveway. They allow the gardener to eliminate most cultivating and weeding chores, and. I have heard urine is a great free source if nitrogen. If you use hay bales, chances are good youll end up growing hay rather than vegetables. To use the bale buddie, simply attach the removable bale arms with one pin, add the winch handle, load on a bale and crank it up. Karsten recommends erecting sevenfoottall posts at the end of each row of bales, and running wire between them at intervals of 10 inches from the tops of the bales. You dont need to till soil to plant in straw bales.
If your soil is so poor that amending, or enhancing, it with compost, fertilizers, or leaf mold makes you exhausted just thinking about it, then using straw bales for. After a search online to find the simplest and easiest no work gardening method, i stumbled upon straw hay bale gardening the concept is simple. The best part of hay bale gardening is how easy it is so if you have a brown thumb or are just looking for a really simple, low maintenance way to start a garden, then hay bale gardening might be for you. If you have access to a good supply of lady bales of hay or straw, even those that are no good for feeding animals due to mold or poor quality, dont waste them use them for hay bale gardening. The bale is first conditioned and then vegetable plants are planted and grown inside the bale. If you are keen to start your own straw bale garden, you will want to know which vegetables work best with this unique gardening technique. You plant directly into bales of straw, and as the season progresses, the straw is broken down into virgin. Hay bales are grasses that have been dried and baled together. A load strap keeps the bale in place on the trolley arm. Although the practice of gardening in straw bales dates back to ancient times, i learned of it only a decade ago during a chance encounter with a local strawbale guru, kent rogers. Growing vegetables in straw bales, strawbale gardening. You could consider straw bale gardening a form of composting and gardening simultaneously.
Hay bale gardening start up simple step by step tutorial. The bale buddie is made of allweather aluminum and has four sealed ball bearing. What is the best organic source of nitrogen to condition my bales. The ruth stout nowork gardening method ask a prepper. Straw bale gardening is simply a different type of container gardening. A straw or hay bale bed is a type of bed that can be used for raising vegetables pepper, tomatoes, onion, grain.
Hay bales create an environment similar to gardening hills in soil. Incredibly easy to set up, we step you through the process of installing hay bale raised garden beds. Sometimes in late spring they will be free for the hauling. When my publisher asked me to write about strawbale gardening, i tested the techniques in my own gardens and was quite impressed with the results. The hidden dangers of straw bale gardening the grow. By planning and preparing in advance, conditioning the bales, and choosing the right plants, you can build a solid basis to start growing and harvesting your own fruits and vegetables from straw bales this season. Hay bale gardening center for excellence in disabilities. How to condition and plant a bale of straw for gardening. Straw is weedfree and formed into square bales just like hay. Hay bale gardening problems no experiment is without surprises. There is no need to rotate crops, since each season you start with new hay bales.
I have a really big gopher issue and them eating my tree roots and any flowers or vegetables i plant. This is especially useful if you do not have space for a huge garden, or if you have difficult soil, or gravel, to work with. The hay bale garden project has not been without some issues not that i cant figure it out and get it to work perfectly, in time. Its a gardening method of raising vegetables, herbs, and flowers planted directly on a straw bale you can also use hay, alfalfa, oat, or rye bales straw is more common and generally cheaper and has less weed seeds bales bound with poly twin work. For the first 3 days, simply water the bale thoroughly so it stays damp. Beginners guide to straw bale gardening safer brand. After a search online to find the simplest and easiest no work gardening method, i stumbled upon straw bale gardening.
Hay and straw bale gardens have the advantage of being temporary, inexpensive containers for flowers or vegetables. Using hay bales for gardening is an especially effective alternative to traditional gardens if you lack adequate space, or you have difficult ground to cultivate. Straw bale gardening removes the possibility of soilborne diseases. Hay bale gardening uses bales of hay in place of soil. Organic soil free potting media will help hold nutrients and water more efficiently for faster growth. We tried it this year for ourselves and our 81yearold mothermotherinlaw whos thrilled to have easier access to tending garden plants. We do a lot of gardening and grow a lot of our own food, but straw bale gardening was completely new to me. Its economical, easier on your back, and is great for people with mobility issues. Straw bale gardening is also called bale gardening or mistakenly, hay bale gardening. How to condition a straw bale for gardening outdoor happens. Simply add a capful to a gallon of water and pour it all on the bale. Are you tired of putting hay in your garden just to have it gone in a week.
In his book youll find the answers to why he no longer uses a rototiller or a composter. Maybe the wind took it away or some bird made a nest out of your scattered hay bale. The main difference is that the container is the straw bale itself and is held together with two or three strings. Whatever you call it, its a great way to grow herbs and vegetables. Manual sprinkling works best but avoid wetting the. Straw and hay bale gardening explained flowerpotman.
They suggest a 12 cup of urea per bale or bone meal, fish meal, or compost for a more organic approach. Ive never made the mistake of using hay, or straw makes great mulch or, for that matter, a great addition to your compost pile. How to prepare a hay bale garden home guides sf gate. It makes for great compost or mulch when finished with. Search the internet for information on using hay vs. In this five chapter guide youll learn exactly what straw bale gardening is all about. Hay bale gardening that old moldy bale of hay is good. Setting them up is the hardest part but there are many benefits to this type of garden. If your soil is so poor that amending, or enhancing, it with compost, fertilizers, or leaf mold makes you exhausted just thinking about it, then using straw bales for planting may be the perfect solution. In this article, youll find the whys, hows and wherefores. After watering our straw bales for three days our next step is to apply a high nitrogen fertilizer. Please provide information on how to get started in hay bale gardening.
Straw bale gardening gets a lot of pressand for a good reason. See more ideas about straw bale gardening, straw bales, hay bale gardening. I made sure i got local, no spray, not weed free, hay. I have since read up on the concept and i think this. The hay bale garden everything you need to get started.
I read up on this a few years ago and decided to make my own and seeing as there are no instructables on it i had to make one. Hay bales can be used, but they contain more weed and grass seeds that will grow. A complete guide to growing in bales without soil or weeds by joel karsten. I started hay bale gardening about 10 years ago, after learning all about straw bale method and deciding that it made little sense to use a medium that doesnt hold moisture or offer nourishment. Beginners guide to straw bale gardening gardening with straw bales is the answer to any organic gardeners prayers. In fact, he uses hay bales in a simple notill raised garden bed. Enjoy organic home grown vegetables in a space as little as 4 ft x 2ft. Hay bale gardening start up simple step by step tutorial subscribe i am super excited to get this seasons hay bale garden underway. Hay bale gardening janean thompson, master gardener potter county agrilife extension.
Straw bale gardening cynthia sandberg love apple farms doris munns garden after 2016 class. Straw bale gardening ultimate 5chapter beginners guide. Maintenance of garden beds made from straw and hay is easy, keep the bale garden watered during hot dry weather, a little bit of weeding and nature will do the rest. Straw bales are stalks of plants, typically corn that are dried and baled together in various shapes and sizes. Hay bale gardening is probably the most fun youll have growing your own food and herbs, requiring almost no work or maintenance. At the top, you just roll the bale off the bale arms and onto the hay rack.
Joel karsten perfected the methods of straw bale gardening during more than 20 years and has written many excellent books about the subject. An indepth guide to straw bale gardening for beginners. Once the straw inside the bale begins to decay the straw becomes conditioned compost that creates an extraordinary plant rooting environment. Esclaves read rescurce buch fur permaculture free ebooks from kali yi on. Straw bale gardening is an easy way to setup your own veggie garden, by using the decomposing straw bales as the foundation for your garden. This guide details the benefits and the stepbystep process of setting up a hay bale garden.
Enjoy your organic harvest and please share your straw bale gardening experiences and hay bale gardening tips with the rest of us. Easily accessible to those who battle to reach normal garden beds, this type of gardening can be very effective and useful. Bale gardening is one way to garden if you do not have a lot of soil or space. Seeds can be planted directly on top of the bale or seedlings can be used. So, hay bale gardening differentiates from straw bale gardening in several ways. Lets find out how to condition a straw bale for gardening. Last year i tried a few offthewall types of gardens, including a straw bale garden. All you need to do is buy a straw bale, place it in a sunny position, condition it for 10 days, and plant your favorite plants in it. Benefits of straw bale gardening virtually weed free no soilborne diseases pristine beginnings heat of bales jumpstarts spring growth. Farm show magazine the best stories about madeitmyself. A garden in a bale of the many benefits of straw bale gardening, one of the most popular is the backsaving easier access. Its a lot of fun and its a quick way to get a garden going without worrying about improving the soil.
What is the best organic source of nitrogen to condition. Is elevated on top of hay bales is nearly weed free is fertile based gives you control of planting mix is easy to maintain by nearly anyone. One of the coolest things about straw bale gardening is that it combines the best of container gardening with vertical gardening. It cuts down on the amount of weeds, and as the hay deteriorates, it leaves rich compost behind. A bale garden uses hay or straw bales in place of soil. In forest glen, girl scout annie aguirre and other members of troop 20804 used straw bales to plant an organic vegetable garden in the back of a community church. See more ideas about vegetable garden, growing vegetables and gardening tips. Straw is more common and generally cheaper and has less weed seeds. Consider the pros and cons to determine if straw bale gardening is right for you. Can i plant seeds directly into the bale or do i need to add potting soil or fertilizer the first year.
There are quite a lot that works well, but a few to avoid, and some to leave for when you are more experienced with straw. I am doing hay bale gardening this year, for the first time. Straw bale garden straw bales allow you to set up a garden anywhere, even on hardscapeadding valuable greenspace to your urban habitat. Were following west virginia university extension services straw bale gardening advice. A variety of crops can be grown in bales, including tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, melons, and herbs. How to use hay bale gardening to increase your harvest.
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