A bale garden uses hay or straw bales in place of soil. The straw or hay bale should be tight and held together with straw. Bale gardening is one way to garden if you do not have a lot of soil or space. Leafy greens love the bales, as do root crops, vines, cucurbits, herbs and even flowers. Ive never made the mistake of using hay, or straw makes great mulch or, for that matter, a great addition to your compost pile. For gardeners without a plot of tillable land, hay bale gardening is a way to garden in a relatively small space. A straw or hay bale garden is a gardening method used for. Mar 02, 2017 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. A variety of crops can be grown in bales, including tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, melons, and. Youll need to plan 1014 days to allow the fertilizing and conditioning process to fire up. 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. How to use hay bale gardening to increase your harvest. So, hay bale gardening differentiates from straw bale gardening in several ways. Make sure its level water carefully so it doesnt wash away or cut the bottom out of a plastic flat, pin it down onto top of bale, fill with soil and plant.
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. In this article, youll find the whys, hows and wherefores. The most important detail is that you dont have to worry about seeds in hay bales. One side is the cut side and it looks like the ends of the straw are aligned and have been sliced off with a knife. Hay bales create an environment similar to gardening hills in soil. Straw bales are preferable over hay because hay bales contain more weed and grass seeds. How do i grow vegetables in a bale of hay a hay bale provides the growing environment for veggies without the need for soil or a raisedbed frame. Growing vegetables in straw bales, strawbale gardening. The main thing is be sure the strings around the bale are the side touching the ground. Straw bales are stalks of plants, typically corn that are dried and baled together in various shapes and sizes. Nature will start rotting the bales for you, but to speed up the process you can add some ingredients to the mix. They suggest a 12 cup of urea per bale or bone meal, fish meal, or compost for a more organic approach. 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.
A garden in a bale of the many benefits of straw bale gardening, one of the most popular is the backsaving easier access. Straw bale gardening, is a most informative and detailed book for the avid vegetable gardener. The straw bale process is for the person who is tired of tilling, trying to improve soil condition, weeding, constant watering, etc. Are you tired of putting hay in your garden just to have it gone in a week. Benefits of straw bale gardening, hacks and howto gardensall.
There is no need to rotate crops, since each season you start with new hay bales. Straw bale gardening removes the possibility of soilborne diseases. As the straw breaks down over the course of the summer, it turns into compost that feeds your plants. Straw bale gardening grow more food, in less space, with. Straw bale gardening is a great alternative for building raised garden beds, and the modular nature of straw bales allows for gardening at any scale, from a balcony to a community. Straw bales are preferable over hay since straw contain less seed than hay. If you normally plant using seeds, then use seeds in your bales as well, but create a seed bed on top of the bales first using about an inch or two of sterile planting mix.
I also use a square bale garden formation for heavy feeding plants, lay out the bales for an interesting garden and have mossed the sides of the bales for a very artistic flower garden. They function essentially as a raised bed each bale is 1416 inches high and a container garden in one. In fact, he isnt hawking any merchandise, other than the book and a selfpublished pamphlet, straw bale gardening. Hay bales are grasses that have been dried and baled together. Contact your local county agent to find out where to get straw bales in your area.
Enjoy organic home grown vegetables in a space as little as 4 ft x 2ft. They are then moistened heavily for composting to set in. Start by arranging the bales in any way you like, side by side to make a block, end to end to create a line, zigzag, circle, whatever takes your fancy. How to make straw bale gardens organic gardener magazine.
Straw bale gardening is simply a different type of container gardening. Pdf using cereal straw bales in home gardens researchgate. The first year i tried it, i planted 20 bales each straw and hay and treated them identically. For gardeners without a plot of tillable land, haybale gardening is a way to garden in a. Ggc 70 the ruth stout method of permaculture youtube. Whatever you call it, its a great way to grow herbs and vegetables.
A straw or hay bale garden is a gardening method used for raising vegetables, herbs, and flowers directly on a bale. Garden guides how to grow tomatoes in bales of hay. Were following west virginia university extension services straw bale gardening advice. Remove a chunk of straw and fill the hole with potting soil small seeds or to plant in rows put a couple inches of potting soil on top of the bales. Hay bale gardening uses bales of hay in place of soil. The hidden dangers of straw bale gardening the grow network. Straw bale gardening is a gardening technique where the bales acts as natural containers for your plants. To date, he has distributed some 50,000 copies of this short tract.
Maybe the wind took it away or some bird made a nest out of your scattered hay bale. An indepth guide to straw bale gardening for beginners. Straw bales and hay bales have two distinctly different sides. 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 straw bale guru, kent rogers.
A complete guide to growing in bales without soil or weeds by joel karsten. Step by step of creating a straw bale garden straw bale. 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. Sep 21, 2017 planting tomatoes in a bale of hay may seem like a strange gardening technique, but its actually a very effective and practical way to grow a healthy crop of tomatoes. Straw and hay bale gardening explained flowerpotman. Beginners guide to straw bale gardening gardening with straw bales is the answer to any organic gardeners prayers.
The hay bale garden everything you need to get started. One of the coolest things about straw bale gardening is that it combines the best of container gardening with vertical gardening. Free straw bale gardening pdf tutorial urban garden, straw. This is the first book i purchased on the subject and i think it contains enough information to allow anyone to. 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.
You dont need to till soil to plant in straw bales. Enjoy your organic harvest and please share your straw bale gardening experiences and hay bale gardening tips with the rest of us. Nov 25, 2019 thanks for the info on straw bale gardening. Advantages of straw bale gardening climatefriendly gardening strategies straw bale gardens are much more pest resistant than traditional soil gardens. A variety of crops can be grown in bales, including tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, melons, and herbs. In his book youll find the answers to why he no longer uses a rototiller or a composter. Make sure its level water carefully so it doesnt wash away or cut the bottom out of a plastic flat, pin it. His books contain all the ins and outs on how to setup, condition and care for straw bales helping you to grow almost any plant in them. Use one or umpteen bales as you need and in any pattern. The bale is first conditioned and then vegetable plants are planted and grown inside the bale.
Planting tomatoes in a bale of hay may seem like a strange gardening technique, but its actually a very effective and practical way to grow a healthy crop of tomatoes. Joel karsten perfected the methods of straw bale gardening during more than 20 years and has written many excellent books about the subject. Organic soilfree potting media will help hold nutrients and water more efficiently for faster growth. In fact, he uses hay bales in a simple notill raised garden bed. We tried it this year for ourselves and our 81yearold mothermotherinlaw whos thrilled to have easier access to tending garden plants. The hay bale gardening technique explained the technique calls for arranging rows of hay or straw bales in rows. Once the straw inside the bale begins to decay the straw becomes conditioned compost that creates an extraordinary plant rooting environment.
Sep 29, 20 we do a lot of gardening and grow a lot of our own food, but straw bale gardening was completely new to me. 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. Once a straw bale has been prepared for planting, it can be transformed into a beautiful threedimensional annual garden, or host a fresh vegetable garden. Straw bale gardening is a great alternative for building raised garden beds, and the modular nature of straw bales allows for gardening at any scale, from a balcony to a community garden lot. Its a bit like container growing, only the bale of straw becomes the container. So, he grudgingly placed my bale near a tree for partial shade and some afternoon sun. Planting seed large seeds and for individual plants cucurbits, legumes, beets and chard, kale, kohlrabi, etc.
Its economical, easier on your back, and is great for people with mobility issues. Jul 16, 20 one of the coolest things about straw bale gardening is that it combines the best of container gardening with vertical gardening. Theyre like growbags at a fraction of the cost and without the plastic waste. A straw bale garden bed starts with a bale of straw. The hidden dangers of straw bale gardening the grow. Frequently asked questions answered by joel karsten, straw bale gardener expert, author and speaker. How to condition a straw bale for gardening outdoor happens. Straw bales from wheat, oats, rye or alfalfa are best hay bales more likely to have weed seed and herbicide residues planting methods flat top create a flat top of growing. Hay bale gardening is easy and the garden area has a unique look. Consider the pros and cons to determine if straw bale gardening is right for you.
Remove a chunk of straw and fill the hole with potting soil small seeds or to plant in rows put a couple inches of potting soil on top of the bale s. Search the internet for information on using hay vs. The best straw bales for a garden are wheat, oats, rye or barley straw. This makes it a great choice for anyone with hard soil or no soil at all, as all the magic takes place above the surface of the ground. Hay bale gardening janean thompson, master gardener potter county agrilife extension. I think they mean blood meal as bone meal does not have much nitrogen in it. For 3 days, water each bale until it runs through approximately 10 gallons per bale. Seeds can be planted directly on top of the bale or seedlings can be used. Pdf once a popular commercial method of growing commercial crops, straw bale gardening is experiencing a resurgence among home.
Gardening with straw bales university of tennessee system. Arrange hay bales in their permanent position as the bales are too heavy to move once watering has begun. See more ideas about straw bale gardening, straw bales and hay bale gardening. Be sure the bales are straw and not hayor youll be growing whatever is in that hay along with what you intended to grow. I got straight to work conditioning my bale of sugar cane straw, and ill show you how to condition a straw bale for gardening with photos here.
Straw or hay bales from alfalfa, wheat, oats, rye, or other cereals are suitable for making a garden bed. 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. Hay bale gardening center for excellence in disabilities. Straw or hay bales from alfalfa, wheat, oats, rye or other cereals are suitable for making such a bed. Because straw bale gardening is raised, its easy to work with, so make sure you allow for handy access. Straw and hay bales for gardening instructions to get. A straw or hay bale bed is a type of bed that can be used for raising vegetables pepper, tomatoes, onion, grain amaranth, etc. Soilless mix, with no potential to harbor disease, insects or weed seeds.
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 bale gardening. Beyond that, plant everything else that you like to eat. Straw bale gardening is just that, planting your seedlings into bales of straw. 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.
Put a couple inches of potting soil on top of the bales. Straw is typically yellow, dry, hollow and not food for animals. 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. 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. 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. The main difference is that the container is the straw bale itself and is held together with two or three strings. The other side of the bale is the folded side and appears as if the straw stems have been folded over in the baling process make sure that the strings are around the sides of the bale and not on the top or bottom. Straw bale gardening university of wisconsinmadison. You could consider straw bale gardening a form of composting and gardening simultaneously. 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. When my publisher asked me to write about straw bale gardening, i tested the techniques in my own gardens and was quite impressed with the results. How to make a selffertilizing hay bale garden bed hg. Beginners guide to straw bale gardening safer brand.
One of the best aspects of straw bale gardening is the readymade warmth the decomposing bales create. Nov 29, 2016 ruth stouts garden magyar felirattal duration. Its a lot of fun and its a quick way to get a garden going without worrying about improving the soil. It cuts down on the amount of weeds, and as the hay deteriorates, it leaves rich compost behind. Straw bale gardening is also called bale gardening or mistakenly, hay bale gardening. 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. Fertilizers rich in nitrogen are added to hasten the composting in a process referred to as conditioning of the bale. Apr 30, 20 after watering our straw bales for three days our next step is to apply a high nitrogen fertilizer.
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