BYC gardening thread!!

[lazy gardener]

Here's a video for your gardening pleasure. Note, there is a follow up to the first:

 

[Loc20chick]

Has anyone here done the straw bale gardening? I'm contemplating doing some of my tomatoes that way, hopefully I can get some good (no herbicide) straw/hay. The one farmer I was getting from ran out early last year.

 

[1cock2hens]

Has anyone here done the straw bale gardening? I'm contemplating doing some of my tomatoes that way, hopefully I can get some good (no herbicide) straw/hay. The one farmer I was getting from ran out early last year.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...and-other-non-conventional-garden-methods/120 page 13 had some info on it from lazy gardener

 

[Loc20chick]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...and-other-non-conventional-garden-methods/120  page 13 had some info on it from lazy gardner

Thanks. I'll follow over there and see.

 

[lazy gardener]

Has anyone here done the straw bale gardening? I'm contemplating doing some of my tomatoes that way, hopefully I can get some good (no herbicide) straw/hay. The one farmer I was getting from ran out early last year.

I've done it a couple of times. One thing you need to be sure to do is set it up with good water access. If I do it again, I plan to set plastic under it, as I did in the past, but drain the water into a reservoir at one end of the bales, and recirculate it with a fish tank pump to cut the water use. With a bit of filtration, it should be fairly easy to run it from the reservoir back up to the top of the system, and then through drip hoses. I hope to have some nice sized sweet potato slips that should excel in a hay bale system. I have some bales in my bird's sun room and coop that are being aged and fertilized right now!!!

 

[Loc20chick]

I've done it a couple of times.  One thing you need to be sure to do is set it up with good water access.  If I do it again, I plan to set plastic under it, as I did in the past, but drain the water into a reservoir at one end of the bales, and recirculate it with a fish tank pump to cut the water use.  With a bit of filtration, it should be fairly easy to run it from the reservoir back up to the top of the system, and then through drip hoses.  I hope to have some nice sized sweet potato slips that should excel in a hay bale system.   I have some bales in my bird's sun room and coop that are being aged and fertilized right now!!!

1. I was reading somewhere that if you use hay/straw that has been in a field where they used herbicides it destroys the plants have you seen this? I was going to get my straw from a farmer here I know but he is out of it now. I plan to only try one bale from the nursery here and see how it goes.
2. You are already conditioning your bales? Is it not too early? I was going to start mine 10days before planting.

 

[lazy gardener]

I stopped buying straw when it got to be so expensive. It's 8.50/bale last time I checked. I simply refuse to spend that kind of money. I get hay from a local farm. The farmer harvests from his own fields, and never uses herbicides. I have bales in my coop and run, and the chickens are pooping on them, so... conditioning them. I'd start conditioning bales about 2 weeks before you intend to plant. It pays to know where your hay is coming from.

 

[politicalcenter]

1. I was reading somewhere that if you use hay/straw that has been in a field where they used herbicides it destroys the plants have you seen this? I was going to get my straw from a farmer here I know but he is out of it now. I plan to only try one bale from the nursery here and see how it goes.
2. You are already conditioning your bales? Is it not too early? I was going to start mine 10days before planting.

I dont want to be rude by breaking in but there are pesistant herbicides being used on some operations and it can last up to five years. If the animal eats the hay the herbicide will pass through the animal and persist in the manure. Composting the manure does not help. It doesnt effect grasses but it can be a real problem with broadleaf plants. Tomatoes, green beans, and potatoes are very sensative to it. But it grows good corn.

 

[lazy gardener]

Quote: You are not being at all rude. And you are very correct in that persistent herbicides do not break down when passed through in manure, or when composted. That's why it's so very important to know the source of your hay or straw.

 

[Loc20chick]

I dont want to be rude by breaking in but there are pesistant herbicides being used on some operations and it can last up to five years. If the animal eats the hay the herbicide will pass through the animal and persist in the manure. Composting the manure does not help. It doesnt effect grasses but it can be a real problem with broadleaf plants. Tomatoes, green beans, and potatoes are very sensative to it. But it grows good corn.

You are not being rude, I'm actually looking for information