Does anyone do straw bale gardening?

[Illia]

I do it, but it indeed takes a lot of weeding. It's a great way if you don't want to or can't till your garden and actually have bales around, in fact you don't even need to let them sit around for a year, - and you've got some good garden.

We've done it with beans, corn, chard, lettuce, cabbage, and now will do a whole crop of Quinoa w/straw bale rows this year. Supplemented with compost.

We don't really do a whole bale as is though. We take it apart by the flake, lay out the flakes like you would set up a garden bed, ooh about 2-3 flakes deep, let it age a little, then plant.

 

[hennyannie]

I did this a few times. My only problem was I have a well and I can't water like I should. So this year I put out the bales in a little trench I dug with the tiller, I hope the trench will help hold some rain wash off and keep them damp. I did not have any weed problems at all. I use the bales string side up. Also I have my rainbarrel close this time. I only did tomatoes in the past, hope to branch out.

 

[ParadisePoultry]

I am going to start "conditioning" a few bales this week-end, and use them as seed starters/ mini green houses. will take pics and post here.

 

[ParadisePoultry]

A slight delay in the SBG. I spent Thurs- Sun in the hospital with my ulcer flaring up. Should be going home later today, and have the next 2 weeks off for "recouperating". Should be able to get something done then.

 

[ParadisePoultry]

Quote:
Illia,

I don't think your method is technically Straw Bale Gardening. SBG involves using the strawbale whole- as is, conditioning it for 10 days with water every day, ammonium nitrate and water every other day, and planting directly into the bale.

There should be very little weeding. There are sometimes oats, rye or barley (depending on what kind of straw it is) that sprout, but these can be sissored off, and usually give up after 1 or 2 'haircuts"

 

[Amy Chickie]

I hope you'll feel better soon! Gardening is very good for recuperating

I'm going to create a new veggie garden bed using a lasagna style with a straw bales that have been sitting around all winter helping to insulate my chicken tractor's hen house.

 

[seramaland3]

I think we might have to give this a try!

 

[ParadisePoultry]

Amy,

Thanks, I feel much better already. Using the bales that have been sitting around all winter is perfect. They are already well on their way to decomposing.

 

[ParadisePoultry]

If any one is interested, I can probably scan and post most of the pages from the little book we got at the class. There is a lot of useful and coomon sense stuff in it. May be able to do it this coming week.

BJ

 

[noodleroo]

Here's mine; still in the conditioning stage. They are older bales so it shouldn't take long, especially with the bottom of the chicken coop (pine shavings and poop) watered in. I can't wait to plant, this is my first time to try this!