If you enjoyed this video, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience: 0:00 Intro To Straw Bale Gardening 1:19 Reason #1: Cost 2:24 Reason #2: Flexibility 5:25 Reason #3: Soil Problems 6:53 Reason #4: Sustainability 9:56 Who Should Garden In Straw Bales 11:53 Adventures With Dale
My soil has a lot of bad guys - roly polies! They ate all my seedlings! Urgh! 😡They came out in gangs, hugging the young stems and chewed off the plants. I have not found any effective ways to get rid of them. Do you have any solution? I rather use other ways to break down the organic matter in my soil, consider the damages they did. Does Dale like you or mommy more? He is a sweet dog. Are you running a dog program, too?
I collected bales from my neighbors just after Halloween & inoculated them with mushrooms & then placed them on top of my newly planted asparagus patch to protect it from winter weather. I even secretly threw mushroom spawn over my fence because my backyard neighbor talks a lot abt foraging. She’ll be so happy.
I've done straw bale gardening a couple times. It is pretty neat and works well! Have fun! It is really a neat way to go! ** Once you get the bales seasoned and ready to plant moving them will be extremely difficult! They break down pretty quickly. You could put them inside the large totes like Lowes has with the yellow lids with plenty of holes drilled for drainage. Then you could move them easier if necessary. This year we put a bunch of the broken down bales into our large totes and concrete block raised bed. As we get older it is harder for hubby and I with terrible arthritis to continue to set up the bales. I may do a couple here and there in the yard where I don't want to put any totes.
Oh, I moved them exactly where they need to go first. I know the difference between dry straw and wet straw. Conservatively, I think a wet bale may be 3 times heavier. Wet bales of straw are no fun to move!
@@TheMillennialGardener It is more the breaking down than the weight that would be my concern when you mentioned moving them out of harms way from the cold. It is a great way to garden!
I am a renter, reason 1 to try straw bale I have 2 very lg. black walnut trees in my yard, reason 2 for not growing in ground. I have voles, reason 3 not to grow in ground I live on a very tight budget, raised bed and container gardening can be prohibitive (growing medium gets very expensive!) So, next yr. straw bale gardening is on my to do list!
I look forward to seeing more of your staw bale garden adventures. My father-in-law grew tomatos and peppers in straw bales at his Oak Island, NC home several years ago with much success. Dale is such a good boy.
I bet that worked much better since Oak Island doesn't have great soil for growing, being a sandy, salty barrier island and all. I'm hoping to eliminate a few tomato-related problems here. I just hope they don't dry out too quickly.
Grew Tomato's in bale's for a number of years.Earlier start in planting don't worry about flooding out garden plots.Less disease and bale's last two seasons and they do hold water longer than you think
I also split my garden between raised beds and large buckets for a backup. I love the straw block idea as another compliment to our growing season, especially when you really need to treat/let a bed rest for a season due to issues but still want to garden. I'm already getting straw to replenish beds. I'll get a few extra to follow along with this experiment. Thanks again from Coastal SC for great content.
Have Straw Bales sitting around my Garden right now waiting for Potatoes I hate digging Potatoes hoping this will work well. Once the potatoes are done plan on using the Straw for Compost.
Potatoes in straw bales sounds interesting. I hope they're not too restrictive for tuber development. Potatoes grow very well in 20-30 gallon grow bags, which eliminates digging but provides plenty of room for growth.
@@danapowers2557 I bought the Bales last fall and they have been sitting around the garden since then hoping the winter weather etc while have gotten them ready to go other then adding some fertilizer.
AWESOME! I have a ton of bales that we had our 5 malamutes and pyrenees dogs use as beds and perches in the dog run over winter to keep them off of "yellow snow", and ones stacked around my greenhouse! I was seriously considering straw bale gardens this year! Super pumped one of my fav gardeners on youtube is starting a series on them!!! So Exciting!!!!
Super suggestion to consuder a straw bale garden for all those great reasons. 👍Another reason is they are a bit higher than an earth bed benefiting those in wheelchairs, the elderly, etc. Growing in straw bales is fun. 👩🏾🌾 They are decomposing throughout the growing season and can be added to the compost heap or allowed to compost over winter to use as compost the next year. That's a good looking meal you serve up for Mr Dale. 😃 He looks good in blue.🐕
Great perspective on utilizing resources. We're starting an oyster mushroom straw bale garden. Once the fungi have exhausted the bales, the remainder will be used for mulch/compost. Gotta work those materials!
Cool. So this year I’m transforming an unused arena to a garden. I have inherited some raised beds but I know I won’t plant all of them because of the expense. However, after seeing your video I can rebuild some of those raised beds , AND use some straw ales for more plants. Win win. Thanks for the idea.
Just last week I was reading a book on straw bale gardening and have been considering it just for the experience of trying something different. Pleasantly surprised to see your video on this same topic. Maybe this is my sign to commit to getting some straw bales soon.
I live in NE Oklahoma in an area where the soil is a mix of clay and flint rocks. Digging isn't done with a shovel, but with a pick axe. In 2019, I did a full garden in 57 bales of straw. Tomatoes, peppers, okra, squash, and eggplants did well. Basically, anything that was transplanted. I had less luck direct sowing. I let the straw overwinter in place and framed around them the following spring, winding up with 5 raised bed frames. I stomped down the rotten straw and topped off with mushroom compost bought in bulk from a mushroom farm. In 2021, I topped off with a mix of more mushroom compost and a sand/silt mix that was also bought in bulk (by the truck load) and dressed with homemade compost (grass clippings, leaves, garden waste, etc.) It has been a multi-year process, but I have an amazing garden and straw bales kickstarted everything. The one drawback i experienced the first year is that the straw took a lot of watering in late summer. As the bales break down, they are not efficient at holding onto water.
I'm looking forward to following the straw bale instructions because you're so right about the price of pots and I'd like to grow a few more things . Also because I live in Florida I wouldn't have to worry about pots blowing away during a storm .
I have #10 and #15 pots, as well as #20 grow bags linked in my Amazon Storefront. They'd sit still in most hurricanes. They're very heavy if you really want large containers. Straw bales provide some pretty nice flexibility.
I bought 6 straw bales last fall to make our pig a house of straw for the winter. Now, I'm going to move them to my garden to do some straw Bale gardening. At the end of the fall, I will spread over my garden to help protect plants and decompose. 😁
Such a timely video. I recently purchased a book on straw bale gardening and have been debating the idea. My hay guy is out of straw bales right now so I will have to wait a couple of months for the new cutting.
Great ideas, thanks for another great video. One thought I wanted to share - the 3rd year spent straw under your fruit trees that you mentioned is almost ready to be removed and replaced with the straw from the banana plants --- after you move it, you might try growing winecap mushrooms on it. That would give you a 4th and final year for the straw, and you could get a harvest from it!
This will be the 3rd growing season in straw bales. Love the ease. I would like to add some tips. When you are ready to plant, add at least a couple of handfuls of soil/compost in the planting hole. Even though it is not necessary, it just gives the plants what they need. Reason #5: When the straw completely decomposes you will also have wonderful soil. I leave mine in place where I think i may want a raised bed or just use in pots. Excellent starter and you can grow straight in it. You will love growing in bales...as you said you will have to season it..takes about 14 to 21 good weather days. Expected rainy days are the best....poke holes in the top..spread your high nitrogen fertilizer on (lawn fertilizer is perfect), scratch it in a bit and let the rain saturate the bale(s). Saves on the water bill. Enjoy the journey!!!
We have to use one of those bowls. Otherwise, Dale eats so quickly it makes him sick. He is completely food obsessed. He will eat himself sick if you don’t closely monitor him.
I do straw bales for flowers only. I wasted a growing season only to find Cherokee Purple tomates TASTLESS not to mention their diminished size and yield. The same season a comparable number of inground plants yielded twice the number of fruit. Plants won't respond to fertilize drip and will need huge amounts of water to get them thru a summer. Be forwarded, this guy is regurgitating CONTENT that is over ten years old on youtube.
@@robertl.fallin7062 I know that it is have been tried with limited success but I'm curious to see how it will end up for him. I'm curious also what might work well in that.
I also have a pair of dwarf goats, and a flock of 13 (so far ) chickens so depending upon their seasoning, I see a possible second use being to feed said goats or at least to line my chicken pen.
Absolutely. That's what's great about the straw bale garden system. If you buy the straw for other things - animal feed, mulch, insulation - you can actually garden in them for free. You'd just buy them 6-9 months ahead of time. The one thing I'd caution you on is that in straw bale gardening, you're going to have to use soluble fertilizers, so if you decide to reuse them for feed, you may want to let them sit in the rain for a few months to clean off. You won't want to give your animals straw mixed with fertilizers.
@@TheMillennialGardener understand -for feed as my warm season generally ends in late September/early October I'd leave them out until February or March as a possible munch.
Spring is a few weeks away, and I am freaking out at the state of my stone fruit blossoms. Every time the forecast drops below 30F, I begin to worry. There always seems to be a warm spell in January or February that causes the buds to swell early most years. I have seen straw bale gardens before. The two biggest complaints I hear are that they result in root rot during abnormally rainy weather, and they are usually full of wheat seeds waiting to germinate. I think that using dried corn stalks (corn hay) in place of wheat straw may fix the seeding problem. Perhaps it is not easy to find corn hay outside of the corn belt. I grew up in Ohio. I have read that tomatoes can become more resistant to wilt if you treat them with aspirin when they are young. I have not tried it myself, but have heard good things. Now that I live in W WA, straw bales are not nearly as easy or cheap to acquire in the city. WA has agricultural regions, where Ohio pretty much has the whole state. Our climate is closer to Southern England than anywhere in the U.S. The worst thing is that Winter rains and temperatures encourage a wide variety of molds and fungi. There is a period in Spring where something like straw will become toxic to plants if they are not drenched in fungicide. Everybody who visits Seattle thinks it will be rainy 24/7/365. If it manages to rain at all during the Summer, it is rarely enough to even wet the soil. P.S. plastic bins from the Dollar Store are usually WAY cheaper than anything you will buy in a plant shop. The bins they sell as tiny garbage cans work very well as tree pots. Plastic Solo cups make great starter pots for a variety of plants. They even make plastic 'Grow Bags' that are designed to be super cheap pots. The issue with grow bags is that the medium eventually starts to shrink away from the edges of the bag. It can be difficult to keep things properly hydrated.
If you want something that I think is a good container for planting in, a kiddie pool, a soldering iron and 45 minutes will get you something decent to plant shallow rooting plants in
I have a grow tunnel I grow greens all winter long an put straw bales around edges for some insulation then grow in them . But I like to cut out an area between strings about 4 inches down pull out straw add bit of fertilizer an potting soil then grow sweet potatoes in them as I don't have the space they stay moist longer to if it's dry but here in nebraska straw has gone up to $10,00 a bale bit exspensive was 5 bucks
That's quite a price hike. They've gone up about $1 here. I'm surprised straw is that expensive in Nebraska. You'd think it would be plentiful. Maybe there's a lot more demand for it. Here where I live, not many people farm on the coastal plain.
Beautiful job. I got a couple of bales last year to put in the Raised Garden Beds. You know lasagna. Looks like I will be talking to my Farmer Buddy getting a couple more for a different experiment. Thanks just what I need. 😜 😜
I'm trying Hydroponics as my main way of gardening this year. From what I've seen it takes less water and work to reap the harvest. Hoping for the best!
Will have to follow you along on this Straw adventure --- maybe I can add a few more feet to my garden and expand my crop without digging up the ground for just a little more produce --- Thank You ------ Rodney
I think I missed the part where you said how you will season the bales. I'd love to hear about it. Also, how you plant in a bale - direct seed or transplants?
I started straw bale gardening over 10 years ago due to more than my fair share of blown discs in my back. They were way easier to weed (just trim their hair as they come up). I've used a few for 3yrs before I composted them or used em as weed cover in my raised beds. Once the center of the bale breaks down it turns into beautiful brown "dirt" with all the beneficial bacteria and critters needed. You wanna make sure you get wheat straw, not pine or hay bales. Hay bales don't break down the same and don't have the same results. I've got a few hay bales I bought when wheat bales were scarce here in NC and they are STILL out in the yard having grown nothing but the invasive blackberries that try taking over the yard every year. Hay is baled tighter than wheat, which keeps water from getting to the roots of the plants. It also takes more time and effort to "season". @ The millennial gardener, keep up the good work. I thoroughly enjoy your videos as I'm not at the coast I am in the coastal plains. Hope you've had enough time to get your tender plants ready for the latest round of crazy weather here in NC that's coming at us. Take care Darlin and keep em covered.
So am I! I can't have any success growing in ground in an open garden due to our rains here, so let's try something new instead of constantly fighting nature.
Hi. I have recently come across your you tube channel and am binge watching 😂. Question though. Can you utilise huge rolls of hay in chicken wire and stake cages as you have the bananas growing in. I live in Townsville North Queensland. Australia Australia 🇦🇺
I've used straw in the past in various ways, but was discouraged by all the grass seeds sprouting and taking over. At first it was easy to pull up, then it got onerous. Perhaps you;'ll address this issue when you talk about seasoning the straw bales. Also, do gophers like to invade the straw bales? Having read some of the comments below, I'm getting more interested in giving the straw bales another try.
You can easily do so. Start a string bean plant and transplant it into the straw. Legumes are highly susceptible to damage from Grazon, so if it doesn't grow stunted, it's fine. Straw is rarely treated, since it is a byproduct of harvesting cereal grains. Hay is more likely to be treated since it's used to graze on...hence the name 🤓
That's, honestly, less than the price of a large container, let alone a bag of mix. It's really economical. You will have to buy urea to season them, but it's pretty inexpensive.
would you or could you use old straw bails to add to bottom of new raised beds as filler alonf with cardboard sticks and leaves? would it compost enough to help amend the lower soil??
I watched some of your videos and you did a great job of topic chosen, voice, lighting, and editing. The bonus of short interaction with Bale is so cute and sweet. I really appreciate all the hard work you share. There is only one thing....... would you please don't wear the 3 skull head sweater......I think gardening is a celebration of life so the death symbol does not match with your wonderful videos. Of course it's just my personal opnion. Blessings to you!
And i have only access to the hay rolls. There is the sugarcane mulch in the box stores here but at $22 each i am not sure if that will work or if so definitely costly. Maybe i can experiment with 1 bale sugarcane mulch but need advice on the above question please
If you use the straw that you have as a mulch, does it still have to cure? Also, where do you get it? Lowe's at Porters Neck and the Eastwood HD in town only have pine straw.
I’m not sure what you mean exactly. You want to use fresh bales of straw. For our area, you have two options I know of for straw. The first is Farmers Supply in Wilmington. The other is Hudson Hardware in Burgaw. I’ve purchased straw from them both. This batch is from Farmers Supply. Hudson Hardware also sells those pickle barrels I use around my property to keep my citrus warm. They’re great.
@@TheMillennialGardener Awesome! Thanks! I meant that if I were to go out and get a bale today to use as mulch for my peas and sprouting green beans (took a chance, might have a frost tonight), would I have to let it sit for a while or can I use it right in the garden? The straw I use for our chicken coop will sprout if it's in a spot that the chickens can't get to. That straw is from Tractor Supply.
I think if that were an issue, every hay or straw field would be on fire. That can't be a concern, because you'll see giant bales of straw and hay sitting for weeks or months in fields. It's a lot hotter here in SE NC, and I have mine sitting on black barrier with a south-facing backyard. Plus, you condition them beforehand, which wears them out.
Sorry it’s not a question about the garden but dale…. Lol I’ve just got my Labrador 18month old pup a raised feeder similar to what dale has…. Got it for 2 reasons, she bolts her food and always has. So I got it to try to slow her down and it only worked for the first few uses. But it has stopped her getting hiccups after every meal, which can end up with twisted stomach…. Don’t need that. So my question is The feeding bowl you put on top… obviously that slows him down with that food but what about with kibble? As my girls on kibble and I don’t want to spend more money (as it’s very tight atm) if it’s gonna make no difference. Please let me know what your experience is please. Thanks in advance it’s appreciated.
Dale is a deep-chested dog. He eats like he's panicked he'll never get food again. We cannot feed him in a standard bowl, because he will eat so quickly, he will vomit. The slow feeder bowl is excellent for kibble. It drags out his feeding, even with dry kibble, about 5-6 times longer. I *strongly* recommend it. Some of these deep-chested dogs that eat quickly can literally die from bloat if they eat too fast. They'll eat themselves to death. I have this *exact* bowl linked in my Amazon Storefront in the video description under "Dale's Favorite Things." It's very inexpensive and worth its weight in gold. It can save their lives. If you decide to start cooking for your dog, press the food into the bowl with your palm so they have to work to eat it out. Kibble is very easy. For what it's worth, I've found cooking Dale's food is actually cheaper than buying kibble. We alternate 3-4 days of homemade, 3-4 days of kibble. That gives him balance.
@@TheMillennialGardener yes Lilly inhales her food she doesn’t even chew it. I will look my only issue is when I’ve tried to use it for other things it don’t work right coz I’m in the uk and it wants to send from America and charge loads to send
I am interested in a straw bale garden, but living in city limits, how do I go about finding the straw bales to buy? Sorry if that’s a stupid question. I’ve just never seen them at the local hardware or garden centers I shop. Thanks for the video!❤
They're usually carried at feed stores. If you find stores that cater to farmers and sell chicken feed, they usually carry straw. You can also look on Craigslist.
It's usually carried at feed stores. If you find stores that cater to farmers and sell chicken feed, they usually carry straw. You can also look on Craigslist.
A few years ago, they were $2.78 each. Now, they're $5. I don't buy them anymore for growing. I can get beautiful, heavy duty #10 pots for $10 that'll last 10-20 years, so I only use them for mixing fertilizer these days.
Perhaps a lack of nutrients and fertilizer. Because straw bales basically contain no nutrition, you need to fertilize them often. Soluble fertilizers are best, since straw bales lack the microbiome to process organic granules.
We had tried these a few years ago, it was pretty much a bust, don’t take it the wrong way, we did have a tremendous Batch of bush green beans!, the squash just rotted, the cucumbers only yield us maybe 12 cukes, and the tomato, yes only one plant had 5 tomatoes but we had black rot. We tore it out and now we do garden boxes, the straw bale gardening was just a waste of money
I hope to have a conditioning video up in about 10 days or so. I’m conditioning them now. They were 125 degrees today while it was 33 degrees overnight.
Feed stores typically carry them. If you have a farm supply somewhere that carries chicken feed and livestock products, that’s where you want to go. Craigslist is also a good resource:
Feed stores typically carry them. If you have a farm supply somewhere that carries chicken feed and livestock products, that’s where you want to go. Craigslist is also a good resource.
@@TheMillennialGardener they've been replaced by tractor supply who doesn't carry it. I go there to buy my chicken feed and pelleted pine bedding. We used to have a feed store but it's gone. The last place I found it was 20 bucks a bale🤯. I grew up in Wisconsin and it was everywhere and super cheap.
I tried a bale last year, and it simply wasn't worth the extra work. If I didn't have an overabundance of brown leaves in the fall for my compose pile, I would. But I do, so I won't.
You have very dry summers and don't have many diseases to deal with, so maybe it isn't great in your area. Here, it's really bad, so growing soilless has advantages.
Good luck. I used straw bales two years ago. I tried multiple veggies. Tomato and peppers worked the best. I’ll be interested if you will really use the straw mulch at the end of the year for your banana trees. It’s dense mulch not fluffy straw. Maybe but I can’t imagine using the bales more than one season. I appreciate your attempts at trying new things. Keep it up. Best wishes.
You may be thinking of hay, which is often sprayed with herbicides for grazing. Straw is rarely treated, because it's a byproduct from growing cereal grains. You can easily test to see if your straw has been treated by planting a legume plant, such as a string bean, in your bale. If the bean grows fine, the straw is fine. You can also just ask the store. They usually know. Whether the cereal grain is GMO doesn't matter. You're not eating the straw. It's just a growing medium.
I have not found straw bale gardening to be worthwhile. After the cost of the bales (twice the price you quoted), bags of blood meal, and several plants that did not thrive - I harvested a few handfuls of cherry tomatoes that were grown from tomato suckers. It's not worth it for me - I'll be using the bales for mulch this year.
I was going to say; I know one really good reason not to use them. But, you claim this is a good way to grow tomatoes, and I have a water shortage in the summer. I was thinking of digging a hole and setting the intire bale in the ground.
I was thinking the same. I have compacted clay and I thought digging out a hole, six inches or so, might be a good idea. Wondering if it will make the bales rot too fast, or be a good way to conserve water.
The straw bale should be organic eventhout you spoil alle the garden with pesticides the local farmers have used for there crop.great ideas but am always suspicious 🤣👌🙏👍🇩🇰
If you enjoyed this video, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience:
0:00 Intro To Straw Bale Gardening
1:19 Reason #1: Cost
2:24 Reason #2: Flexibility
5:25 Reason #3: Soil Problems
6:53 Reason #4: Sustainability
9:56 Who Should Garden In Straw Bales
11:53 Adventures With Dale
My soil has a lot of bad guys - roly polies! They ate all my seedlings! Urgh! 😡They came out in gangs, hugging the young stems and chewed off the plants. I have not found any effective ways to get rid of them. Do you have any solution? I rather use other ways to break down the organic matter in my soil, consider the damages they did. Does Dale like you or mommy more? He is a sweet dog. Are you running a dog program, too?
Those bales aren't light when soaked all season long with water
I collected bales from my neighbors just after Halloween & inoculated them with mushrooms & then placed them on top of my newly planted asparagus patch to protect it from winter weather. I even secretly threw mushroom spawn over my fence because my backyard neighbor talks a lot abt foraging. She’ll be so happy.
That's a good way to get free straw.
That's so awesome you did that for the neighbor
That's cute 🥰
I put some mushie spawn in my bale too 🤣
I'm learning from you brother. I'm up in Michigan and you are still teaching me how to start sooner and growing longer
I've done straw bale gardening a couple times. It is pretty neat and works well! Have fun! It is really a neat way to go!
** Once you get the bales seasoned and ready to plant moving them will be extremely difficult! They break down pretty quickly. You could put them inside the large totes like Lowes has with the yellow lids with plenty of holes drilled for drainage. Then you could move them easier if necessary.
This year we put a bunch of the broken down bales into our large totes and concrete block raised bed. As we get older it is harder for hubby and I with terrible arthritis to continue to set up the bales. I may do a couple here and there in the yard where I don't want to put any totes.
Oh, I moved them exactly where they need to go first. I know the difference between dry straw and wet straw. Conservatively, I think a wet bale may be 3 times heavier. Wet bales of straw are no fun to move!
@@TheMillennialGardener It is more the breaking down than the weight that would be my concern when you mentioned moving them out of harms way from the cold. It is a great way to garden!
I was going to add that the bales are really heavy when saturated.
Oooh! If you grow coffee, please do a tutorial on growing it.
I hope to later this year once they recover from the winter.
I can't wait to see how it goes! Thanks for taking us along for the adventure!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
I am a renter, reason 1 to try straw bale
I have 2 very lg. black walnut trees in my yard, reason 2 for not growing in ground.
I have voles, reason 3 not to grow in ground
I live on a very tight budget, raised bed and container gardening can be prohibitive (growing medium gets very expensive!)
So, next yr. straw bale gardening is on my to do list!
You are lucky to find straw bales. I bought some from a market at Halloween(people use them for decoration here DFW).
Definitely doing this. Good addition to my container garden
Wonderful!
I look forward to seeing more of your staw bale garden adventures. My father-in-law grew tomatos and peppers in straw bales at his Oak Island, NC home several years ago with much success.
Dale is such a good boy.
I bet that worked much better since Oak Island doesn't have great soil for growing, being a sandy, salty barrier island and all. I'm hoping to eliminate a few tomato-related problems here. I just hope they don't dry out too quickly.
Grew Tomato's in bale's for a number
of years.Earlier start in planting don't worry about flooding out garden plots.Less disease and bale's last two seasons and they do hold water
longer than you think
Awesome video. Love the shot at the end with the pooch. I absolutely love the "slow feed" bowls. Both of my dogs use them.
I also split my garden between raised beds and large buckets for a backup. I love the straw block idea as another compliment to our growing season, especially when you really need to treat/let a bed rest for a season due to issues but still want to garden. I'm already getting straw to replenish beds. I'll get a few extra to follow along with this experiment. Thanks again from Coastal SC for great content.
You're welcome! I appreciate you watching.
Have Straw Bales sitting around my Garden right now waiting for Potatoes I hate digging Potatoes hoping this will work well. Once the potatoes are done plan on using the Straw for Compost.
Potatoes in straw bales sounds interesting. I hope they're not too restrictive for tuber development. Potatoes grow very well in 20-30 gallon grow bags, which eliminates digging but provides plenty of room for growth.
Do you marinate the straw bales for potatoes as he mentioned on the video??
@@danapowers2557 I bought the Bales last fall and they have been sitting around the garden since then hoping the winter weather etc while have gotten them ready to go other then adding some fertilizer.
AWESOME! I have a ton of bales that we had our 5 malamutes and pyrenees dogs use as beds and perches in the dog run over winter to keep them off of "yellow snow", and ones stacked around my greenhouse! I was seriously considering straw bale gardens this year! Super pumped one of my fav gardeners on youtube is starting a series on them!!! So Exciting!!!!
Very cool! Thank you so much! Send my love to Dale. I'm glad you're so good to him. ❤️
Dale says hello!
Super suggestion to consuder a straw bale garden for all those great reasons. 👍Another reason is they are a bit higher than an earth bed benefiting those in wheelchairs, the elderly, etc.
Growing in straw bales is fun. 👩🏾🌾
They are decomposing throughout the growing season and can be added to the compost heap or allowed to compost over winter to use as compost the next year.
That's a good looking meal you serve up for Mr Dale. 😃 He looks good in blue.🐕
I hope the bales won't dry out too quickly here. I'm curious to see how they perform. Dale eats better than must humans, myself included.
@@TheMillennialGardener I find in our hot dry summers the bales hold on to moisture well. I tend to use them to grow watermelon and cantaloupe.
This year I will be experimenting with mix of compost and straw+leaves growing medium. I think it will be the best solution.
I am ready to try straw bale gardening. Thank you for sharing this information with us.
You're welcome!
Your so awesome! So good! I’m renting and have been believing for my own land hopefully soon! Thank you so much!
I enjoyed this video especially your cost break down. M
Glad it was helpful!
Great perspective on utilizing resources. We're starting an oyster mushroom straw bale garden. Once the fungi have exhausted the bales, the remainder will be used for mulch/compost. Gotta work those materials!
Cool. So this year I’m transforming an unused arena to a garden. I have inherited some raised beds but I know I won’t plant all of them because of the expense. However, after seeing your video I can rebuild some of those raised beds , AND use some straw ales for more plants. Win win. Thanks for the idea.
Just last week I was reading a book on straw bale gardening and have been considering it just for the experience of trying something different. Pleasantly surprised to see your video on this same topic. Maybe this is my sign to commit to getting some straw bales soon.
I live in NE Oklahoma in an area where the soil is a mix of clay and flint rocks. Digging isn't done with a shovel, but with a pick axe. In 2019, I did a full garden in 57 bales of straw. Tomatoes, peppers, okra, squash, and eggplants did well. Basically, anything that was transplanted. I had less luck direct sowing. I let the straw overwinter in place and framed around them the following spring, winding up with 5 raised bed frames. I stomped down the rotten straw and topped off with mushroom compost bought in bulk from a mushroom farm. In 2021, I topped off with a mix of more mushroom compost and a sand/silt mix that was also bought in bulk (by the truck load) and dressed with homemade compost (grass clippings, leaves, garden waste, etc.) It has been a multi-year process, but I have an amazing garden and straw bales kickstarted everything. The one drawback i experienced the first year is that the straw took a lot of watering in late summer. As the bales break down, they are not efficient at holding onto water.
I'm looking forward to following the straw bale instructions because you're so right about the price of pots and I'd like to grow a few more things . Also because I live in Florida I wouldn't have to worry about pots blowing away during a storm .
I have #10 and #15 pots, as well as #20 grow bags linked in my Amazon Storefront. They'd sit still in most hurricanes. They're very heavy if you really want large containers. Straw bales provide some pretty nice flexibility.
Interesting information MG. Thank you 😊👍
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Dale is the goodest boy. 💕
I bought 6 straw bales last fall to make our pig a house of straw for the winter. Now, I'm going to move them to my garden to do some straw Bale gardening. At the end of the fall, I will spread over my garden to help protect plants and decompose. 😁
Where did you get the straw and was it cheap?
I’m excited to watch this new project.
Thank you! Me, too!
Such a timely video. I recently purchased a book on straw bale gardening and have been debating the idea. My hay guy is out of straw bales right now so I will have to wait a couple of months for the new cutting.
You can check Craigslist. You may be able to find some other options.
Great ideas, thanks for another great video. One thought I wanted to share - the 3rd year spent straw under your fruit trees that you mentioned is almost ready to be removed and replaced with the straw from the banana plants --- after you move it, you might try growing winecap mushrooms on it. That would give you a 4th and final year for the straw, and you could get a harvest from it!
Good to see dale super enthused ^_^
If he isn't enthused at dinner time, something is seriously wrong 😂
This will be the 3rd growing season in straw bales. Love the ease. I would like to add some tips. When you are ready to plant, add at least a couple of handfuls of soil/compost in the planting hole. Even though it is not necessary, it just gives the plants what they need. Reason #5: When the straw completely decomposes you will also have wonderful soil. I leave mine in place where I think i may want a raised bed or just use in pots. Excellent starter and you can grow straight in it. You will love growing in bales...as you said you will have to season it..takes about 14 to 21 good weather days. Expected rainy days are the best....poke holes in the top..spread your high nitrogen fertilizer on (lawn fertilizer is perfect), scratch it in a bit and let the rain saturate the bale(s). Saves on the water bill. Enjoy the journey!!!
I did not know. I will keep watching.
…Dale had a delicious/nutritious home made meal, and the slow eater bowl is excellent also. 😁 👍 🐶🤎
We have to use one of those bowls. Otherwise, Dale eats so quickly it makes him sick. He is completely food obsessed. He will eat himself sick if you don’t closely monitor him.
Genius totally doing the banana tree insulation idea
I can’t wait to see if it is going to give good result. Was looking to buy 1-2 raised beds, might end up trying it this season! Thanks for the videos!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
I do straw bales for flowers only. I wasted a growing season only to find Cherokee Purple tomates TASTLESS not to mention their diminished size and yield. The same season a comparable number of inground plants yielded twice the number of fruit. Plants won't respond to fertilize drip and will need huge amounts of water to get them thru a summer.
Be forwarded, this guy is regurgitating CONTENT that is over ten years old on youtube.
@@robertl.fallin7062 I know that it is have been tried with limited success but I'm curious to see how it will end up for him. I'm curious also what might work well in that.
I'm looking forward to seeing your results.
Best of luck trying something different. I'm pulling for ya.
Much appreciated! Thank you for watching!
This is a really good channel!
I appreciate it! Thanks for watching!
I look forward to your updates on this.
Thank you!
love that dogfood bowl!
I also have a pair of dwarf goats, and a flock of 13 (so far ) chickens so depending upon their seasoning, I see a possible second use being to feed said goats or at least to line my chicken pen.
Absolutely. That's what's great about the straw bale garden system. If you buy the straw for other things - animal feed, mulch, insulation - you can actually garden in them for free. You'd just buy them 6-9 months ahead of time. The one thing I'd caution you on is that in straw bale gardening, you're going to have to use soluble fertilizers, so if you decide to reuse them for feed, you may want to let them sit in the rain for a few months to clean off. You won't want to give your animals straw mixed with fertilizers.
@@TheMillennialGardener understand -for feed as my warm season generally ends in late September/early October I'd leave them out until February or March as a possible munch.
Very interesting idea. Excited to see how it goes. I wonder if some some plant roots would have a challenging time growing thru the straw vs soil.
In some instances, they do even better because of the holes the straw provides for the roots. I absolutely love the ease of growing in them.
Spring is a few weeks away, and I am freaking out at the state of my stone fruit blossoms. Every time the forecast drops below 30F, I begin to worry. There always seems to be a warm spell in January or February that causes the buds to swell early most years.
I have seen straw bale gardens before. The two biggest complaints I hear are that they result in root rot during abnormally rainy weather, and they are usually full of wheat seeds waiting to germinate. I think that using dried corn stalks (corn hay) in place of wheat straw may fix the seeding problem. Perhaps it is not easy to find corn hay outside of the corn belt. I grew up in Ohio. I have read that tomatoes can become more resistant to wilt if you treat them with aspirin when they are young. I have not tried it myself, but have heard good things.
Now that I live in W WA, straw bales are not nearly as easy or cheap to acquire in the city. WA has agricultural regions, where Ohio pretty much has the whole state. Our climate is closer to Southern England than anywhere in the U.S. The worst thing is that Winter rains and temperatures encourage a wide variety of molds and fungi. There is a period in Spring where something like straw will become toxic to plants if they are not drenched in fungicide. Everybody who visits Seattle thinks it will be rainy 24/7/365. If it manages to rain at all during the Summer, it is rarely enough to even wet the soil.
P.S. plastic bins from the Dollar Store are usually WAY cheaper than anything you will buy in a plant shop. The bins they sell as tiny garbage cans work very well as tree pots. Plastic Solo cups make great starter pots for a variety of plants. They even make plastic 'Grow Bags' that are designed to be super cheap pots. The issue with grow bags is that the medium eventually starts to shrink away from the edges of the bag. It can be difficult to keep things properly hydrated.
If you want something that I think is a good container for planting in, a kiddie pool, a soldering iron and 45 minutes will get you something decent to plant shallow rooting plants in
I have a grow tunnel I grow greens all winter long an put straw bales around edges for some insulation then grow in them . But I like to cut out an area between strings about 4 inches down pull out straw add bit of fertilizer an potting soil then grow sweet potatoes in them as I don't have the space they stay moist longer to if it's dry but here in nebraska straw has gone up to $10,00 a bale bit exspensive was 5 bucks
That sounds like a great idea. I'll probably try it - depends on how the gardening goes this year. Thank you.
That's quite a price hike. They've gone up about $1 here. I'm surprised straw is that expensive in Nebraska. You'd think it would be plentiful. Maybe there's a lot more demand for it. Here where I live, not many people farm on the coastal plain.
@@TheMillennialGardener we've been in a drought to maybe that has something to do with it 🤔
Despite the "math" in the beginning (lol), I will indeed follow you on this journey!☺
Thank you!
Thanks 😊 🙋♀️
You’re welcome!
Beautiful job. I got a couple of bales last year to put in the Raised Garden Beds. You know lasagna. Looks like I will be talking to my Farmer Buddy getting a couple more for a different experiment. Thanks just what I need. 😜 😜
Glad to give you something else to do 😄
I'm trying Hydroponics as my main way of gardening this year. From what I've seen it takes less water and work to reap the harvest. Hoping for the best!
Will have to follow you along on this Straw adventure --- maybe I can add a few more feet to my garden and expand my crop without digging up the ground for just a little more produce --- Thank You ------ Rodney
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
I think I missed the part where you said how you will season the bales. I'd love to hear about it. Also, how you plant in a bale - direct seed or transplants?
That will be another video in a couple weeks.
Following from MA
Thank you!
Thank you for the information this is going to help my garden issue I lived in a retirement complex tgere is no space to grow exce I’m container
This is definitely a good idea for small spaces! Anywhere a straw bale fits, you can have a garden.
@@TheMillennialGardener yes sir
I started straw bale gardening over 10 years ago due to more than my fair share of blown discs in my back. They were way easier to weed (just trim their hair as they come up). I've used a few for 3yrs before I composted them or used em as weed cover in my raised beds. Once the center of the bale breaks down it turns into beautiful brown "dirt" with all the beneficial bacteria and critters needed. You wanna make sure you get wheat straw, not pine or hay bales. Hay bales don't break down the same and don't have the same results. I've got a few hay bales I bought when wheat bales were scarce here in NC and they are STILL out in the yard having grown nothing but the invasive blackberries that try taking over the yard every year. Hay is baled tighter than wheat, which keeps water from getting to the roots of the plants. It also takes more time and effort to "season".
@ The millennial gardener, keep up the good work. I thoroughly enjoy your videos as I'm not at the coast I am in the coastal plains. Hope you've had enough time to get your tender plants ready for the latest round of crazy weather here in NC that's coming at us. Take care Darlin and keep em covered.
Interested to see how your tomato plants do!
So am I! I can't have any success growing in ground in an open garden due to our rains here, so let's try something new instead of constantly fighting nature.
I grow my in my compost and in straw bales.
Plant mustard in the mean time! That should help with nematodes.
Now now now… I look forward to you next telling us how you do it!
I'm in the process of conditioning the bales, which takes about 10-14 days. I hope to have a tutorial in about 2 weeks.
@@TheMillennialGardener we’ll sure be here for that 😊 thanks for all your teachings! Love from Germany 👩🌾
Hi. I have recently come across your you tube channel and am binge watching 😂. Question though. Can you utilise huge rolls of hay in chicken wire and stake cages as you have the bananas growing in. I live in Townsville North Queensland. Australia Australia 🇦🇺
I've used straw in the past in various ways, but was discouraged by all the grass seeds sprouting and taking over. At first it was easy to pull up, then it got onerous. Perhaps you;'ll address this issue when you talk about seasoning the straw bales. Also, do gophers like to invade the straw bales? Having read some of the comments below, I'm getting more interested in giving the straw bales another try.
If I could test Straw for residual chemicals like Grazon OK otherwise it's let the straw decompose for 3-5 years
You can easily do so. Start a string bean plant and transplant it into the straw. Legumes are highly susceptible to damage from Grazon, so if it doesn't grow stunted, it's fine. Straw is rarely treated, since it is a byproduct of harvesting cereal grains. Hay is more likely to be treated since it's used to graze on...hence the name 🤓
I lived in Wilmington for few years
A lot of people have moved here over the last few years.
The old straw most be good for compost
I like it as mulch, personally.
Solid idea, I looked up would cost me 3-5 euros per bale might try it out
That's, honestly, less than the price of a large container, let alone a bag of mix. It's really economical. You will have to buy urea to season them, but it's pretty inexpensive.
@@TheMillennialGardener or just pee on it right 😂🙈
would you or could you use old straw bails to add to bottom of new raised beds as filler alonf with cardboard sticks and leaves? would it compost enough to help amend the lower soil??
I watched some of your videos and you did a great job of topic chosen, voice, lighting, and editing. The bonus of short interaction with Bale is so cute and sweet. I really appreciate all the hard work you share. There is only one thing....... would you please don't wear the 3 skull head sweater......I think gardening is a celebration of life so the death symbol does not match with your wonderful videos. Of course it's just my personal opnion. Blessings to you!
I gotta get some bales of straw for my potatoes
It's definitely a fun, unique experiment.
And i have only access to the hay rolls. There is the sugarcane mulch in the box stores here but at $22 each i am not sure if that will work or if so definitely costly. Maybe i can experiment with 1 bale sugarcane mulch but need advice on the above question please
Can you use the old straw bales as mulch when they are spent?
If you use the straw that you have as a mulch, does it still have to cure? Also, where do you get it? Lowe's at Porters Neck and the Eastwood HD in town only have pine straw.
I’m not sure what you mean exactly. You want to use fresh bales of straw. For our area, you have two options I know of for straw. The first is Farmers Supply in Wilmington. The other is Hudson Hardware in Burgaw. I’ve purchased straw from them both. This batch is from Farmers Supply. Hudson Hardware also sells those pickle barrels I use around my property to keep my citrus warm. They’re great.
@@TheMillennialGardener Awesome! Thanks! I meant that if I were to go out and get a bale today to use as mulch for my peas and sprouting green beans (took a chance, might have a frost tonight), would I have to let it sit for a while or can I use it right in the garden? The straw I use for our chicken coop will sprout if it's in a spot that the chickens can't get to. That straw is from Tractor Supply.
Could you use used bedding for this? Asking for a friend lol
What is the name of the black “tarp” you have on the ground and where can I get it?
It is weed barrier. It's linked in my Amazon Storefront in the video description under "Garden Accessories."
Hmmm. I should try strawberries in that. Where do you get straw from??? Amazon is expensive. Like 36 bucks for 1 straw bale.
Do I have to re-condition my bales if I use them a second time? Thanks
I live in Va. My back yard is west facing. It get hotter then Hades. I worry about spontaneous combustion. What say you?
I think if that were an issue, every hay or straw field would be on fire. That can't be a concern, because you'll see giant bales of straw and hay sitting for weeks or months in fields. It's a lot hotter here in SE NC, and I have mine sitting on black barrier with a south-facing backyard. Plus, you condition them beforehand, which wears them out.
I just counted all my fruit trees. I have 33 fruit trees!
Will the straw get mold ?
Sorry it’s not a question about the garden but dale…. Lol
I’ve just got my Labrador 18month old pup a raised feeder similar to what dale has…. Got it for 2 reasons, she bolts her food and always has.
So I got it to try to slow her down and it only worked for the first few uses. But it has stopped her getting hiccups after every meal, which can end up with twisted stomach…. Don’t need that.
So my question is
The feeding bowl you put on top… obviously that slows him down with that food but what about with kibble? As my girls on kibble and I don’t want to spend more money (as it’s very tight atm) if it’s gonna make no difference.
Please let me know what your experience is please. Thanks in advance it’s appreciated.
Dale is a deep-chested dog. He eats like he's panicked he'll never get food again. We cannot feed him in a standard bowl, because he will eat so quickly, he will vomit. The slow feeder bowl is excellent for kibble. It drags out his feeding, even with dry kibble, about 5-6 times longer. I *strongly* recommend it. Some of these deep-chested dogs that eat quickly can literally die from bloat if they eat too fast. They'll eat themselves to death. I have this *exact* bowl linked in my Amazon Storefront in the video description under "Dale's Favorite Things." It's very inexpensive and worth its weight in gold. It can save their lives.
If you decide to start cooking for your dog, press the food into the bowl with your palm so they have to work to eat it out. Kibble is very easy. For what it's worth, I've found cooking Dale's food is actually cheaper than buying kibble. We alternate 3-4 days of homemade, 3-4 days of kibble. That gives him balance.
@@TheMillennialGardener yes Lilly inhales her food she doesn’t even chew it. I will look my only issue is when I’ve tried to use it for other things it don’t work right coz I’m in the uk and it wants to send from America and charge loads to send
Thanks for the tip and RIP Gary Rossington and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
I am interested in a straw bale garden, but living in city limits, how do I go about finding the straw bales to buy? Sorry if that’s a stupid question. I’ve just never seen them at the local hardware or garden centers I shop. Thanks for the video!❤
They're usually carried at feed stores. If you find stores that cater to farmers and sell chicken feed, they usually carry straw. You can also look on Craigslist.
Be sure to get straw and not hay bales. To the novice, they may look similar, but hay is way more likely to have weed/ grass seeds.
Tractor Supply and Orscheln’s in my area sell straw bales. Bomgaars is another chain store that might carry straw.
I'd like to do this but getting straw outside of the Autumn season is practically impossible.
It's usually carried at feed stores. If you find stores that cater to farmers and sell chicken feed, they usually carry straw. You can also look on Craigslist.
P.S. the buckets are getting just as expensive as the pots .
A few years ago, they were $2.78 each. Now, they're $5. I don't buy them anymore for growing. I can get beautiful, heavy duty #10 pots for $10 that'll last 10-20 years, so I only use them for mixing fertilizer these days.
How do you season the bales? Leave them outside?
I'm in the process of producing this video. It's a 10-14 day process, so I will have the video up within roughly 10-14 days.
Appreciate the sweatshirt! RIP.
🆓🐦
Could I use salt marsh hay bales?
Hay is fine to use as long as you’re sure it isn’t treated with herbicides or is salty.
Free Bird!
😂🐦
I've done that and yes they grew great but all was tasteless?????
Perhaps a lack of nutrients and fertilizer. Because straw bales basically contain no nutrition, you need to fertilize them often. Soluble fertilizers are best, since straw bales lack the microbiome to process organic granules.
We had tried these a few years ago, it was pretty much a bust, don’t take it the wrong way, we did have a tremendous Batch of bush green beans!, the squash just rotted, the cucumbers only yield us maybe 12 cukes, and the tomato, yes only one plant had 5 tomatoes but we had black rot. We tore it out and now we do garden boxes, the straw bale gardening was just a waste of money
Tell me more.
I hope to have a conditioning video up in about 10 days or so. I’m conditioning them now. They were 125 degrees today while it was 33 degrees overnight.
I have yet to find a source for straw bales here in West Central Florida. Boo.
Feed stores typically carry them. If you have a farm supply somewhere that carries chicken feed and livestock products, that’s where you want to go. Craigslist is also a good resource:
Feed stores typically carry them. If you have a farm supply somewhere that carries chicken feed and livestock products, that’s where you want to go. Craigslist is also a good resource.
@@TheMillennialGardener they've been replaced by tractor supply who doesn't carry it. I go there to buy my chicken feed and pelleted pine bedding. We used to have a feed store but it's gone. The last place I found it was 20 bucks a bale🤯. I grew up in Wisconsin and it was everywhere and super cheap.
I tried a bale last year, and it simply wasn't worth the extra work. If I didn't have an overabundance of brown leaves in the fall for my compose pile, I would. But I do, so I won't.
You have very dry summers and don't have many diseases to deal with, so maybe it isn't great in your area. Here, it's really bad, so growing soilless has advantages.
Good luck. I used straw bales two years ago. I tried multiple veggies. Tomato and peppers worked the best.
I’ll be interested if you will really use the straw mulch at the end of the year for your banana trees. It’s dense mulch not fluffy straw.
Maybe but I can’t imagine using the bales more than one season.
I appreciate your attempts at trying new things. Keep it up.
Best wishes.
Hi there, I have heard that bales of straw and hay have been spray and are genetically modified, I know nothing about this, it’s just what I’ve heard
You may be thinking of hay, which is often sprayed with herbicides for grazing. Straw is rarely treated, because it's a byproduct from growing cereal grains. You can easily test to see if your straw has been treated by planting a legume plant, such as a string bean, in your bale. If the bean grows fine, the straw is fine. You can also just ask the store. They usually know. Whether the cereal grain is GMO doesn't matter. You're not eating the straw. It's just a growing medium.
@@TheMillennialGardener thankyou!
I have not found straw bale gardening to be worthwhile. After the cost of the bales (twice the price you quoted), bags of blood meal, and several plants that did not thrive - I harvested a few handfuls of cherry tomatoes that were grown from tomato suckers. It's not worth it for me - I'll be using the bales for mulch this year.
Please make sure the straw is not treated with herbicides.
This is discussed in the video.
@@TheMillennialGardener Sorry my dogs must have distracted me during that part.
I was going to say; I know one really good reason not to use them. But, you claim this is a good way to grow tomatoes, and I have a water shortage in the summer. I was thinking of digging a hole and setting the intire bale in the ground.
I was thinking the same. I have compacted clay and I thought digging out a hole, six inches or so, might be a good idea. Wondering if it will make the bales rot too fast, or be a good way to conserve water.
The straw bale should be organic eventhout you spoil alle the garden with pesticides the local farmers have used for there crop.great ideas but am always suspicious 🤣👌🙏👍🇩🇰
Grazon
Do you really mean "hay" or "straw"?
Hay is green & full of seeds.
Straw is dry material.
Straw. You want to use straw, not hay. Straw is less seedy and less likely to be treated with an herbicide.
He looks mad