Last winter season I experimented with barley bales I bought from a local farmer. It was such a success I was convinced that gardening with bales is a wonderful way to garden. My first attempt with 8 bales produced months of delicious lettuce, orach and spinach. At least 7 volunteer tomato plants grew up in the bales. I also grew several things in a raised bed which was not as successful. So this season I am experimenting with 39 bales of johnson grass. Planting everything from seed directly into the bales, tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, chilies, marigolds, lemon basil, cayenne peppers and several varieties of squash in a separate bale bed
Hi I’m in Australia and found your video interesting. Thanks for putting Celsius temperature on screen. First time using straw bales. I’m planting tomatoes but might give your carrot idea a go. I’ve put a drip per system on bales too and was planning to run twice a day for 20 minutes but I like your idea of watering four times a day.
Can you over water straw bales? My bales feel damp all over and today my tomatoes are wilted and turning yellow, but yesterday they looked good. I water with a sprayer hose. I didn't bother conditioning my bales but I've planted tomatoes in a straw bale before and didn't condition it and they grew really good.
You can't really over water a straw bale garden unless you keep irrigation on them non stop. We have had the wettest spring in decades and my plants are still growing fine. I always recommend conditioning the bales before growing in them. There are a few reasons for this: 1. Unconditioned bales are void of any nutritional value. The plants can only take up whatever fertilizer you put directly on the bale. 2. If you add fertilizer to an unconditioned bale it will start the composting process. That means the bale will heat up as it begins to break down. If you have plants in the bale during this process their roots are likely to get cooked by this process. 3. Conditioned bales are less likely to be taken over by insects and animals that could cause harm to your plants. The first thing I would check is the internal temp of your bales. They may be heating up if you added fertilizer recently. Otherwise, I would recommend a foliar spray of a balanced fertilizer to feed the plant without adding too much fertilizer to the bale. I hope everything works out for you. Thanks for hanging out at the Brew City Garden! Cheers
Listening to a podcast today call Encyclopedia Botanica. They were talking about this method of growing. I was so intrigued by it because living in a small home with a long driveway I thought this might be doable. The gal in the video resorted to straw bales on her driveway because she grew so many varieties she was running out of room. I thought, how clever and couldn't wait to see what this was all about. Thanks for sharing your information. I imagine since it is mid May, I may have to wait to do mid June crop because it takes about a month to condition the straw? Peace.
I have had great luck with any variety I have planted. Some of my favorites are Atomic Red and Danvers. You can see the results of these varieties in this this video: ua-cam.com/video/Tm__rjv0f5w/v-deo.html
Lots of great information thank you
Last winter season I experimented with barley bales I bought from a local farmer. It was such a success I was convinced that gardening with bales is a wonderful way to garden. My first attempt with 8 bales produced months of delicious lettuce, orach and spinach. At least 7 volunteer tomato plants grew up in the bales. I also grew several things in a raised bed which was not as successful. So this season I am experimenting with 39 bales of johnson grass. Planting everything from seed directly into the bales, tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, chilies, marigolds, lemon basil, cayenne peppers and several varieties of squash in a separate bale bed
Awesome! Happy gardening!
Lynn, are you blogging so we can hear how it all went? I would love to know.
Always great info!
crushed egg shells would take years to decompose to the point it could be absorbed by the plant.
Hi
I’m in Australia and found your video interesting. Thanks for putting Celsius temperature on screen. First time using straw bales. I’m planting tomatoes but might give your carrot idea a go.
I’ve put a drip per system on bales too and was planning to run twice a day for 20 minutes but I like your idea of watering four times a day.
Can you over water straw bales? My bales feel damp all over and today my tomatoes are wilted and turning yellow, but yesterday they looked good. I water with a sprayer hose. I didn't bother conditioning my bales but I've planted tomatoes in a straw bale before and didn't condition it and they grew really good.
You can't really over water a straw bale garden unless you keep irrigation on them non stop. We have had the wettest spring in decades and my plants are still growing fine. I always recommend conditioning the bales before growing in them. There are a few reasons for this:
1. Unconditioned bales are void of any nutritional value. The plants can only take up whatever fertilizer you put directly on the bale.
2. If you add fertilizer to an unconditioned bale it will start the composting process. That means the bale will heat up as it begins to break down. If you have plants in the bale during this process their roots are likely to get cooked by this process.
3. Conditioned bales are less likely to be taken over by insects and animals that could cause harm to your plants.
The first thing I would check is the internal temp of your bales. They may be heating up if you added fertilizer recently. Otherwise, I would recommend a foliar spray of a balanced fertilizer to feed the plant without adding too much fertilizer to the bale. I hope everything works out for you. Thanks for hanging out at the Brew City Garden!
Cheers
Listening to a podcast today call Encyclopedia Botanica. They were talking about this method of growing. I was so intrigued by it because living in a small home with a long driveway I thought this might be doable. The gal in the video resorted to straw bales on her driveway because she grew so many varieties she was running out of room. I thought, how clever and couldn't wait to see what this was all about. Thanks for sharing your information. I imagine since it is mid May, I may have to wait to do mid June crop because it takes about a month to condition the straw? Peace.
It take about two weeks start to finish. It's well worth the wait! Happy gardening!
Please tell us what carrots to plant?
I have had great luck with any variety I have planted. Some of my favorites are Atomic Red and Danvers. You can see the results of these varieties in this this video:
ua-cam.com/video/Tm__rjv0f5w/v-deo.html
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