Kickstart a Weed-Free Straw Bale Garden
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- Опубліковано 29 кві 2021
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Straw bales are the perfect way to create extra growing space and raise amazing crops, weed free.
Do you struggle with poor quality soil? Wage a never-ending war with weeds? Or do you simply want an instant, fuss-free vegetable bed?
In this video, Ben demonstrates the essential techniques required to grow successfully in straw bales, including a look at the plants he grew in straw bales last season.
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Use urine to condition the bales. Its free and abundant. Pee on the bales or save it in a jar.
I absolutely love this growing method. I did it for 4 years strait because my ground was hard, compacted, and had no life in it. This year the soil is beautiful, and dark because of the composted straw bales. You can also plant into 2nd year bales. I also had great success with a 3rd year bale, though I wouldn't normally expect them to last that long. If you are starting a new garden, or looking to enrich your garden soil, definitely give this a try. Awesome content! Thank you GrowVeg!
Thanks Stephanie. My tomatoes are doing well in this year's bales. A third year bale is very impressive!
hey Stephanie, good insight! i'm curious - i have some 2nd year bales that were left in the rain/snow all winter long. did you condition your 2nd year bales with the above method or did you plant right into them?
@@thewintergardener, I planted right into them. The reason I didn't condition them again, they were already compost at that point. I've read that others say you should condition them again. Personally I think that is overkill, and a waste of resources. But the fun of gardening is experimentation, so do what you think is right, and see how it goes! I'm growing in the ground now. After 5 years of straw, woodchips, and leaves, my soil is teaming with life. I do miss the bales, but they got too expensive for me. Happy gardening!
Looks expensive...
@bina nocht, exactly! This is how I started a brand new garden on hard compacted clay soil, covered with weeds, and invasive grass. That was 4 years ago. Today the garden is a pretty good size, and the soil is beautiful. I don't do straw bales anymore, because I have such great soil, and the bales got to be expensive over the years. I also put leaves over the garden every fall, and it decomposes over winter, and the soil get richer. The secret is to keep organic matter on the soil as much as possible year round. Eventually you'll be gardening in the ground, and you'll get the biggest healthy plants! Happy Gardening!
I had a bale of hay in a paddock and one day I came out to it steaming 😮 turns out the goat kids wee'd and poo'd on top of it and it started to compost 😂
Oh wow! :-)
I totally didn’t see those bales fitting into your vehicle! I stand corrected.... 😂
I spend ages sweeping and cleaning the car when I got home, so maybe lay something down first!
@@GrowVeg I’ve done this before and had the same cleaning challenge later. We found straw for months afterward! But today we are using our large pickup truck instead. We don’t care how messy the back of that gets.
Regardless, fitting 3 bales into the back of your vehicle was impressive!
I have used strawbales for 5 years and plant tomatoes - I have wonderful harvest. Love the concept.
It's just so easy! :-)
This is my third year using straw bales in concert with my raised beds. One of the best things about this method is the ease in harvesting. No bending over. I also plant vining flowers like Black-eyed Susan vine or nasturtium in the bales to add a decorative touch. Garden on!
Garden on! :-)
amazing idea! my husband keeps gifting me morning glory seeds and i think i'll try planting them in the bales, that would be beautiful!
This looks like a great idea - going to give it a go. THANK YOU!!!
Straw bale is very importance for gardening work every vegetable and plant need to cover soil , thanks for sharing to us such informative and educational garden tips
Absolutely brilliant! What a fantastic idea 💡
what a fantastic idea I love it, deffo trying this with peppers and tomatoes
Oh my gosh! I had no idea why my attempts at potatoes in straw bales were so unproductive. Now I know. Thank you -- I'm excited to try conditioning them first.
I look forward to trying this with peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes.
Oh yes I will try this I am so filled with joy and will keep you updated
Please do. :-)
Amazing idea! Thank you for sharing
So much great info! I'm not sure I'm going to get more raised beds built this year, but this would be a great alternative. I'm looking to grow flowers for cutting mostly along with tomatoes and peppers.
Thankyou so much for this video. I always end up with way too many tomatoes and having chickens this would make an excellent alternative then pots up high.
You are a bloody genius.
Great video Ben. Really like the way you break up the bales at the end of the season and the get used elsewhere 👍
Always keen to maximise the uses out of it - no waste there!
I love your garden and your vids i have been watching your channel for 3 years now keep up the good work
Thanks for watching, it's appreciated. :-)
Excellent idea Ben and good video. Have a good weekend and happy gardening.
Thanks David. Have been busy weeding today, with the dried out muddy hands to prove it!
I’m so inspired!!! My poor soil made the garden a struggle last year. I think this might work! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
So many problem in garden like soil , bug and disease on vegetable and plant , happy gardening
Glad to have inspired you Ruth. It's a great project to try - and good fun too!
Great ideas!
The book is excellent! I highly recommend it.
Thanks Michelle!
Great idea thanks for sharing 🙂
A great idea if you can find cereal crop straw that has not been treated with herbicide. Glyphosate dessication is common practice in cereal crop farming in Canada.
Love it. Genius
I’ve watched many of your videos but never come across this as regards different vegetables (only potatoes and straw bale houses!) brilliant I hope to try this in the near future. Keep up sharing the positive education as many appreciate it. Cheers
Thanks very much. It's a really great method for growing veg and honestly really works so well. :-)
I have a few straw bales sitting in my barn for the last few years, I guess I will dig them out and start them off with fertilizer. I read in the book that urine is great for Nitrogen. It is free and very readily available. Using a "hat" made for the toilet to catch urine is a great way to do that. They can be found in medical supply places. I also looked at my Greenhouse Journal to see when I started my pepper and tomato seeds in a warming tray and it was March 10th last year. Time to clean up the greenhouse and get going!! Happy Gardening!!
Urine can be great too - many guests were invited to contribute their efforts to conditioning the bales!
Thanks
Brilliant ✅
I have your book and I love it!
Thanks so much - really pleased you're enjoying it. :-)
Np i can't wait for your next video i usually watch 5-10 videos a day
There's a new one out now - go watch!
Great video! Mother's day (US) is coming, let's see if I get your book as a gift! You (and your team) are truly inspirational to novice gardeners!
Thanks so much Tess. I do hope you get the book! Happy Mother's Day too.
On point as usual, sir.
Cheers Aaron!
Absolutely love your videos. I'm trying cardboard covering this year and was going to do straw bales at the end of my raised beds. After watching this video, I would not have done ANY of the prep work and probably would have failed horribly. I can't wait to try this and plan on planting tomatoes and maybe a melon or two. Thank you so much!!!
Glad this video was helpful Mary. Best of luck with your straw bales. :-)
Thanks again ben🤘💚
interesting video
Cheers matey!
I love your dog!
Used straw bales one year for zucchini and had the best producers. Probably a a bit late to start now in 8b . Also, thanks for the info on what the straw is treated with. Never even thought of it.
I’ll check it out.
G’day mate cheers for the video and info as always :)
Cheers mate!
Yes, interested in straw bale Gardening.
Place areas where growing veggies is poor.
I’ve started using straw as a veg mulch in my garden. Initially to stop critters nibbling my crops as they develop. We’re about to have a dry month and all my water storage will be exhausted so spreading more straw to inhibit water loss. Next year I’ll try growing toms in straw. Great idea. Thank you.
Straw makes for a great mulch. I often use it around things like tomatoes - bigger veggies.
1:36 Pro Tip: use a large leaf bag and bag the bale, or even an old sheet or a tarp to protect you car's carpeting from the hay. It can be a real bugger to rid the car of straw pieces.
Haha - yes, I've learnt that the hard way. Will definitely be doing that next time.
I;m giving it a try . starting with six bales
Great stuff! :-)
1:27 I wouldn't imagine him driving anything less...hehe
ok i'm getting a bit of a late start but i'm going to try this method this year. thanks for including the chart, that helps me know how much blood meal to purchase
It's a great method - I really enjoy growing this way. :-)
Cute doggo
I'm thinking about doing a straw bale garden next season I was going to do it this year but I don't have a lot of space left in my garden
I like the idea, novel. I have just bought 2 bales of horse bedding ryegrass. I was going to use it as a mulch over potato pots and around strawberries, but so far I've chickened out because I'm the new boy on my allotment and I'm worried that the straw will blow around annoying other more experienced allotmenteers. But you've set me thinking...
If you wet it and weigh it down with sticks/canes etc. it shouldn't blow about.
I planted 9 bales for the first time about a month ago everything is growing fantastic.
I know it’s likely a mistake but I over planted as I just couldn’t stop myself. Since it’s my first time I figured I can always remove plants but later on maybe I can’t add any.
I also did something I haven’t seen on other videos. The question was how to plant seeds into the sides. Seedlings plant fine but what about seeds. I took several seeds along with compost and made a ball using a paper towel. Stuck this seed/compost ball into the side and watered. So far the paper towels haven’t decomposed but neither have the seeds sprouted through yet. :):)
That sounds like a potentially genius idea there Richard - good thinking! I hope they sprout soon. Certainly planting the sides of the bales is a thing - there's no reason you shouldn't.
Okay, you've talked me into it--I have access to plenty of manky hay and straw bales, and I maybe planted a few too many tomato seeds. So, why not? I'll combine them and see if I can get it to go!
Great stuff!
When harvesting the straw before bailing, the drying process may include drying agents such as glyphosate a chemical that is found in Round-up and considered un-safe. Otherwise the system seems a bit tedious.
Might have to try this for next year's growing,saves buying loads of compost I guess 😂
It really does - works a treat!
this looks handy if maybe the plants needed moving around some. i may try this with a couple of smaller bales later this week, im going to grow my tomatoes in them to start and see how it works for me from there. we are still getting frost and snow so my plants are starting off inside. just got a bad ice storm last night and about a week ago it was a foot and a half of snow! i dont have a proper greenhouse yet, i *did* however build a teensy cold box like you showed in a previous video and its working pretty well. my grandma used to throw sheets over her flowers against frost but i didnt want to risk the ground until i knew for sure a sheet would be enough. i hope my already sprouting few will survive, ive been worried maybe i started too early (got really motivated to get started watching your videos!) but i think they will be alright in these little planters to be moved outside to the ground later.
Tomatoes are a great first plant to grow in bales - they should do well.
Hoping to start my courgettes, peas, French beans and purple sprouting broccoli this week.
Great stuff! :-)
Hello Ben, I like how you use straw. I have seen this before, but not as you did it with all the plantfood. Here there are spaces cut out, compost filled in and than planted. I am taking straw together with gras cuttings and hay to make a raised bed for potatos and pumkin. I dont know if it will work, but I will find out. Once again a great Video. Thank you 🙂
You're very welcome Marie. Good luck with your project.
A gardener in Spain showed how laying bunch of cactus pods in deep hole to plant trees so later in time less need to water the tree! Wonder if also we could use aloevera leaves since it also works great as fertilizer! Thanks for sharing!
Interesting theory - maybe! I do find the straw bales are excellent at holding moisture once they settle down, meaning less frequent watering.
Looking forward to trying this!
My bales are lined up. Not sure whats going in. I let them sit all winter, as i did build frames for them. Planned to plant whatever the heat will allow. Tomato, peppers,squash, Cucumbers, zuccini. Love your green house. Take care.
Thanks Bobbi - you too!
Hi Ben, Thanks for this wonderful video! Do you think onions and beets can grow in straw bales?
You can, yes. But I would add a layer of soil to the top surface of the straw bale and then sow or plant into that. You will need to keep a close eye on watering initially. I haven't grow onions or beets in bales, but I know others have quite successfully.
When my adult kids were young one year we grew watermelon plants in a straw bale. We harvested 19 melons that year!
I decided to try the straw bale planter again this year...I have watermelon planted in one bale and cantaloupe in a second one. 🙂
We are located in Central Texas, zone 8a...hot, hot summers!
That's an amazing number of melons. Hoping you'll have a very successful crop this year too!
@@GrowVeg Thank you!🙂
Valorie when did you plant your watermelons?
@@virginiaomalley I'm in Central Texas...last frost date was March 17th. I planted my melon seedlings starting the last week of March. This morning I found I have my first Baby Doll or Sugar Baby melon growing. 🙂
Great video! I’m wondering how they would go on grass in regards to slugs/snails? I’ve found straw mulch can be a great habitat for them 🙄 but might be different when it’s still in bales?
The bales are quite tall and you're planting into the top of them, so they should be fine. I've seen these in all sorts of positions, including outdoors.
I love how you get three in that car but my X3 suv I only got 4😂😢
Love everything you post! Can the bales be placed in the open please?
Hi - I just replied similarly to someone else (Light Frequency Healing I think was the name). There’s a retired couple in SE Arizona with a YT channel called The Upside of Downsizing. The wife, Yvonne, has an outdoor straw bale garden. It gets quite hot in the summer but they get snow in the winter. Not sure what zone they are. My earlier comment has a list of the specific videos from their channel where Yvonne gives a garden update. Well, those for the last year, anyway. The bulk of their channel is about building a homestead using straw bales, so they are all-in with this medium.
Yes, absolutely. :-)
I’m trying this for the first time this year! We have terrible soil and a few raised beds, but I’m looking forward to having more room to plant in straw bales. How often do you feed established plants?
It works really well! I feed plants about once every two weeks.
I did it last year!! Sorry no pictures. I planted summer squash n watermelon. Grew very well. Then the bales are used as compost for this year crops.
So much use from the bales - great to hear!
Did you reverse all the way to your friend's farm? 😂
P.S. Excellent idea, I may give this a go!
Great idea but in the UK straw bales are unfortunately in short supply at the moment after last year's floods badly affected the barley crops. (I have struggled to find any for my pigs' bedding!)
Hadn't realised that - I guess I got lucky.
My bale looks like a chia pet!
Is it Ruth Stout type of agriculture?
She deserves to be credited since she actually came up with that technique...even if that technique keeps evolving. I understand this technique is an evolution, since no ground is necessary, it is a great technique!
Same as Straw Bale Garden by Joel Karsten. Great method, wherever you get the information.
Yes, broadly. This straw bale method is pioneered more by Joel Karsten though - and it seems to be gaining in popularity.
Ok. Thank you. I will check Joel Karsten aswell!. Great method, also looks easier for ppl with little space available! :))
@@GrowVeg I realize now, I might be perceived a bit rude....english isnt my mother tongue,actually I learned by myself so ...I apologize if it sounded/felt rude.
@@LorenSuJa Yes. No digging, almost no weeding and less water. Remember, you can also plant on the sides of the bales...a great place for herbs and flowers. Maximizes your growing space. Good luck! You will love your straw bale garden!
My mum stuffs things that size in her little Mazda. I've been known to transport sheep and goats in a small kia
Haha - car size no object - I love it!
I drove a SMART car for a few years, named it the Tardis. It held two big bales, carried 8-foot lumber, etc. Bigger on the inside than the outside.
Does this also work outdoors, say in Zone 5B|6A ? Fascinating!
Hi - I just replied similarly to someone else (Light Frequency Healing I think was the name). There’s a retired couple in SE Arizona with a YT channel called The Upside of Downsizing. The wife, Yvonne, has an outdoor straw bale garden. It gets quite hot in the summer but they get snow in the winter. Not sure what zone they are. My earlier comment has a list of the specific videos from their channel where Yvonne gives a garden update. Well, those for the last year, anyway. The bulk of their channel is about building a homestead using straw bales, so they are all-in with this medium.
Yes, absolutely!
Would straw mulch around my planted tomatoes help protect them from the heat of summer in North Carolina?
Possibly. Straw is a lighter colour so would result in less heat being absorbed, so I could see how this would help on the heat front too.
Can I ask if this has to be specifically straw? I have about 8 hay bales that this would be perfect to use them for!
You could use hay bales, absolutely. Just be aware that you may get more weed seedlings popping up with it, that's all.
Hi Ben, do you think the straw bales would work with pumpkins? Thank you!
Potentially. I grew a courgette/zucchini in them without any problems. I'd try to hand-pollinate though, if you are just growing a few.
You mentioned that it can keep ponds clear. Do you just sprinkle it on the whole pond? Or just throw it around the edges and it migrates? Does this keep algae from growing in the pond?
It's barley straw that keeps pond water clear. You basically stuff pantyhose/tights with straw, tying a knot in the end to hold it in place, then throw it into the water. And that's it! Very effective.
Have you had any catch fire? Those of us who have hay and straw bales have to make sure moisture levels stay below 17%
Gosh, I'd never considered they might do that! No, that hasn't happened to me.
I prepped my straw bales as instructed and planted tomatoes and cucumbers in them but the plants are wilting and dying. The bales are definitely wet enough. I’m wondering if it’s too hot (inside bale temp is 95F) or if perhaps they were treated with herbicides. 😢 Thoughts?
I've a suspicion that it may be residual herbicide that's causing problems. That said, it is quite warm in the bale, so maybe you planted a touch too soon, before it had fully cooled down. I'd maybe continue to water as needed and hope that maybe things will settle down in a week or two. Fingers crossed for you.
I wonder if i can use this method in South Florida where the temperatures are up pretty high ?
Absolutely. There’s a retired couple in SE Arizona who have a UA-cam channel called The Upside of Downsizing. The wife (Yvonne) has created a straw bale garden - I look forward to those updates because it’s fascinating the productivity she gets. Obviously, it’s pretty hot there in the summer but not as humid as So. Florida. Also, it looks like they can get snow in the winter. Most of their channel focuses on the the structures they’ve been building from straw bales, but here’s a handful of links from the past year where Yvonne has given a garden update. Enjoy - hope you find something inspiring.
ua-cam.com/video/IYtvkm0mERA/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/51HLHgwxGf0/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/2p2TMjZVc8k/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/OcIsdvXsO4o/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/sSMfNN4W6xY/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/48GhAMd_BcE/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/dVpRH1t6nEM/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/ZE1aNoP1Pxw/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/7079mj_bYP4/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/gr2iF3pOSVs/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/zs26oD8s6EE/v-deo.html
It should work well in So. Florida I'm sure. Thanks for sharing all those links @All the Sage.
your cute dog wanted to smell every straw
She tried her best to do so!
What about doing it outside of a greenhouse where its exposed to the weather?
Yes, that would be fine also. :-)
Does the straw descays if raining a lot? Or watering it
The bales do naturally get looser as the season goes on. I found mine were still holding together well at the end of the season, but in constant rain I guess they could break down a bit sooner.
Looks brilliant that, is there time this season to start this method?
Absolutely! I've only just started mine off and will be planting them up in two weeks once they've finished conditioning.
I've been wanting to try this method but im not growing tomatoes.... will this work for beets or carrots?! I know it will for potatoes!!
I'm not sure it works very well for carrots, but it should work for beets I'd have thought. I would be sure to start root vegetables off in a little potting mix/compost on top of the bales to get them going before they hit the straw.
I have a bale of hay. Would this be ok instead of straw?
You could use hay, but it will have a high number of seeds in it, which would germinate and cause lots of weed seedlings. But if you are happy to pluck these out as they appear, this could work well.
Nice. Sort of Ruth Stout deep mulch gardening on steroids. I imagine it's useful in the greenhouse.
It is a bit like that Leo, yes. Great in a greenhouse for sure, but also on a patio etc.
Question, please. Would epsom salt and blood meal work as a fertilizer?
I would add more of a balanced fertiliser than just these. If you're growing fruiting vegetables like tomatoes etc., go for a tomato feed or a seaweed feed.
@@GrowVeg Thank you.
I’ve been using a half cup of urea per bail every other day and soaking it in for a week and they are still cold and not heating up . 🤷♂️
Perhaps too much water has been added and it's washed the urea out? Just add enough water to wash it down a bit into the bales, then stop there. Check to see how wet the bales are. If they're really very heavy and sodden, then perhaps go easy on the watering. Hopefully, with persistence, they'll soon start to warm up.
My straw bales are growing lots and lots of grass too much for me to pluck out what do I do
In most cases the grass will get smothered/outcompeted when the plants you grow in the bale take off. But try to pick out as much of it as you can. :-)
Can you replant the same bales in subsequent years?
Yes, if they are still structurally sound then that would work. They usually last up to two seasons.
Can you only get one year out of the bales?
I easily get two years out of mine. After that time they start to fall to pieces a bit, but if you're careful you might get a third year.
How to avoid slugs and snails attack? I used straw bales as mulch for strawberries and zucchini last year. They finished all my strawberries and ate up all the zucchini leaves. 😢
So sorry to hear that!
Do farmees use weed spray on the whwat? There are some that hang around for years in the straw, even after composting and will harm your garden
The friends I got this off treated their crop with fungicide only. I think a lot of treatments are quite short lived - but this will be something you want to check with the farmer. In most cases its fine, but still worth checking.
Can i use hay bales instead? 👍
You can, but they are likely to have many, many more seeds in them, which could add to your jobs later down the line.
Would this work with old hay unusable as feed?
Yes, but hay will have more seeds in it, which may sprout. Straw also tends to be more open, allowing for good aeration at the roots.
@@GrowVeg I see, thankyou for your reply.
Ordered the book on Amazon on the 8th of February...... Still not shipped! Is this just an Australian thing or is there a problem with the book supplier due to covid?
Thanks, Matthew
Same here (Tasmania) no book and no extra chapter!
Hi guys. We had a similar issue in the UK. Basically it's out of our hands - delays in shipping etc. which is, in part, due to the pandemic. Honestly - we were horrified by the delays some orders on Amazon were experiencing. I can only apologise. If you want to contact our customer services team and check on the extra chapter, please do so - tell them I sent you! They can get this emailed out to you if you haven't already received it: www.growveg.com/contact.aspx
Incidentally, spent a very happy couple of months in Tassie when I was a student back in 2000. Loved the place!
Thank you Ben.
Growing mushrooms. Is that good?
Straw is a great growing medium for mushrooms such as oyster mushrooms. You can watch how in this video: ua-cam.com/video/Cp8Jc1GnDEo/v-deo.htmlsi=DmFPNtR4IJK28Nf_
This is great. But not as great as you trying to hoover your car after 😂
Q:- blood fish and bone? Can I use that as the fertiliser?
Thanks
Rach 👩🏼🌾
Hi Rach. You wouldn't believe how long I was picking straw out of the car for - still finding bits a year later! For the fertiliser to prime/ready the bales, you really need something very high in nitrogen, which is why blood meal is recommended. I think if you started early enough though, blood, fish and bone would also work. And, unsavoury as it may seem, clean (non-medicated) urine is also really good for this.
@@GrowVeg thanks Ben.
And not sure what's funnier... you saying your still finding straw or to wee in a bale 🫣🤣🤣 I'll get Eric on the case 🤭
Straw can be a nightmare. Even the "seed free" straw tends to have wheat seeds, which VERY EASILY germinate and create a problem. I no longer even mulch with straw.
Fall leaves are waaay better.
I did get lots of wheat sprouting, but it just tended to fizzle out on the bales, especially when up against the might of tomatoes etc.
The ONLY reason I won't want dandelions to grow in my property is because of gopher. I use grass clippings and dandelions as fertilizers to grow vegetables and fruit trees with huge success. LOL