Qstn:Strawbale Planters

[Danielle]

Deberosa posted a link in another thread to her strawbale garden that is absolutely awesome.
Deb, it looks as if you simply heaped the potting soil up on the bales and didn't dig in to make any sort of depression in the bales. Is it really just that easy?

Thanks ahead of time.

[Deberosa]

Yes it is - to plant things like tomatoes, just separate the straw enough to get the roots down in and that's it.

It's great for carrots and root crops like that - nice long straight carrots in the straw.

I just put 3 inches of compost mixed with topsoil on the bales. *But first I put a layer of blood meal down so that soaks down into the straw, then the compost and soil.

I am doing another one this year in the back yard. *Everywhere I start one the next year's garden is fantastic. *Here the bales don't last more than a year because of the dampness but in other areas they probably would last longer.

Here is the link again:
http://deberosahomestead.wordpress.com/2007/12/14/straw-bale-gardens/

[WileyCoyote]

Thank you! My soil here is so clayey that I NEVER get straight carrots!

[Danielle]

What do you mean that next year's garden does great, Deb? Are you tilling in the straw then or just scattering the straw and planting in it on the ground?

We have that clay problem too, Wiley....and once something makes it through the clay then it gets caliche for good measure LOL.

[Deberosa]

Yes, the bales rot down pretty fast here - so the next Year here I cut the strings and pull them off and then till the whole thing up.

Most places would probably get two years off of the bales.

[DM]

I tried using hay bales for a kind of "wall" in my back garden once... It wasn't too long and the yellow jackets moved into it! After getting stung a couple times, i took the tractor and dozed them out!

I had some sitting at the end of my front garden for a time that started to rot. (compost) One morning i went out and grabbed a big arm load of of hay to put around some plants... I started to walk, and all of a sudden i could feel something wiggleing on my bare arms, and i threw the load down!!! Just then came out several snakes that moved into the bales for the night!!!

Sooo, using whole "bales" of hay/straw in "my" gardens came to an end right then!

DM

[Danielle]

Oh my gosh, DM!! That's so awful! That would freak me out so bad I'd never use them again either! One snake wiggling on my bare arms would be traumatic but SEVERAL???!!! I'm not sure I'd recover :o

[Deberosa]

*I tried using hay bales for a kind of "wall" in my back garden once... *It wasn't too long and the yellow jackets moved into it! *After getting stung a couple times, i took the tractor and dozed them out!

*I had some sitting at the end of my front garden for a time that started to rot. *(compost) *One morning i went out and grabbed a big arm load of of hay to put around some plants... *I started to walk, and all of a sudden i could feel something wiggleing on my bare arms, and i threw the load down!!! *Just then came out several snakes that moved into the bales for the night!!!

*Sooo, using whole "bales" of hay/straw in "my" gardens came to an end right then!

*DM
Yuk! I didn't get yellow jackets or snakes. I did have a bunch of ants move in the second year of some bales - those big black thatch ants that move in highways! THey came from the neighboring woods. Didn't seem to harm much though... I let the chickens in for a bit. ;-)

That's one thing I like around here - only have tiny garter snakes here and there because I hate snakes! Never can be sure if one is poisonous until it's too late!

[mtwildflower]

I love this idea. Definitely one I will try. Is there anything you have found that does not do well with this kind of set up?

[bookwormom]

I tried it last yew on a new terrace that we built with tires. we did not have enough soil and I read that the Jews planted on strawbales in the desert and it did great. so I planted watermelons and they did really well, considering the drought we had.

[homesteadingnky]

I have heard of this before but never tried it. Guess I'll have to do that this year. We'll be starting several new beds and this looks like the perfect thing to try the year before we double dig the bed!

Thanks for the idea!

Homesteading Dad n KY

[Deberosa]

I love this idea. Definitely one I will try. Is there anything you have found that does not do well with this kind of set up?

I haven't found anything that would not work. Except I probably wouldn't grow something really tall like corn or it would get top heavy and tilt the bales over.