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Post by Daryl on Apr 4, 2014 4:41:42 GMT -8
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Post by 2tranceform on Apr 4, 2014 5:07:47 GMT -8
Interesting idea. My favorite quote from the article: "Tip: try to ignore the neighbors staring suspiciously from their windows."
I will stay tuned for the updates.
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Post by Daryl on May 29, 2014 16:29:59 GMT -8
Trying 2 cucumbers and 1 eggplant with straw bale gardening. I am crossing my fingers that the plants make it overnight since there is a grazer in the garden. I didn't want to try any larger sized plants because of the location and wind.
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Post by Donkey on May 30, 2014 21:09:24 GMT -8
Oh yeah.. Cool.. I'd forgotten about that. I know a guy that did that on the parking area of a house he was renting about 15 years ago.. He laid the bales flat (strings showing on top) and used a kitchen knife to cut holes in the bales for potting soil. I remember that it made for an instant garden and when he was done, he had good soil where there once was hard packed parking lot dirt. I like this particular method better.. Less work and makes more sense. Thanks!  |
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Post by Daryl on May 31, 2014 11:18:50 GMT -8
No, thank you for having a cool place to post stuff.
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Post by Daryl on Aug 21, 2014 16:56:33 GMT -8
So an update. I lost my pepper plant but the eggplant keeps on truckin'. I gathered two black beauty eggplants before I took the pic. I watered maybe two or three times since the first picture and haven't touched the bale since. This isn't a good year to test the Straw Bales because of all of the rain. I can say...the method works!  |
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Post by Daryl on Oct 1, 2014 15:39:11 GMT -8
Ok, last one.
* Almost zero upkeep
* I was surprised at how much the straw decomposed. Only about 1/4 of the bale is left.
* Not a lot of bugs. I tried some straw based hugel pots which turned out to be a terrible idea. The straw bales didn't seem to attract the same amount of bugs.
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Post by edwardb on Nov 11, 2014 9:40:31 GMT -8
Small square bales? I've not seen them since I were a lad. Round us they're all the giant round ones. I believe that some people keep vintage balers running to supply the building market. But for farmers the big bales are much easier.
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Post by Daryl on Nov 11, 2014 15:12:38 GMT -8
Yeah, the small square bales. I picked two off my buddy for around $3 each which he got from a farmer friend. Like I said, zero upkeep and I watered 3 times all summer.
The small bales are common here because of the mix of townies, hobby farms, and large farms. The smaller bales are easier for the townies and those with under 5 acres, like myself, to manage. I live in a very rural area but one that isn't dominated by large commercial farms.
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Post by 2tranceform on Nov 20, 2014 10:14:16 GMT -8
Very nice! What did you learn about this method? Any challenges to work with or ways that you will adapt for next year?
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Post by Daryl on Nov 20, 2014 15:47:31 GMT -8
What did you learn about this method?
The results were far beyond my expectations. Straw bale gardening lived up to the hype. If it wasn't for the frost, that eggplant would have still been producing. I mean, I had freakin' eggplants in October. Crazy.
Any challenges to work with
I haven't gone through a drought with this yet so I can't guarantee how bales will perform in a different climate. Otherwise, none. Really outstanding production. I might have "weeded" a couple times. "Weeded" means that I walked by the bale maybe two or three times the entire season and used a shovel to scrape off wonky mushrooms or picked a couple rouge seedlings.
or ways that you will adapt for next year?
- One plant per bale - Space the bales a little farther apart to accommodate the size of growth. Don't fall for the online pictures with the tiny cute bale gardens. If the bale is doing it's job, then the plants will be big. - A different result I encountered is I couldn't reuse the bale again because of decomposition. So each year I will get new bales. No biggie. -Do not enclose the bale. Do not bury the bale.
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Post by 2tranceform on Nov 21, 2014 9:18:14 GMT -8
Thanks. I may have to give this a go next year. That is if I can find some small square bales. There is not a lot of small square wheat straw put up in my neighborhood. Mostly the large round variety. My dad lives a little south of Erie so I understand what kind of summer that you had. We were out there in August and he said it was dry because it hadn't rained in a week, . My garden experienced over 5 weeks without measurable precipitation. The spent bales should make some nice compost. |
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Post by Daryl on Nov 21, 2014 11:05:10 GMT -8
Try it. Even one bale. Perhaps check at gardening centers and greenhouses.
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Post by Donkey on Nov 21, 2014 15:03:40 GMT -8
Hey, part of the REASON that you're plants are doing SO WELL is the mushrooms!!
Let 'em be!
You might have some edibles there too, it wouldn't hurt to key them out.. Chances are that they are not, but you never know.
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Post by Daryl on Nov 21, 2014 15:49:57 GMT -8
Hey, part of the REASON that you're plants are doing SO WELL is the mushrooms!! Let 'em be! You might have some edibles there too, it wouldn't hurt to key them out.. Chances are that they are not, but you never know.
Okay, okay. Won't do it again. They were thin clear mushroom-like fungi. Showed up in the morning and wilted almost immediately. The wonky shrooms didn't look normal so I wasn't about to test them to see if they were edible.
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