Straw Bale Gardening
 

Farm1 wrote:
"Dick Adams" wrote:

....
Have you tried tomatoes, onions, squash, or melons?

I've planted a pumpkin into a well rotted bale into which I cut a hole. It
did well. If I was going to plant toms or beans, I'd do them in a bed with
bales around like Len did but in a smaller bed than he used. The spuds did
well in the bed we put bales around.

I always rot my bales for a while before doing anything with them unlike
Len did. I buy bales and drop them on the ground and then turn them when
I think of it so the soil microbes can start work on them.

It appears to me that Len uses the straw bales for both the base and the
edge of a garden plot. This is one of the two common forms that I have
found. One of my problems is, in spite of my claim of being perpetually 17,
my body will be 69 before the next harvest. So I'm looking for raising the
height of my garden.

Bales also work well to extend the growing season (beginnig and end) and
especially if they are starting to rot. Use them straight on the ground to
protect things and with an old window or some plastic on the top of them.

Extending the season is important to me. Although I'm a Southerner, I currently
live just west of Baltimore in the Land of the damnyankee Snow - winters are
worse than they are in Armidale. Straw bales could mean an eight month growing
season!

Dick

Straw Bale Gardening
 

"Dick Adams" wrote in message
Farm1 wrote:
"Dick Adams" wrote:

....
Have you tried tomatoes, onions, squash, or melons?

I've planted a pumpkin into a well rotted bale into which I cut a hole.
It
did well. If I was going to plant toms or beans, I'd do them in a bed
with
bales around like Len did but in a smaller bed than he used. The spuds
did
well in the bed we put bales around.

I always rot my bales for a while before doing anything with them unlike
Len did. I buy bales and drop them on the ground and then turn them when
I think of it so the soil microbes can start work on them.

It appears to me that Len uses the straw bales for both the base and the
edge of a garden plot.

No, he just uses them round the edges. The base is lawn. He may not even
use them anymore - those pics on his site are now quite old.

Straw Bale Gardening
 

"PhoenixWench" wrote
On 1/6/2012 6:04 PM, Dick Adams wrote:

Also I just learned that peppers are perennials! So if they winter
indoors, they will prosper again the next spring. This is great
news - expecially here in the Land of the damnyankee Snow."


Really!? I'll have to try that next fall - all mine are already compost
this year :-/

Tomatoes also. I had one I was protecting from frost that lasted almost to
the middle of December here in Missouri. It was too big to move indoors
intact, but I cut it into pieces and made a whole bunch of new plants out of
it.

Straw Bale Gardening
 

Pat wrote:
"PhoenixWench" wrote
Dick Adams wrote:

Also I just learned that peppers are perennials! So if they winter
indoors, they will prosper again the next spring. This is great
news - expecially here in the Land of the damnyankee Snow."

Really!? I'll have to try that next fall - all mine are already compost
this year :-/

Tomatoes also. I had one I was protecting from frost that lasted almost
to the middle of December here in Missouri. It was too big to move indoors
intact, but I cut it into pieces and made a whole bunch of new plants out
of it.

That is terrific!!

How much light did they get indoors?

I will protect you by not refusing to disclose your e-mail address
my childbride when my basement becomes a greenhouse or when I tell
her why we need greenhouse. ;)

This is a great newsgroup.

Dick
--
Moderator: misc.taxes.moderated
and misc.legal.moderated

Straw Bale Gardening
 

In article , says...


I will protect you by not refusing to disclose your e-mail address
my childbride when my basement becomes a greenhouse or when I tell
her why we need greenhouse. ;)

This is just plain weird, double negative and all.

Straw Bale Gardening
 

"Dick Adams" wrote
Pat wrote:
"PhoenixWench" wrote
Dick Adams wrote:

Also I just learned that peppers are perennials! So if they winter
indoors, they will prosper again the next spring. This is great
news - expecially here in the Land of the damnyankee Snow."

Really!? I'll have to try that next fall - all mine are already compost
this year :-/

Tomatoes also. I had one I was protecting from frost that lasted almost
to the middle of December here in Missouri. It was too big to move
indoors
intact, but I cut it into pieces and made a whole bunch of new plants out
of it.

That is terrific!!

How much light did they get indoors?

They went into a very bright room with lots of windows on the east and south
sides. After it's warm outdoors again, I'll have large, blossoming plants to
set out.

I will protect you by not refusing to disclose your e-mail address
my childbride when my basement becomes a greenhouse or when I tell
her why we need greenhouse. ;)

???

This is a great newsgroup.

I agree.

Dick
--
Moderator: misc.taxes.moderated
and misc.legal.moderated

Straw Bale Gardening
 

"Dick Adams" wrote
Pat wrote:
"PhoenixWench" wrote
Dick Adams wrote:

Also I just learned that peppers are perennials! So if they winter
indoors, they will prosper again the next spring. This is great
news - expecially here in the Land of the damnyankee Snow."

Really!? I'll have to try that next fall - all mine are already compost
this year :-/

Tomatoes also. I had one I was protecting from frost that lasted almost
to the middle of December here in Missouri. It was too big to move
indoors
intact, but I cut it into pieces and made a whole bunch of new plants out
of it.

That is terrific!!

How much light did they get indoors?

They went into a very bright room with lots of windows on the east and south
sides. After it's warm outdoors again, I'll have large, blossoming plants to
set out.

I will protect you by not refusing to disclose your e-mail address
my childbride when my basement becomes a greenhouse or when I tell
her why we need greenhouse. ;)

???

This is a great newsgroup.

I agree.

Dick
--
Moderator: misc.taxes.moderated
and misc.legal.moderated

Hi, I've done straw bale gardening for 4 yrs now. It's a great way to grow and I don't see why it would not work anywhere that gets enough sunlight. I'm located in the US, of the NC coast. Our summers are hot and once the bales get moist they stay moist if they are in a raised beds where they will not dry out. I only water with 1 gallon a week per plant, mostly using my AC condensate. So, I would give it a try. If you want to see some pictures, check here Carolina Straw Bale Gardening | Facebook.

I wish you luck, it's no hoeing, tilling or weeding! So easy!

I am London (UK) based and very keen to try this myself. Have sent word out to local farms/stables etc but none seem to keep straw bales in stock and shipping them in from the countryside would get expensive. Any London based Gardeners out there know where I could find some straw bales locally?

Is there a difference between straw bale gardening and sheet mulching? Sounds like they are the same, but not sure. We've been using straw as part of sheet mulching, with great results.