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Hay Bale Gardening

I am wanting to try this later this year. I am moving so I cant do it
right now. I would like to know if any here have tried it.

This has some idea what it is about...lower down on the page has two
pictures one of the bales in place and one of the veg growing.
http://www.co.clay.mn.us/Depts/Extensio/ExAPHydr.htm

My only problem I forsee is not many do bales in Northern Ireland any
more. Mostly round bales.

Can anyone give me Ideas on how to try this using round bales rather
than normal ones.

I am only doing this for select plantings as an experiment since I dont
know what kind of ground is underneath the grass in the paddock area of
the new house and I dont want to start digging....no-dig is what I am
after. I plan to get some raised beds in for next seaons growing.

Thanks
Julie Northern Ireland

Hay Bale Gardening

snip than normal ones.

I am only doing this for select plantings as an experiment since I dont
know what kind of ground is underneath the grass in the paddock area of
the new house and I dont want to start digging....no-dig is what I am
after. I plan to get some raised beds in for next seaons growing.

Thanks
Julie Northern Ireland

This is interesting, I have some hay which is not good enough for the
pones and I have been wondering what to do with them, now I know,keep us
posted :-)

kate

Hay Bale Gardening

"al8dan" wrote in message
oups.com...
I am wanting to try this later this year. I am moving so I cant do it
right now. I would like to know if any here have tried it.

This has some idea what it is about...lower down on the page has two
pictures one of the bales in place and one of the veg growing.
http://www.co.clay.mn.us/Depts/Extensio/ExAPHydr.htm

My only problem I forsee is not many do bales in Northern Ireland any
more. Mostly round bales.

Can anyone give me Ideas on how to try this using round bales rather
than normal ones.

I am only doing this for select plantings as an experiment since I dont
know what kind of ground is underneath the grass in the paddock area of
the new house and I dont want to start digging....no-dig is what I am
after. I plan to get some raised beds in for next seaons growing.

Thanks
Julie Northern Ireland

Seems a good idea. One caution. Under no circumstances add the Ammonium
nitrate to the bales when they are dry and never let the bales dry out. You
could have a potentially explosive mix or at the least a very dangerous fire
hazard.

Hay Bale Gardening

Tumbleweed,
The round bales would be a bit too tall I think.

Rupert thanks for the advice. I probably wouldn't have thought of that.
It does say to keep it VERY well watered and maybe you would have a
less explosive alternate to use??? Anything would have to be a
commercial preparation as I have no time yet to grow anything for make
yer own. I plan to do comfrey somewhere it wouldn't be a disaster if
it spread.

Cheers and Keep up with the ideas.
Thanks
Julie
Northern Ireland

Hay Bale Gardening

"al8dan" wrote in message
ups.com...
Tumbleweed,
The round bales would be a bit too tall I think.

Rupert thanks for the advice. I probably wouldn't have thought of that.
It does say to keep it VERY well watered and maybe you would have a
less explosive alternate to use??? Anything would have to be a
commercial preparation as I have no time yet to grow anything for make
yer own. I plan to do comfrey somewhere it wouldn't be a disaster if
it spread.

Cheers and Keep up with the ideas.
Thanks
Julie
Northern Ireland

I am doubtful that you will be able to get your hands on Ammonium nitrate in
a pure form in the quantities you may need
Perhaps it is available with a fire suppressant. I assume that it is used
for a plentiful supply of nitrogen so any other nitrogenous fertiliser
should do but you would need to adjust the amount used.
This link gives various things with the relevant nitrogen content:-
http://www.chemicalland21.com/indust...rganic/NPK.htm
There are other more "organic" materials which should do the same job.

Hay Bale Gardening

Rupert wrote:
"al8dan" wrote in message
ups.com...
Tumbleweed,
The round bales would be a bit too tall I think.

Rupert thanks for the advice. I probably wouldn't have thought of
that. It does say to keep it VERY well watered and maybe you would
have a less explosive alternate to use??? Anything would have to
be a commercial preparation as I have no time yet to grow anything
for make yer own. I plan to do comfrey somewhere it wouldn't be a
disaster if it spread.

Cheers and Keep up with the ideas.
Thanks
Julie
Northern Ireland

I am doubtful that you will be able to get your hands on Ammonium
nitrate in a pure form in the quantities you may need
Perhaps it is available with a fire suppressant. I assume that it is
used for a plentiful supply of nitrogen so any other nitrogenous
fertiliser should do but you would need to adjust the amount used.
This link gives various things with the relevant nitrogen content:-
http://www.chemicalland21.com/indust...rganic/NPK.htm
There are other more "organic" materials which should do the same job.

On the whole, one of the last places I'd want to be seen trying to buy
ammonium nitrate in quantity is Northern Ireland.

I'd love to know how the bales project goes -- I wouldn't have believed
it if I hadn't seen those photographs. It does sound like an awful lot
of trouble, especially with a hosepipe ban, so I salute you in advance.

I've used spoiled silage as a mulch to feed an area I raised with
trucked-in subsoil, and it worked well in a scruffy way. Apart from the
fun of experimenting with the system, which I wouldn't deny for a
moment, it might be more relaxing just to use the bales to build
ginormous compost heaps and dig in the result when it finally gets
there. But I suppose you are going to have to pay for the hay. I don't
know how much hay costs these days: I haven't bought it since it was, I
think, about two pounds a bale. Straw would be cheaper than hay, and
just as good. Even at less than that price, if you aren't going to feed
it to stock, it's probably more economic to buy in bales of peat
substitute (please, not real peat) and dig it in. I can't remember the
name of the firm to go to for bulk orders: were they called Maskell,
perhaps?

If you just want to buy a growing medium, growbags are cheaper and
easier as well as much better.

--
Mike.

Hay Bale Gardening

snip
there. But I suppose you are going to have to pay for the hay. I don't
know how much hay costs these days: I haven't bought it since it was, I
think, about two pounds a bale. Straw would be cheaper than hay, and
just as good. Even at less than that price, if you aren't going to feed
it to stock, it's probably more economic to buy in bales of peat
substitute (please, not real peat) and dig it in. I can't remember the
name of the firm to go to for bulk orders: were they called Maskell,
perhaps?

If you just want to buy a growing medium, growbags are cheaper and
easier as well as much better.

As Janet says dealers usually have some spoilt bales of hay and will
give them away if you are lucky. Hay is usually £1 a bale off the field,
£2.50 later and £3 per bale now, straw is about £2.50 approx. I buy mine
in early and pay about £1.50 per.bale delivered.

Using it as a growing medium is just out of interest.

kate

Hay Bale Gardening

Janet,
yes I'd be using spoilt hay if I can find it for nearly no cost. The
bale are watered for well over a week and started composting (the
reason for the ammonium nitrate) before you plant. So it perhaps by
the time the roots need to bury themselves the inside of the bale is
looser( who knows) The website was jsut an over view if you want I can
post more links that detail it better (I think).
And I think with the supports in the photo the plants MAY have been
young tomatoes. Potatoes are one of the veggies they say ya cant grow
in a bale.
And as Kate says it is just an experiment as I found it interesting and
thought perhaps then I could do a few things in hard to dig areas. I am
looking for no-dig ways to grow as the ground at the new house has
never been used for a veggie patch and to be honest working full time I
cant really be bothered to dig this year.

Cheers and THANKS...
Julie

Hay Bale Gardening

Hay Julie, LOL

I thought you may find this useful.

As an experiment we grew in hay and straw this year. We found that the hay
grew much larger plants. We couldn't locate any old bales so we used new
ones. We did NOT use any Ammonium Nitrate (AN). I am sure the heat of the
bale had something to do with the delayed growing. This hay bale was a
grass hay from Southern Colorado. In these photos both of the plants came
from the same seed packet and were planted the same day within seconds of
each other..

http://www.cheap-land.com/Rich/s4200022.jpg

http://www.cheap-land.com/Rich/s4200006.jpg

All of our plants in the bales were put out several weeks late and are
nowhere near as large as the ones in the ground, which were put in
earlier. We didn't fertilize the bales at all until a few weeks ago just
to see what they'd do. Then I started using a Miracle Grow knock-off mixed
with some Mittleider minerals. One pepper and one tomato was put in a
couple of weeks after the others. I started with fertilizing them and they
are now among the largest plants in the bales. Within a couple of weeks of
starting to fertilize they turned a darker green and began to really shoot
up. I have only been fertilizing a few weeks now.

Just for reference. We have tomato plants in the ground that stand over 5
feet and are loaded, at least 5-100# pumpkins, watermelons (which may or
may not be ripe before the frost) and several other plants producing very
well. Our area is very rocky and has a lot of shale. All of our neighbors
will all be happy to tell you that stuff just doesn't grow well in this
area. They have tried for years and nothing works..... Oh well....

http://www.cheap-land.com/Rich/s4200005.jpg

You can also read about one other experience at:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/libra...he_Hay_Miracle

Google Ruth Stout. She was the first person I read that did the hay mulch.

Last week I brought home another 20 bales of alfalfa. I have heard it
may be better than the grass hay. Next year we will have the plants in
early enough to produce. We will NOT use AN. We will put compost on the
bales to help provide more nutrition. We will be using both hay (alfalfa
and grass) as well as straw to continue our little test.

I will also add that we planted potatoes on top of the ground under
about 18-24" of straw. We are very happy with the results. I have reached
under the straw and picked potatoes. I always grab a handful of black
compost with the potato. That ground is going to be prime next year for
pretty much anything.

http://www.cheap-land.com/Rich/s4200019.jpg

Good luck,
Steve