Strawbale Gardening: General Discussions - 2012 - Chapter 37

Hi everyone-

I am new to straw bale gardening, but I am looking forward to experimenting! I have been reading through many of the posts on the site and I am happy to see so many people who are both experienced and newbies. I noticed a few tangents where alfalfa bales were mentioned. I have five alfalfa bales cooking in the yard as we speak, so hopefully I can contribute some information to the site through the process of trial and error.

Happy gardening from sunny Florida!

Dionne

Dione, Welcome to the SB gardening. I started here several years ago, always with straw. But last year found alfalfa bales cheaper than straw believe it or not. Well, we had a really yucky year weatherwise like a lot of people did, so it was a pretty short season. But, believe it or not, I had the best flavored tomatoes that I have ever had while gardening in this area, about 17 years. I do not know what to attribute it to, but that was the only differences.

The alfalfa, plus the shorter season. LOL, the first might be a good one, but have my doubts about the second. I think it would be nice if you had a few straw bales to use along with your alfalfa so you could compare them. Mainly since this is the first time trying it.

Anyway, good luck, and please keep us posted and lots a pictures. We do like pictures on this thread. :0) Jeanette

That's a great idea, Jeanette! I have two areas with the alfalfa bales up against one another (hopefully to protect against evaporation). There is plenty of room for more. What type of straw do you recommend? I don't even want to tell you what I paid for the alfalfa bales. They already had them loaded up in my truck; otherwise I wouldn't have bought them.

As you can see, I don't have much done yet, just waiting on them to get hot. I read on another site that I could add Black Kow to the tops of the bales and water it down into the bales. Is this necessary? Will it burn my plants? I am hoping to plant in 10 days or so.

When Kent started this forum he had a day by day menu to prepare the bales. Have you read it? You sound like you might have. At least you know what the goal is for your bales. Maybe Kent will come on here and help you. But with new bales you will be starting out fresh.

Regarding the straw, I don't know that the kind matters as much as make sure where ever you get them that they can tell you for sure no weed killers were used on the plants. Normally if you get them from places like Lowes, or HD, they won't know. Maybe you can find a farmer or someone in the country to get them from. Sorry, I don't know your area.

Yes, alfalfa is normally expensive. I got it cheap because a fellow was cleaning out his mother's barn so if I remember right, I got it for $1.50 a bale. Very cheap. Even straw normally is more than that. Sometimes you run into good deals. One thing I do not like is grass bales. A lot of time they advertise as Orchard grass. That is when they don't plant anything and just mow the stuff that is under the trees in the orchard. It usually is advertised as alfalfa/grass mix or Orchard Grass. I didn't like it. I had it one year.

Hope this helps. Try sending Kent a post and tell him about your bales. Also what to do with new ones if you don't know. He can tell you where to find his menu for them.

Jeanette

Heading to check out the day by day guide if I can find it! Thanks again for your advice and making me feel welcome!

I have planted six bales with escarole and endive and they are going to town!

Kent I just read your post back there about your peppers. I will be interested to know if your plants you are growing from the seeds saved from last year will produce. 2 or 3 years ago I saved some seeds from a small melon that I had bought at the farmer's market. I sent some of the seeds to Russ and someone in Alaska I think it was. Well, all of us got beautiful plants, but no fruit!! The only thing I can think of is that so many of the produce we are getting now are from GMO (genetically engineered) seeds. Don't know what the GMO initials mean. Why else would that happen.

Please let us know how your pepper plants do. Jeanette

Jeanette: Hmmm, that is an interesting question.

I purchased my original Ghost Pepper seeds from Totally Tomatoes and will give ask them.

Will let you know.

Kent

Yes, I am really interested to know if they are doing that to all the seeds so that people cannot save and trade seeds anymore. Remember, or did you hear about the farmers in India that planted the seed, had wonderful crops and then after planting the seed they saved from the year before they didn't have any production and couldn't afford to buy the GMO seeds for new crops. Wiped out villages.

Got my answer back promptly from www.totallytomato.com, where I bought my tomato and Ghost Pepper seeds last year:

"None of our seeds are genetically modified and you will get peppers on your
plants this year."

So, that's good to know.

Kent

That is really good to know. It would be interesting to have a list of those that do and don't. Jeanette. Probably nobody would buy from them. LOL

Just lurking.

How come lurkin' Digger? Are you in Texas? Or? Getting your tomatoes growing?

I'm going to try strawbale gardening this year! I'm really excited, I have 4 bales that I started a couple weeks ago and are hopefully cooking away. I was planning on making a couple more raised beds for my garden but started reading about using the strawbales and thought it sounded like a great idea.

Good for you Lost Frog. You will love it!!

Jnette , I'm jumping through my skin like a toad trying to get things together for the trip back to Georgia . I'm taking 3 Celebrity and a Beefmaster that I started from a sucker last October . It has 50 blooms and 10 toms on it . Thanks to Gym girl , It is in a E bucket and doing great . Was going to send it home with my boy yesterday but he didn't have enough room in his truck with the ddog cage . Whoopie , I get to keep it and other stuff .
Spring is coming your way , so get ready to plant your goodies . Hugs

Wow, sounds like your tomatoes are doing great Sally. When do you leave? How long a trip is it?

I leave Sun . the 1st and stop in Houston to see GymGirl and Bubba , two wonderful friends I met here on D G a few years ago . Maybe Bubba will have his wife there and I can see her also .
It's 1,200 miles from my house here to home , but will only stop to kick back in the van for a little rest . We don't get in a hurry .I don't like to drive in to home at night so will time it to get there early in the morning . First thing to do is unload the small chest freezer we carry back and forth. It went out on us a few years ago , so we use it to carry frozen food . It's much better than ice chests .We just leave it in the cargo trailer.

Sounds like a trip Sally. How is the weather on that trip? Does that freezer plug in to the cigarette lighter? Or just stays frozen for that time. I suppose as long as it isn't opened much it would.

Welcome Aboard, LostFrog!

Love the name! :-)

Jnette , it's a five cubit foot chest freezer that went out on me and had it to haul off in our cargo trailer . I got the bright idea to pack it when we moved back and forth to Texas and it worked great . Much food , and stayed frozen .It's the way to go and will add some frozen water in milk jugs if there is room .Don't really need it , everything was frozen hard , but was only on the road three days .
Years ago , My ex and I moved mobile homes nationwide . We have gone from S Carolina to Calif .or vice versa with freezers that were still frozen when we got there. No problem , we were on the road from five to seven days without electricity. Just don't open them to check them .If we were going to stop off and visit anyone for a day or two , we can start out with "hot ice " in the freezer to be sure of success .

Thanks for the welcome! I'm hoping to give a good try at growing cucumber in the bales this year. I've never had good luck with them but I'm hoping that this method with them off the ground will help with the bugs and things. Zucchini as well. I've not had one zucchini to harvest in the past 2 yrs due to the squash bugs and vine borers. Before that, I couldn't give them away. Already have some started in my greenhouse, now to wait till it's safe to put them out!

You'll be pleased with the bales.

Hello everyone! Thanks to Kent, I'm trying my first SBG this year and am so excited! Going to pick up my bales this morning and get them placed and watered today. It's supposed to rain here for the next 3 days so I'm thinking I won't have to water when it's raining, just put the ammonium nitrate on top? Going to start with tomatoes, zucchini, squash and green/string beans.

Do you recommend soaker hoses?

Even if it rains , more water won't hurt , don't think .
Can't find A. nitrate in Tex .Only A. sulfate . Will try here in Georgia . I got it here , one year .

JaxGma: Once you water the bales GOOD for the 1st couple of days, then any rain will help keep them moist but with the bales so fresh and tight, don't depend on just the rain.

If you are using the AN, then water it in the bales with about a gallon of water, just enough to get it dissolved good in the bales.

My roommate at NC State (80 - 84), Jimmy Robinson, grew up in Warrenton! Do you know any of his family?

Digger: ammonium sulphate will work just fine, too.

Thanks Kent , didn't know for sure if it was as effective

Telling your age Kent!

Doug: I go by anniversaries now of being 29! :-)

25th anniversary coming up in July!!

But, I can still smoke most of the Deputies in my county during the annual 1.5 mile fitness run!

I'm trying to think of something smart alec to say about them and donuts . LOL
Hi , Doug

Well guys, I know I can still go the mile & a half but I'll take longer and enjoy the scenery along the way. No Smoking um here. lol Do remember those days though.

Kent you probably do more on your time off than any two of the rest.
Keep up the good work.
Russ

digger: donuts are dangerous!! lol .... i rarely eat one!

Russ: I don't know, we've got some hard workers on here, including you!

Hope everyone had a great Easter!

It was beautiful my way!

I love fresh , hot yeast donuts . I eat three or four every year or two . Time is getting close .
Hi Russ , you know my little chihuahua , Pepper . Had to take him to emergency vet 11:00pm last night . It's his heart . Cost almost as much as the whole trip to Colorado .He's home now but lifetime of medication ahead . He still thinks he's a pit bull .
Will get the last four toms planted tomorrow .

Digger; that hurts. sorry to hear of that misfortune. He's our camp guard.

I'm not as far along on the toms yet. I have a doz. up about 4" and more I hope about to sprout. I have moved the cattle panels this year, had a lot of BER last year. Thought something else could take advantage of all that old straw and grass in that spot. Still deciding where to put everything. We have had warmer weather all winter and all my fruit trees have blossomed and now we are having 27-32 degree nights. May be another year with no fruit.
Just have to be satisfied with being later than my Southern neighbors. lol

He's home and feels ok. I have to take him to my regular vet in a day or two for further study . He's housebroken , goes in circles for attention to go out , so the meds don't sneak up on him with accidents .
He did a great job keeping tigers and elephants away from the camp , didn't he ?

Don't think I ever posted Russ's picture , looking for gold in Colorado . He's in the white shirt .

LoL
Must have been bent over for a while there, Bout to loose my britches. hahaha
More interested in having fun, than how I looked.
Wonder how that river is running this year.

You didn't say who was the blue shirt Digger, is that you? LOL Jeanette