Straw bale gardening: no weeding, no hoeing, no tilling

Tallahassee, FL,

I would answer your question, but I don't know the answer. Below is what Kent wrote above your question. If you go to this link you probably will get an answer. : 0 ) Glad to have you aboard. Jeanette

We're at Part 6.

Join our bale garden discussion by clicking on this link: [HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]

Hi Straw and all the rest of you.
I loved the time I spent reading all of your posts on this subject. I didn't see an obvious place to grow your bale garden, that is anywhere you want to. You don't need any grass or soil under the bales. You could grow them on you drive way if you wanted. How about
up the driveway, a row on each side. Plant flowers along with the veggies and have plenty of color.
I am a part time missionary to Haiti and have been interested in forms of gardening without soil. Every house that isn't a thatched or tin roof is flat; usually built so a 2nd story can be built later. A wooden or metal box filled with tamped grass and straw would make a fine place to grow veggies. You add about 2 or 3 inches of soil on top to start seeds.
How about a natural source of nitrogen, here in this country we won't do this because it is too gross, save your urine and dilute it to a 10% solution and pour it on your garden once every 2 weeks. Our urine is 99% germ free strait from our body. It costs us nothing. I have had my Haitian brothers and sisters using it for years with great results.

lonejack: We're in Part 11: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/718768/

Come join us there.

I copied your post and put it in Part 11.

Kent

Edited to move post to correct thread.

This message was edited May 4, 2007 8:48 AM

This is the end of PART 1.

The discussion is now in PART 11: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/718768/

Kent

I know I should read all the thread info, but there is sooo much and I just need to know if the weed seeds in the bales create lots of weeds in the underneath area when they decompose. That was mentioned to me on another thread when I brought up the bale gardening. So.... please?

rustyswoman: I don't have any weed seeds in my wheat or oat straw that I've noticed. Not sure about hay and grass bales.

But whatever seeds are in a bale can possibly sprout later. But no one has ever mentioned any problems about weeds when bale gardening.

So I'd say, no, to your question. No problems with weeds from bales.

Kent

Thank you!

I second that. Jeanette

Besides, just lay some wet newspaper on them if they come up. LOL

Hello,
Just came across this thread. What a fun way to grow vegetables! I don't have
a vegetable garden, but will share this info with my mom. Learning more every day at DG.

Kent,
I am a flower gardener and am curious to know what your wife is thinking about using
those bales for her flowers. Does she do annuals, perennials or both?

enya: welcome aboard, we're in Part 15 but I'll be glad to answer you here.

Put any flower you like, but annuals will be the best bet since you really won't get but 1 or 2 seasons from the bales.

Click the link to join us at Part 15 which has a link to Parts 1 - 14, too.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/742072/


Kent

This message was edited Aug 1, 2007 7:57 PM

I am soooooo excited about this new form of gardening or at least new to me. I can hardly wait to get started. I am on the Oregon coast and we get plenty of rain here. I am hoping that this will be a good way for me to start a garden. I have plenty of space but am limited to what measures I can dig. I think that this will be a much easier and cleaner form for me. I have read several threads but am still unsure as to what type of bale is the best. Would you suggest wheat or oat. I don't know how readly available these are here but I am sure that I can probably get what I need fairly easily. I can hardly wait to try this new way of gardening. I love getting down and dirty is just the getting back up thats hard. Hehe
Jan

Jan: any type of bale should work, EXCEPT pine straw. What ever is convenient in your area. Wheat and oat straw are common in my area. Others use grass/hay bales and like those, too.

Welcome aboard!

You've got a lot of reading to catch up on! :-)

Kent

Boy, I'll say. Are there any good books out there that would be easier to read in bed then my pc? Hehe. I guess I could just download the infor here and read it later.
Thanks
Jan
Hey, I just thought of something else. Has anyone ever tried growing gourds in the strawbales?

I grew large Kabocha pumpkins in bales last summer... gourds should be no different. Vines went out about 15 feet or more from the bales.

Does anyone know if this method would work if bales were put into a geenhouse please

Hi darius,
Good to hear from you,
The last time I tried growing gourds was in AZ. They took over my whole back yard which was that big to begin with. I thought since I have more space now I would give it a try here.
Thanks.

To All: just a suggestion to continue in PART 19: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/801282/

- - - - - - - - -

JeannineAnne: no reason why bale gardening won't work in a greenhouse.

Kent

Anyone tried this on strawberries? Seems a natural choice! I'm thinking of trying it...just need to work out a hoop and cover system to keep the moisture in and birds out.

Also: NO GOPHERS!!! (right?)

How long should I weather the bales if I'm not going to use chemicals? I think it would take a lot to damage a strawberry plant...

Sevensisters: I'm not the resident expert, but I wouldn't see bales as being a good choice for strawberries because the bales will break ddown and strawberries are perennials and need more of a stable environment. The bales, after a year in the garden, would be great cover for strawberries though.

Namaste- Suzan

I so want to do this! Can't wait for spring. If I get straw bales now, [first part of Dec,] might they be all ready for planting in the spring without all the 10 day prep work?
And since I live in a small sub division and I must garden in the side yard, because that is where my sun is, I was thinking what would be a great way to dress up the front sides of the bales. Maybe 24 inch lattice or does someone have a better idea?

Devota: don't sweat starting the bales so early. If you don't want to jump start them, just put them out 3-4 weeks b4 you plant, and keep them moist.

Don't drown them every day, just keep them moist.

Thanks Kent. Is it possible to grow strawberries in bales?

Devota: I haven't tried them yet, but it seems that some have, but I can't recall the exact thread.

Devota,
I got a wonderful crop of strawberries. I planted 6 bales with strawberries and harvested them up until last month. It is great. They stay clean and protected on the bales and are easy to spot. I sugest though that you add a little soil prior to planting. I added after which helped. Not alot just enough to hold more water then some of the other plants.
I had a great harvest of sugar snap peas. This was my first attempt with strawbale gardening and I plan on doing it again next year. Here is a picture of my sugar snap peas
Jan

Here are my strawberries, this was early in the season. They grew much larger and more prolific.

Oh my, the sugar snaps and the strawberries! Why does it have to be December? I will certainly try the strawberries. Any special type you used and did you do anything to over winter the plants or do you toss them on the compost heap? Thanks for your input. I absolutely love this whole idea.

I just cover them with more straw. Not sure if that is right but if not then I will just have to plant more next year.

Hi all,
It has been ages since I have been here. Last August 26 I was attacked by the Strep Disease, "Necrotizing Fasciitis. better
known as the Skin Eating Disease," I almost died. They finally let me out of the hospital on 3 October. I am healing fast and
am excited about getting on with God's work.
Gourdbeader, I am very interested in your snow peas. When did you plant them?
When did you start your strawberries in the bales? I called a commercial strawberry grower in California, who told me that they
start each year with new plants. That way they don't have to worry about disease. I noticed that you had your plants pretty spread out. Couldn't you plant them closer together?
This is my third year with haybales, I don't think the strawberries will last in the bales through another season. It has been my
experience that the bales won't last 2 years. You will have to transplant the plants to new bales.
I am going to start my bales in early February in 2009 here in the Portland area. The weather is good enough to sustain early spring crops.
I have found some plastic unbrella Cloushes, sp, that will cover a bale. I hope to start some plants early.

lonejack: welcome back!

As a new member of Dave's Garden, I just found this discussion and am very interested.
I have a bad back and knees, so regular on the ground planting is very difficult for me. I have experience with building wood raised planters and ones made from concrete bricks. My problem now is that I am on a fixed income and for now do not have the money to buy any of those things now. I need to get the yard here ready for a garden and I am going to try this haybale gardening. My soil here is red and sticky. I don't know any other way to discribe it. It needs lots of ammendments. I can use the haybales later for that. I"ve made arrangements for the yard (1/2 acre) to be plowed next month, than I'll get the haybales and get them ready for spring planting. Thank you for the great idea. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
Marti001

Marti: if you get your bales early, just cover them with a tarp/plastic until about 30 days before you would normally plant a traditional garden. Then, set your bales where you want them and just keep them moist until planting time.

In the meantime, read through all (it's a lot now) of our threads. Lots of good info.

Make additional comments at Chapter 28 for now. It keeps things a little more orderly.

Welcome.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1008026/

I'm going to try this next year on the tomatoes.

Kent, Thanks for the suggestion. I'll do just that.
Marti

I think I am going to try strawbale gardening also.