Straw Bale Gardening - 2007 - (part 6)

Kent and Big Red, thanks for the input on temperatures. I think the school kids (or teachers?) wanted to get started on their bale gardening project but I was thinking it might still be too cold yet to get the straw breaking down. (Was 27º here this morning.)

Thanks, Folks!

Shoe

Darius - Oh dear! Hadn't thought of the Walnuts poisoning the compost. I have one section back there that tomatoes did grow and produce some, on the other side of an old well house I now use as a garden shed. Guess I have to change it again. Will use the existing compost for things that don't mind Black Walnut, like some of the dwarf conifers my partner is planting in the landscaping of the yard. Thanks for the thought.

Jnette - All the bales will be tomatoes and cantalope seedlings except that Gurneys Cold Set and Gurney's Burpless II cukes will be direct sow. Are 3 cantalope plants too many for 1 bale? I have my bales set in double rows and planned on 6 plants on two side by side bales. I can't remember if anybody grew 'lopes on bales and if it is a problem if they sprawl off. Yes I took some notes but probably not nearly enough! I've already experienced searching for a specific entry--Yikes!! Planning and buying have got me thoroughly excited. My dining room table is covered in paperwork for this project! Just what the Dr ordered.

Donna, maybe the cost of the bales will come down some in a month or so. Do you see any bales out in the fields that were left over the winter? Those should be cheaper and your decompose would be started. Not a lot because of the cold, but I bet if there are some that the farmer might almost give them to you. I was thinking if I got some bales this fall and just left them out in the elements that they would probably be ready next spring when I want to plant??

That amount you are talking about should be what you can get hay for. Welllllll, maybe in the fall? LOL I guess there aren't fields of straw/hay in your territory. Mostly orchards huh?

The information in the link that Kent posted was very interesting. I saw a strawbale house being built last summer about 30 miles from me. Had it been closer I think it would be interesting to watch step by step. As it was I only saw it about once a month or so.

Anyway, that link Kent posted had a lot of info about the elements and temperature etc. affects on the straw.

Jeanette

All: have ya'll looked at the map lately? It's looking great! http://www.frappr.com/strawbalegardeners

Sandie: 3 cantaloupes/bale should be ok and the double row will work great; expect them to run, of course, so I'd put something down along side the bales to keep grass/weeds from growing up in the vines. I used old newspaper (soy-based ink) and it worked great. Here's a photo when the cukes were really starting to run. I'm doing the same thing this year.

All: reminder, take lots of photos as you go, and let us see them.

Also, start your own diary here at DG. It's so easy and you'll love yourself for doing it. What photos you don't post in the thread can be put in your diary. Feel free to visit my diary any time. You can even put a "watch" on a diary and get notification when something new has been posted.

Sandie, In one of Kent's posts I think on Feb. 8th he says something about not planting runners in the strawbales. I might have read it wrong, but I guess my only issue with it would be that you would have them, cantalopes, running all over the ground and through weeds, grass, or whatever. That is, unless you were going to grow them on a trellis like I did with my cucumbers. Then, you would have to support the cants with panty hose :) or something. As far as planting 3 to a bale goes, I don't know why not. Roots air prune. Therefore, they would grow down into the soil the bales are sitting on.

This is pure imagination on my part. Maybe someone who knows more than I do could jump in here and say if I am wrong or whatever. Won't hurt my feelings.

BTW, a friend brought me a very small melon that was just like a cantalope but little. I kept the seeds and am going to grow one or 2 of those on the cattle panel like I did my cucumbers last year. I don't think the melons will be too heavy. No heavier than those cucumbers. Some of them were pretty big.

Jeanette

Jeanette: the 2/8 post talks about staking anything that does NOT run.

KR

LOL, Kent you and I were typing at the same time.

So Kent you just keep adding the newspaper? Your picture looks like you are going to kill what appears to be your lawn??? Here is an idea. If you (not meaning you necessarily Kent, anyone) were going to grow cukes, why not put down a weed blocker fabric over that area, for runners like cukes, squash, cantalopes, pumpkins, or whatever, then put your bales on that. Also, most of the weed blockers are black or red and those would draw the heat which would benefit the plants. Ripen the fruit etc.

In other words, an area specifically for runners.

Another thing with the strawbales, they say you should rotate your crops. I wonder how many of us are going to be able to reuse our bales from last year? That is going to be interesting once mine get the snow melted and thaw out.

This is just my mind jumping around. LOL

Jeanette

Kent - Nothing going on in the northern mid-west but everywhere else is represented on the map. Will try and get the camera out there on a slightly warmer day! Really must explore this site and find the diaries. I've started keeping a bound one cause I can't remember anything much from last year's attempted garden (varieties, timing, no details). A lot more organized this year. Even built my first ever indoor lighting set up; for a non-handy individual, it turned out ok. Read the article on strawbale decomposition: God it's been a long time since I read a college level research paper and I didn't miss it! Basically it looks like I'm not going to get much action in those bales until it warms up quite a bit. Oh well, I'm not in a hurry.
Jnette - The weed blocker sounds like a good ideaI had toyed with the idea to avoid the slug problems some of you had. Rain forests are potentially great for slugs and I'ld like to pass on that problem. As far as staking the cukes, I just ordered some spiral stakes from gardeners.com in hopes I can use them in the bales. Has anyone else tried them?

Sandie, too bad you weren't on DG when I still lived in Asheville. We could experiment together LOL.

Jeanette: no prob on killing any grass in my yard; it's huge anyway; used to be my cow pasture as a kid and the less I have to cut, the better. Besides, in a traditional, dirt garden, I'd have it all tilled up anyway. I'm definitely going to look at the weed mats, but will probably end up using the newspapers for my cuke row.

Sandie: 10-4 on getting a headache reading that decomposition article, but I decided to post the link for those who want to take bale decomposition to another level.

Kent

Darius - I also wish you still lived around here.:-) I'ld love to be able to compare gardens in person. When I tried to talk to the local folks about this last Fall, they just shook their heads and couldn't see why I'ld want to do this rather then traditional gardening!

Sandie, I can see why... some areas around H'ville have wonderful loam rather than the clay I had in Avl.

Kent, are you starting your own seeds this year?

How cool-- we use them (wheat straw bales) to line the foaling stalls (to keep safe little heads when trying to get up)-- when foaling season is over....guess what I'll be doing with ours instead of tossing them?

Melissa: negative on starting from seeds; I'll still get my plants from my local nursery in flats. One of these days, my goal is to have a place to start from seeds. We seem to have 2000 sq. ft. of "stuff" in a 1600 sq. ft. house.

Jenks: I grew up riding ponies, then horses. Miss it alot. Wake County is too crowded now. No place to ride safely. They call it "progress". Glad to see you're joining the fun.

Kent

Kent love your diary! I didn't know you could "watch them". Can't wait to get started.
Jenks - you and your foaling stalls definately need to move on over this way.

carol with big dreams and a lotta bermuda

Kent I have spent the entire morning going over all the previous threads and I'm really amazed and love the idea of using bales! Thanks so much for all that you have shared.

It is interesting that if folks run into you when your at work they might have to learn how to use bail, and if they run into you after work, they might have to lean how to use bale! :)

Thanks to everyone for all the posts and pictures... My husband has asked me why we can't just stick with what we have been doing.. because this looks like soooo much fun thats why! :)
:)

Susan

Carol: being able to watch a thread or a diary entry is just one of the many reasons DG is the best garden website out there, along with the great company you meet.

Susan: I've baled out a leaky fishing boat and baled out of a plane at 10,000 ft. a few times, so I guess I was destined to experience bail bonds and bale gardening, too! :-)

Nice looking young lad there with those pretty tomatoes. Makes me want a 'mater sandwich for lunch.

I just threw this idea out from reading about a little old lady in Alabama and trying it for myself. If bale gardening can be a blessing to others, then that blesses me.

Glad to have another new bale gardener. I can see this is going to be a great year.

Kent



This message was edited Feb 17, 2007 12:37 PM

This is next year's bale garden, seen from my bedroom window this afternoon. Right now it is collecting cardboard & other compostables, not to mention snow. The area in front of it is the previous owner's swingset sandpit, which gave me an instant start on gardening here. I'm gradually covering everything with lasagna gardens because I refuse to dig.

Beautiful.. I hear ya.. I don't dig anymore either.. Or till.. I just add to the top and let the worms do the work. Now I will be doing bale gardening too! :)

That was my oldest son in the picture looking for ripe ones! Thanks for the compliment. He told me he wanted to be a cop the other night when I was putting him to bed and I asked him why and he said for the "guns". Scarry!!

Susan

I should have pointed out that my straw-bale compost bin is actually 2 bales high! The snow is just drifted against it.

I'll probably be planting pumpkins & other runners up there, but I don't care if they drape down & across the lawn or wherever they want to go. Is there a reason why some of you cover the ground where the vines will go?

Yes, so we don't have to look for the fruit in the weeds etc. like Easter eggs. Plus, some of us cannot get down on all fours any more to do this.

Kent's saying is "no hoeing, no weeding, no tilling". If you have them up in the air to pick the produce you don't have the weeds, or hoeing or tilling. Or the aching back.

Jeanette

P.S. Might have mangeled that saying Kent, but same difference.

A guy in the local paper here is advertising square mixed hay bales for $1.50. Might be time to buy some!

I'll be right there Darius. LOL Sounds wonderful. Better ask if there are any herbicides in them. I wonder what he means by square? Other than round you mean? At that price you could ship them all over. Couldn't you?

Jeanette

Jeanette, here all bales that are not round are called square... and thanks for reminding me to ask about herbicides!

A small bale of alfalfa hay, about 20" x 20" x 4 feet is $7.50. here, so I would be very happy to buy one for $1.50

DonnaS

Kent, I'll make sure I start a couple of Chinese 5 Peppers for you then, I know how much you enjoyed them last year. :)

See Darius, you've got a buyer already. LOL

Wow! $7.50. I hope you weren't planning on too many Donna. That's a lot. But, if it is alfalfa you would have nitrogen in it. Problem is you would probably be starting your own alfalfa field. You would have to put down newspapers to decompose it.

Melissa, how did your hoophouse work out? I had mine covered until mid June and I had super tomatoes. I had them planted in strawbales in the hoophouse. They were huge and delicious. But they were so heavy that even my hemp tied to the cattle panels couldn't hold them up.

Jeanette

Donna, that's a LOT for alfalfa... here it's around $5. I'm sure the stuff I will get is just mixed hayfield stuff but it won't matter for planting use (except for high seed content).

Melissa: 10-4 on the Chinese 5 Peppers! Thanks. They are good & hot and add some color to the garden. Here's one from last year.

Kent

Darius

Wish I could get in on some of that hay for my horses. I am beginning to run low. I have over a ton of feed bought up but hay is hard to come by this time of year. Think you could "hook me up" with a couple hundred bales? I think you are about 2 or 3 hours away from me.

Jnette, I only use my hoophouse for starting seeds, I didn't use it during the summer, I put a shade cloth over it because it was so unearthly hot in there even with the window and door open, but as far as growing, I finished with it in Late May. Right now daytime temps are staying in the 80's in there, so it's about time for me to get some stuff started. :) I may put a couple of bales of straw in there and see.

Cajun, bales of hay here run 3.50 round bales run 20-25, so 1.50 a bale is super cheap.

Caj, I'll call around and see what's available... how many (not moldy) and how much. How many can you haul in a trip??

I can do 140 to 150 with my truck and trailer. I can get a friend to come along with me and he can haul about 90 with his truck and trailer. And we would be glad to make more than 1 trip, Lots of people here need it. I sure appreciate your help.

Here is a picture I took of my DH the last time we bought hay. He always sticks his tongue out when he is working. I told him he is going to bite it off if he is not careful. LOL

You can't do the job if you don't hold your tongue in the right position :~)

Lana

You are right Lana!! Jeanette

Yep, and especially if you are a carpenter!

Cajun how many animals, and what kind of animals, do you have that you will use that many bales this year? How long do you have to feed them before the grass helps out some? Or do you have to feed them year round? Seems that is a lot of hay.

Jeanette

Horses and cattle eat A LOT of hay! And produce a lot of manure for composting! :~D

Lana

Someone above mentioned rotating crops. I do this but I only have room for 3 rotations, not 4 like you're supposed to have. I was just thinking that if I put strawbales on top of the area I planted pumpkins in last year, which already has all the black weed material on it, I could use the same area with good results, since the pumpkins would be in the straw and not the ground.

Has anyone grown potatoes in the strawbales. I use straw to hill my potatoes but I wonder how it would work to plant directly in the bale.
g
I'm also wondering if anyone knows about this issue: When I go to dig up my potatoes, there are always little white-ish egg clusters here and there in the dirt. There are a very few black beetles wandering around. Do these beetles match up with the little eggs? Are these some sort of potato pest? I've never noticed them anywhere else. There is no damage to the potatoes themselves. I've only been growing potatoes two years and I did rotate them the second year and there were those little eggs again.

Also, please tell me again - which is the type of straw or hay that gets the least amount of weeds growing out of it.

I'm really looking forward to this. I've never been able to grow tomatoes here - summers are just too short - so I can't wait to try them in the bales. I just have to figure out the easiest way for me to stake them. I have been going back and reading all the staking ideas.

Gwen