Image Credit: http://tinyurl.com/qexmlw9
I love making vegetable gardens in straw bales. It has to be one of the easiest ways to grow your own, especially if you don't have any soil for a garden, or if you soil is not usable. All it takes to make one is:
- Straw Bale
- Garden Shears
- Sterile Soil (soil with no seeds in it)
- Seeds or transplants
- Water
Anyone can buy a straw bale, they range from $5 to $10, depending on the size. Make sure that you buy straw, and not hay. This is very important because hay contains seeds and those seeds will grow, and ruin your garden. I use organic potting soil for my dirt, old metal scissors, and my own transplants that I started inside in my growing trays.
Straw bale gardens can be put just about anywhere there is at least 6 hours of sunlight. They can even be put directly on concrete, or a wood or plastic deck.
Step by Step instructions on How to Make a Straw Bale Garden:
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1. Put your straw bales, cut end up, where you want to keep them.
2. Thoroughly water them with a hose, making sure that the interior is completely wet. Water them daily for 5 days to allow the decomposition process to begin. After 5 to 6 days, you should be able to stick your fingers down into the bale and feel moisture and heat. If so, you are ready to continue. |
Image Credit: http://tinyurl.com/p63otcp
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3. If you are planning to plant from seed, spread 2 to 3 inches of soil on top of the bale. I usually bang gently on the side of the bale so the soil trickles down into the bristles and then keep adding until it is fairly even across. Then plant seeds in the traditional manner, using the same spacing as you would in ground gardening.
Image Credit: http://tinyurl.com/pxwlvql
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4. If you are planting from transplants, I take shears and cut a small hole about 2 inches across and 2 to 3 inches deep, inside the bristles and then I place the transplant in the hole and fill the hole with dirt, patting it snugly around the roots. |
Some people don't use any soil at all, they just pry apart the bristles with a trowel, and slip the transplant in and then let the bristles spring back closed. I have found that I have better luck using a bit of soil covered in a bit more straw.
Image Credit: http://tinyurl.com/pglv3hb
5. After you are done planting, thoroughly water the bales. Don't stop watering when you see water run out the bottom. Straw, unlike earth, does not hold water, so you will have a lot of run off.
6. If you are growing plants that need stakes, like pole beans or tomatoes, make sure that the stakes you use are about twice as long as usual. They need to be driven all the way through the bale in order to be stable enough. You may have better luck using cages, as long as they have extra long stakes.
6. If you are growing plants that need stakes, like pole beans or tomatoes, make sure that the stakes you use are about twice as long as usual. They need to be driven all the way through the bale in order to be stable enough. You may have better luck using cages, as long as they have extra long stakes.
Image Credit: http://tinyurl.com/nwefb9k
There is only one drawback to straw bale gardens: They take more water than normal gardens and they dry out quickly. I have found that the more soil they have, the slower they are to dry out, but I still have the best luck growing a heavy producing garden if I water them every day.
I hope you have great success with your gardens!
Jade :)
I hope you have great success with your gardens!
Jade :)
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