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straw bale gardening


Orval

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I am about two weeks behind this year.  I should have had my straw bales out already and prepping them but will get them set tomorrow and provide some pictures.  I was surprised by how much residual straw I had left over from last year  a small pickup truck full.  So I have decided I will use that all that good plant food for my flower and herbs beds on the south side of my house.  It should drain well and if I do 10ft by 4ft bed I should be able to plant pretty much what I want for this year.

I will set out between 10 and 16 bales this year and will attempt to plant pole beans and sweet corn together so the beans can climb the sweet corn and I should not have to stake them (hopefully).  I will post some pictures.

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20 hours ago, Alan said:

A picture speaks a thousand words.

Here is three thousand words brother.  lol

The first pic is a quick herb garden I framed in, 12' by 35" with three partitions they are 6" deep and should do real well for herbs.  The second pic is where the straw bales where I will plant tomatoes (Roma, Cherry, Beefsteak) , peppers, (Jalapeno, Serrano and Poblano) and squash (zucchini and spaghetti).  The third pic is where I will plant egg plant, corn, and beans might even throw a cucumber in there as an experiment. 

 

It takes thirteen days for to prep the bales so I will should plant on Monday  March 8th. 

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1 hour ago, Ukulelemike said:

What do you do to 'prep' the bales?

Hi Mike,

For the first three days’ water, each bale and keep wet.

Days 4 through 9 add 1 oz. of plant food (liquid) to one gallon of water every 2 days.  Keep bales damp.

Day 10 sprinkle 1 cup of 10-10-10 garden fertilizer and water well.

Keep bales damp till day 14 when you plant.

Plant your plants deep I keep just 3 or 4 inches sticking above the bale.  The more stem you into the bale the stronger the plant will grow.

I will but my corn, green beans and lima beans about 4 inches deep and I will plant them together and hope the beans will naturally trellis the corn.  (its an experiment if it fails I will know better next year)

Once plants have rooted water every 2 to 3 days for an hour.  The bales will retain both heat and water.

The first 2-3 weeks a lot of wheat will grow out of the bales, the wheat pulls out easily so just pull the wheat for 10 or 15 minutes each day and within a few days the wheat will be gone and you will just need to weed periodically after that. 

Also, I would advise putting cardboard, or deck matting under the bales that will stop grass from growing into the bales.  I use deck matting under everything water runs through it and grass cannot grow through it.

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  • 2 weeks later...
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The bale prepping is done and here are the initial pictures.

Pic #1 tomatoes

Pic #2 tomatoes and various peppers

Pic #3 cabbage and egg plant

Pic #4 experiment with corn, pinto beans and peas in the same hole.

pic #5 is squash

 

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