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Post by binnylou on Mar 13, 2023 9:57:02 GMT -5
Anyone have experience with growing veggies in a straw bale?
With my latest seed purchase (thank you , breezy), I may need to try this to “bale” me out of a too full veggie garden.
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Post by emmsmommy on Mar 14, 2023 4:59:32 GMT -5
binnylou, I've never tried it but always wanted to using spoiled hay. My main concern with straw now is Grazon. So many horror stories about it contaminating soils and composts lately. Of course you may be able to find a local grower in your area that doesn't use it. Unfortunately in our area most straw is trucked in from outside sources.
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Post by binnylou on Mar 14, 2023 5:25:43 GMT -5
emmsmommy, so far, the straw purchased at the local Theisen’s has been safe for the garden. I should probably be testing it with each new purchase. I have two bales, stored on a pallet since last spring(?) from last years purchase. It’s been sitting uncovered, subject to all weather. One or both bales would be good candidates for testing gardening in straw bales.
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Post by wargarden2017 on Mar 15, 2023 21:19:30 GMT -5
the book "Straw Bale Gardens Complete" by Joel Karsten
might be helpful
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Post by binnylou on Mar 16, 2023 11:21:48 GMT -5
I see that our local library has a copy available. Thanks, wargarden2017. |
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Post by claude on Mar 20, 2023 9:53:39 GMT -5
Thankyou for reminding us about grazon…so many to keep track of.
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Post by binnylou on Mar 22, 2023 13:56:47 GMT -5
I visited the local library…came home with Straw Bale Gardens/Karsten and Square Foot Gardening/Bartholomew. Three books from the new fiction section also found their way into the book bag.
The Karsten book has lots of photos, but I haven’t started reading it. I found it for cheap on a used book site, so if I decide I want to own a copy, I know where to look.
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Post by gardendmpls on Mar 22, 2023 14:24:03 GMT -5
Square Foot Gardening/Bartholomew This book has a lot of good ideas, but the author is a bit rigid. Makes sense, since his degree is in engineering. They tend to be precise. |
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Post by breezygardener on Mar 22, 2023 14:37:32 GMT -5
I always thought it would be fun to try this as well, as I save any horse-unusable straw & hay & normally use it to put around trees in our yard as mulch. Problem is, spoiled or not, the deer around here find it just as tasty as fresh unspoiled hay/straw. And I can already see our resident groundhog family scaling the sides to eat whatever I had growing.
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Post by binnylou on Mar 22, 2023 14:56:58 GMT -5
The two straw bales that I have are protected by electric fencing. So far, the deer are showing respect for it.
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