Strawbale Gardening - no weeding, no hoeing, no tilling

That is one of the prettiest tomatoes I've ever seen, no kidding!

 

Here's another trombocino that's 49 inches long and still growing. I'm going to see just how long it will get.

The one I posted last time was "only" about 36 inches long.

I am having a ball watching this vegetable grow.

I haven't cooked any up yet, but I've given some away and I'm told it is very good. Cook it just like any other squash or zucchini.

If you haven't grown one, try it next year.

Here's a link for more info on trombocino: http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/56773/

Kent

 

Here's a wider shot of the trombocino vine.

It's over 20 ft long and if I'd known just how much it grew, I would have started it on the far left of my trellis.

Kent

 

I thought this was a good shot comparison that shows how the bales with the tomatoes are holding up better than the bales with the peppers.

The trellis keeps the weight off the bales, whereas the peppers help compress the bales.

That's my theory, anyway.

Of course, after looking at the photo again, the tobacco sticks I drove through the bales probably helped flatten them some, too.

I put up a rope between two of the posts to allow the trombocino vine to continue to run.

Kent

 

The Trombocino is now just a shade over 5 ft long. The long portion is anywhere from 8 to 9.5 inches around and the bulb at the end is about 18 inches around.

I'm expecting it to snap the vine any day or at least break off from where it's attached to the vine. The way it's zig zagged through the trellis helps support the weight alot.

I'm posting here more as an archive for myself in case my computer crashes and I can't recover all of my photos.

(I really need to put my pics on a CD, but I always seem to put it off.)

Kent

 

Here's today's tomato harvest after my mama and a friend of the family got what they wanted.

The missus wants to do a canning or two.

It's tomato sandwiches just about every day. I love them so.

(You're looking at Better Boys, German Johnsons, Celebrity, Radiator Charlie, Delicious, Parks Whoppers, and 2 or 3 different types of Beefsteak tomatoes.)

Nothing left in my bale garden but tomatoes and peppers and the trombocino that just keeps on growing and growing.

I should be getting tomatoes and peppers all the way until frost.

Kent

 

Walk softly and carry a big zucchini

I finally cut this monster off before it damaged the vine.

5 ft. 5 inches and 16 lbs

Kent

 

Baby zuke, mama zuke, PAPA zuke

OK, that's it for the trombocino pics. I know you're tired of seeing them.

No more! (Unless I get one over 6 ft.)

Kent

 

That is taller than me:shock: You have to let us know how it tastes when you cook it.

 

That is so cool! Gotta try that next year! I am inspired! :-D

 

Hand-written letter I received today from a lady in southeastern NC

Mr. Rogers,

I planted my tomatoes in bales of straw. They are about 12 ft. tall. We planted 10 plants, 2 per bale - used small wire to hold bales together.

We get more than we can eat and have about 3 pecks to can. Also give to family and friends.

I plan to copy your article for friends. We live by the road, people stop by to look and ask questions.

We have our straw for next year.

We can't plant tomatoes in our soil, some type of wilt. Only pest was tobacco hornworms - super 10 fixed that.

I added lime to each hill of tomatoes; it made them sweeter.

Thank you, Mrs. ___________ .

P.S. - We are 78 and 75 years young.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Made my day!
Kent

 

This is so exciting! I had all but given up on being able to garden here. (We have been fighting a losing battle against nutgrass)
I'm going to do this. I cannot tell you how excited I am!
I do have a question though. I don't know much about the ammonium nitrate. I believe you said it was 30-0-0. (I dont' know what that means...)
The only thing I can find around here is 33-0-0. The places I've called said that they aren't allowed to sell ammonium nitrate anymore. Is this other thing alright? Being I don't know what the numbers mean, I don't know if there is a big difference for what I need it for.
Thanks so much!
Jennifer

 

The numbers stand for N-P-K, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium.

Here's a link that gives more detail: http://www.planetnatural.com/site/xdpy/kb/n-p-k-organic-fertilizers.html

As for the ammonium nitrate, which is 34-0-0, it's a perfectly LEGAL product and still available for those merchants who want to carry it.

Anybody that says it's not made any longer or not available doesn't know what they're talking about.

I got my nitrate from Southern States this year.

Since you will probably have to buy 40 lb bags, unless you are going to have alot of bales, I'd skip on the nitrate altogether.

Ammonium sulphate, which is probably what you've been looking at with the 33-0-0 may work but I don't have any experience with that product.

Blood Meal, which is readily available at Lowes, Home Depot, etc, is a good nitrogen source if you're going to use just a few bales.

Otherwise, just set your bales out around the 1st week in April, keep them moist and transplant into the bales May 1st. You'll be fine.

You had a good question.

Hope this helps.

 

BUMP!
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

you are a nut LOL

 

That is so funny!!!!

I'm going to chuckle about that all day.

Anyone coming to read up on some bale gardening is going to be scratching their heads and saying, "What in the world does that mean!"

 

ME TOO!!:mrgreen:

 

Strawbale Gardening Forum established at DG

Because of the popularity of Straw Bale Gardening, the folks at www.davesgarden.com have created a separate forum for it:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/strawbale/all/

You have to be a paid subscriber to view and post to the threads but if you're interested in this method of gardening, it will be well worth the cost.

Now's the time to catch up on all the posts and mentally start preparing your bale gardens for next year.

With the scarcity of wheat and oat straw, I'd start looking now for the bales you want to use.

Kent

p.s. - just some of the folks across the USA and Canada I've gotten into bale gardening: www.frappr.com/strawbalegardeners

and, we've picked up a few from Australia who have just joined in on the discussions

 

DANG Kent!
I wanted to do a BUMP again today!
:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

I love getting letters like this one that I received today:

Oct 25, 2007

Dear Kent,

I wanted to write and let you know how much I enjoyed your article on straw bale gardening. I had wanted to try my hand at straw bale gardening the year before but waited too late so this spring I got everything prepared early and only tried 3 straw bales this first time.

After reading of your success in the Carolina Country magazine spring of 2007, I decided to attempt my own garden. I am a widow. My husband was a farmer and an avid gardener. So, since his death, I have had a small garden every year with my daughter’s help.

I went by all the directions you gave. I put 3 cucumber plants in 1 bale and 3 squash plants each in the other 2 bales. I have never had such a bumper crop of either vegetable before, but every day after the vegetables started yielding, I pulled squash and cucumbers, enough for me and my family and friends.

I didn’t have to spray for insects during peak season, nor pull weeds. I did water every day. It was such an interesting project. I told my friends about it and some of them were amazed. Next spring, I plan on using more straw bales.

This is an excellent way for anyone to have fresh vegetables, as it only requires very little space and, of course, a sunny location.

Enclosed, please find pictures of my straw bales. The one picture was several weeks growth. I could almost see them grow from day to day. It was exciting!

Thank you for the article.

Linda M.

Union County, NC

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The drought really cut into straw and hay production, so I recommend anyone who wants to do some straw bale gardening next Spring, to start looking now for your bales now.

Even if you have to store them outside with a tarp over them, that will work. Just make sure the bottom bales have the strings off the ground if you have natural twine.