Strawbale Gardening - no weeding, no hoeing, no tilling

ACF: no prob putting your peat pots directly into the bales. Just put the plants down to the first set of leaves, and make sure you can close the bales back.

Good idea is to add some potting mix to help chink the crack to promote good root growth, especially the tomatoes.

 

Sounds like you're set.

Straw Bale prices seem to be around $3.50 - $4 range.

If you can find some straw that has gotten wet, you may get it for less. Don't wait too long!

 

You're sitting pretty good, too.

 

Yay! I've been only watering for now, but this morning I went out and there are sprouts of wheat on my bales! So excited. Gonna start with the sweet potato fertilizer soon, so the day to actually plant ends up a little past the frost date.

 

Make sure you provide shelter... :jester::jester:

 

I am going to plant mine this weekend after the threat of freezing temps. I am starting small and only have 3 bales. I was going to plant pole beans and cukes in one from seeds. Any recommendations on planting just the seeds for my pole beans and cukes? Thanks!

 

Not to worry, Seabee, they're sitting under a tree.

 

8)8)

 

If you're planting seeds directly into the bales I'd make a crack in the bale at each place you want to seed, and chink it good with potting mix.

You could also use the bottle method I posted earlier about and make a hole for your seeds, rather than a crack. This would probably work better.

Plant your seeds and cover them with a good layer of potting mix.

Keep watered.

 

Thanks Kent, I appreciate the tips. Really looking forward to this!

 

Just to let everyone know, Hudson's Home and Garden has German Johnsons.
My mom always planted those, and they are wonderful!

There were plenty there, but people were buying!

 

Love those German Johnsons!

Got 24 GJ yesterday along with Better Boys, Celebrity, Goliath, Parks Whopper, Roma, and Cherry.

Plus, eggplants, yellow squash, zucchini, cukes, peppers.

Keeping them out of the garden for a little while to monitor the forecast for low temps.

I'm a little early this year in buying my plants

- - - - - - -

Got a bag of 34-0-0 to add to my straw. The Vendor said it was ammonium nitrate, but I didn't have to sign for it, so it's most likely ammonium sulphate with some urea added to get the N to 34.

The bags were normally used for 10-10-10, but the chemical company must have had an over-supply of bags, so I didn't have any info on the bags other than a plain label that said 34-0-0 and the company's name.

I have had my bales out since 3/22.

I wanted to see how they'd do with just water.

I mentioned earlier that they "cooked" out, but not with as high internal temps as with the nitrogen addition.

So, I added some of the 34-0-0 yesterday to see if I could "re-heat" them.

 

We started our GJ's from seeds and they are the only ones that haven't come up yet. Everything from the okra to the other type of maters have sprouted in the small containers but the GJ. :?:?:

 

Can't help with the GJ seed issue. I haven't started any tomato plants from seed since high school FFA class.

I'd love to have a small green house to do just that.

 

Oh well... hopefully they're just slow sprouters.

 

We are going to try this method this year instead of a "dirt" garden. Can't wait. Have you had success growing any types of melons or pumpkins? What variety of tomatoes are best tasting to put on sandwiches and to can for tomato sauce?

 

ncmom: I haven't tried pumpkins or melons, mainly due to the space, but there's no reason they won't do well. I recommend a double row like I do for my cukes so the vines will have a place to run. Also, newspapers or black ground cloth around the bales will help with the weeds when the vines finally run off the bales.

German Johnsons make one of the best sandwich tomatoes IMHO.

They are low in acid, too, for those folks who may have acid reflux. GJ are the only tomatoes that one of the ladies in our office can eat.

But, I have never really found a tomato that I didn't like in a sandwich.

Better Boy tomatoes are a traditional southern mainstay in the garden, too. Great canning tomato and also makes a good sandwich, etc.

 

Everyone says Romas are good for sauce, but I like the Opalka.

 

invasion of mosquitos(?)

Have you all had any trouble with mosquitos taking up residence in the bales? ANy suggestions?

 

It looks like GJ's are just slow sprouters... we've got a few cracking out.:hurray: