Strawbale Gardening - no weeding, no hoeing, no tilling

It's a good time to start thinking about getting your bales

I'm beginning to get calls and emails from those who are interested in bale gardening this year.

It's not too early to start looking for your bales.

I waited too late last year and had a hard time finding them.

I'm not sure how the drought will affect the availability.

 

We have some Master Gardeners in our subdivision and I am going to forward this to them. Both my grandfathers had huge gardens but yours is the most amazing I have ever seen. Thank you so much.

One of my grandfathers grew strawberries. He used the concrete blocks that have holes in them and would build them up into a small pyramid with dirt. In every other hole he would plant a strawberry plant and it was the most amazing and delicious thing to see and eat. Thought you would be interested in this as well.

You seem like a wonderful person!
Grace

 

Grace, good idea with the blocks and strawberries. I'll pass that around, too.

 

That would be great. My other grandfather planted his vegetable garden by the Farmer's Almanac and believed in planting an onion plant and then a potato plant so on (theory was that the potato needed to cry or needed an eye, I think). He had a certain theory on planting each vegetable. Have you ever heard of this?

Grace

P.S. I, also, have a neighbor who is a Horticulture Engineer at Progress Energy. He knows all about trees, bushes, etc. and where the poles and lines should go in. When storms come he is called out because of tree limbs and all. He writes a gardening column in our subdivision newsletter. He has always helped me in my yard.

 

No weeding, no hoeing, no tilling! - Give bale gardening a shot this year!

Just a quick note to give a link to the Straw Bale forum at www.davesgarden.com. The thread I started way back when became so popular that the folks at Dave's decided to give us our own forum:

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

Also, with the warm weather we're having, I'm getting itchy to get my bales prepared, but it's still too early.

 

Good grief man, got enough straw? :lol:

 

He musta been picking kdc's pocket an awful lot!

 

It's only 68 bales this year. Cutting back some. Not planting as many peppers this year.

I'm going to have to put some deer fencing up, too, this year. I need to get going on that.

 

Huh??? :lol:

 

Kent, when it's time to plant tomotoes, can we count on you to tell us? I've got such Spring Fever it HURTS.

 

10-4 on wanting some home-grown tomatoes!

Good rule of thumb around here: plant your tomato plants (and the rest of your garden) around May 1st.

Warm weather always gets us antsy to plant, but we are always subject to late cold snaps in April.

At the Straw Bale garden forum at DG, we have a young woman from New Zealand who's bale garden is in full production since it's the middle of their summer down there.

She's sending us some great pics which makes the rest of us at DG in the northern hemisphere anxious to get started!

 

If you need help clearing out the deer, just let me know. I"ll send DH right over! :mrgreen:

 

10-4 on clearing the deer out!

I've had several requests, already, but the neighbors would have a stroke at the first sound of a shotgun or rifle! Houses too close anyway. Depending on where you stand on my property, some are within the 100 yard limit of firing weapons in Wake Co.

 

That's why the bow was created. :lol: It's silent!

 

Yeah, I've got spring fever too ... tho I'm worried about planting anything this year, just going to try and keep what I've got alive due to the drought. Still going to attempt some 'maters tho ... cant live without those!!

Harley, do you still have some Lily-of-the-valley, or was that at your last house??

 

When we moved most of my ourside plants went to my mom and some went to my sister. Mom's probably got plenty.

I didn't keep one outside or inside plant when we moved, mom & lil Harley are plant sitting for me. :lol: Going to mom's next weekend and I can't wait to see how my plants are doing.

 

I'm so excited!

I've really enjoyed reading your straw bale garden blog- so much great info and wonderful pictures- thank you!

I had emailed you (and received a timely and helpful reply- thank you) regarding my concerns about using Ammonium Nitrate. Still not altogether clear about that particular compound and how it fits into organic gardening, but figure it's best to just steer clear when in doubt. Other than blood meal (which you had mentioned), are there other practical organic fertilizers to use in this initial bale conditioning process? I've never really understood MiracleGrow and how organic it may be- is it an appropriate substitute? I noticed that you said you had added lime to your tomato bales; do you need to do that during the conditioning or later on in the planting process? I compost and plan to use some of my compost on/in the bales- and to try to water with some compost tea, as well.

I have had to stop gardening, due to degenerative disc disease and vitiligo (extreme sun sensitivity), and discovering a way to garden without all of the physicality of soil gardening is truly a blessing!

Thanks, from your new friend in Gardenville!!!

Suzan

 

Hey, Suzan ... just a quick note of 'hey' from a fellow vitiligo sufferer.


Carol

 

Suzan, I'm not an organic gardener. Nothing wrong with it. Just not something I have done a lot of. Lots of info available on the net and especially at www.davesgarden.com.

I haven't used any lime with my bale garden, so use it sparingly. Remember, dirt farming ain't bale farming. So, it takes some experimenting as to types of fertilizer and how much.

The lime is not used to prep the bales. You need NITROGEN to quick start, otherwise just go ahead and set your bales out and keep moist and nature will prep your bales for you, albeit at a slower rate.

As for Miracle Gro, it's probably what organic gardeners use, but I love it, and it's just about impossible to burn your plants.

Don't forget to put your bales with STRINGS ON THE GROUND. Takes less water and less run-off.

You'll do just fine.

Take some pics and post your progress.

 

Mmmmm! I want the recipe!

That zucchini and artichoke casserole your wife makes sounds mighty good- got the recipe??

Suzan