Strawbale Gardening
Growing vegetables in straw bales has been growing in popularity across the United States over the last few years. There are many benefits to growing vegetables in straw and several reasons why people have tried this unique method of gardening. While straw bale gardening might not work for everyone, and let’s be honest there is no gardening method that will work for every person, I do think it is something everyone should try at least once.
There are many reasons gardeners try straw bale gardening. One of the most common reasons I’ve heard relates to the poor condition of the soil they have to garden in. The straw bale sits on top of the soil so you can avoid planting in soil that is contaminated with disease or even by chemicals. If you have very heavy clay soils or soil that is very rocky due to where you live, gardening on top of the ground might work for you. Another reason that I commonly hear is the gardener has issues with mobility and the straw bales are a cheaper alternative to purchasing containers or raised beds. Unlike raised beds, straw bales do not have to be in the same spot every year, you are stuck in that one spot for a year as the bales get heavy once watered in, but the next year you start over with new bales in a different location. One of the biggest benefits of straw bales is the compost they produce during the growing season which can be incorporated into your garden spot to improve poor soils.
Straw bale gardening is fairly simple. You place straw bales, make sure the cut ends are facing up, in a location that gets at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight. Straw, not hay bales, work best as they tend to have fewer weeds or seeds that will grow when you water them. Once the bales have been placed where you want them it’s time to “condition” the bales over a 12-day time period. Essentially you are starting the composting process using water and fertilizer. Conditioning follows the process below:
- Day 1-3 Water the bale to saturation
- Day 4-6 Sprinkle 1/2 c. Urea (46 - 0 - 0) on the top of each bale and water the fertilizer in, careful not to wash the fertilizer away. The fertilizer should start to work its way into the bale from the stream of water. It may not completely disappear but it should not remain entirely on the top of the bale.
- Day 7-9 Reduce the fertilizer to 1/4 c. Urea and water the fertilizer in
- Day 10-11 Stop fertilizing, keep the bale moist.
As the decomposition process starts the bale will start to heat up with the microbes breaking down the straw. This is a good sign. Check the top of the bale on day 11 and as long as it is cool to the touch you are ready to start planting. You can grow almost any vegetable in the bales with the exception of corn (only because they get top heavy and fall over with the height of the corn). If you are planting plants directly into the bales make a hole with a trowel or knife and place a small amount of potting soil or compost in the hole to plant the transplants in. If you are using seeds, spread a layer of compost or potting soil across the top of the bale and plant like you would in the ground.
After the bales are conditioned and planted water and fertilizer will be important. Watering will be key, especially during the hot days of summer. Many people use a soaker hose to keep the bales damp. Watering by hand is also a great option as you can scout for diseases or any other issues while you are watering. You will have to add a complete fertilizer, one with Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium, to keep the plants growing as there are not enough nutrients in the bales themselves. During periods of active growth or vegetable production you might have to fertilize once a week depending on the fertilizer being used. Once the season is over the bales can be broken apart on a compost pile or a future garden spot.
Straw bale gardening is an interesting alternative to growing the garden in the ground and it can be a less expensive way to garden in a raised bed fashion. It’s definitely something to try in your yard. Be aware during hot and dry periods you may have to water the bales twice a day to keep the moisture levels high enough.
