Conditioning, Planting and Growing a Straw Bale Garden - From Day One.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ค. 2024
- This year was our first year for growing things in straw bales. I really didn't know what to expect, so I was very pleased when I saw how well things grow in straw bales.
i'm showing how I did things. I'm not saying that this is the best way to do it. It's just the way I did it.....and it worked out pretty well for us.
We grew Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplants and even petunias in our straw bales. They all did very well, and the vegetables produced lots of fruit. I thought the eggplants did especially well. I've always had trouble with flea beetles bothering our eggplants, and they didn't bother the plants in the straw bales as much.
In this video, I show a day by day look at how to condition the straw bales for planting, then I show exactly how I planted my plants. At the end of the video, I give you a look at the vegetable plants loaded with fruit, so you can see exactly how well it worked out in our zone 6b Midwest garden.
Even though I used a compost thermometer to check the temperatures in my straw bales, many people use digital meat thermometers.
For more information on Straw Bale Gardening, and to see the straw bale conditioning recipe that I followed, here is an article by Washington State University Extension: s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2...
Compost Thermometer: amzn.to/2OVf0ht (affiliate)
The soil mix I used: • Rejuvenating Soil For ...
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Excellent harvest!
Thanks a bunch. The price of straw bales around here keeps me from using them more now.
Such a pleasure to hear a 'non Hollywood' presentation without the usual boring 'going nowhere' Electronic type Music [?] .....and just get the facts.
Thanks a bunch, Danny! I just try to be me. Some people appreciate that, and some don't.
THIS is the video I am needing. Here in MO, it's always a struggle to plant in the ground bec MO is made of rocks. :) And I have been wanting to try bale gardening for while now but could not find the basic steps to get bales ready to plant. Your video explains this soooooo very well. I've seen other bale gardening vids but I could not understand some points bec some never mentioned CONDITIONING the straw. And some would mention it in passing using words like, prepare your bale, get it ready for planting. For someone like me who knows zero, what does those even mean??? Well, after I watched your vid, I am now able to understand what the heck they were talking about. But, I found you as the best resource and I will listen to no one else anymore. Like what I always tell people, not everybody is cut out to be a teacher no matter how much of an expert they are on the issue. It is people who thoroughly understand the subject are the ones who end up being the greatest teachers.
Thank you very much for those very kind words! I really appreciate that. I don't think of myself as any type of expert though. I try to share what I do. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. We had really good luck with sweet potatoes in our bales last year, so I will probably be doing that again. BTW, I'm familiar with the rocky soil of Missouri. My grandparents had a farm in SW Mo.
I can't wait to try this next week. This is going to change the way I garden. My back isn't what it used to be and I can't build raised beds on the property. Such a great teacher. Thanks
You're welcome! Glad I could help. Hope it works out well for you!
Best straw bale instructional video I've seen.
Thank you!
Thank you sir.....very informative...this is my first year trying straw bales....
You're welcome, Charles. I hope you enjoy growing in them as much as we have. This year I'm growing sweet potatoes and micro tomatoes in 3 bales. That is all I had bought before the pandemic hit.
Folks yall go thru a lot to wet them down. Get a kiddie pool soak one side flip it soak other side. You captured your water. Pour it over top while soaking. Get a friend to help you get it out. Do it where your putting them.
Thanks for sharing how you do it!
Thanks as always it is good to see how a fellow Zone 6 is doing it
You're welcome! Thanks for watching and the time to comment. Much appreciated!
Charlie. I am also happy about Jim teaches us in zone 6. Sometimes when I look at growing bananas of course we can't grow. I ask myself why.. You are wasting time. Have an awesome day
Very nice. You did well on your harvest. I may try a couple next spring. Thanks for the video.
You're welcome David! Yeah, I think that's the way to go. Do a couple and see what you think.
Wow I am impressed about this system. I never heard of it before growing vegetables in straw bale 😅 Thank you so much Sir for such a useful video! 👍
You're welcome! So nice of you to say.....thanks!
They work really good no doubt! Good job done on showing how you done yours. Hope you have a great day!
Thanks CB! I see why you have so many straw bales now. I doubt if I have room for many more than I had this year, but makes me wish I had a system built like yours. You guys have a great weekend too!
Wow! Impressive!
Thanks!
Thank you! You gave exactly the information I needed.
You're welcome! I'm glad that I could help.
Very nicely done Jim! Those sure look to work awesome and at the end of it all, you have great compost for next year! I will try some of these next year for sure. Have a great Sunday buddy:)
Thanks Ryan! Yep, they do break down pretty well. Mine are getting a lot smaller. I see why CB is so passionate about them now. You have a great day too!
Excellent demo....a little different conditioning schedule from what I have used in the past....did not know that urea was so water soluble .....seems like there are always undissolved pieces in my bales, but I will be more careful in how I water them in.....maybe water well before applying, then barely water afterwards....have been using a 40+ from the local co-op.....beautiful results!!!!
Thanks a bunch! Looks like that 40+ would do the trick. I might do a little experimenting with a couple of bales this year....still thinking it over. It won't be long now.
Thanks for sharing this. I was just thinking the other day of doing some back tracking in your video file to find out how you did this. I'm gonna plant my peppers like this next spring.
You're welcome! I'm sorry it took so long, but it took me a long time to get all the clips thrown together and edited. I hope they work out as well for you as they did for us. I'm really glad that I did the bales.
excellent info thanks keep it going
Thanks Steve!
This absolutely fascinating Jim! It was so interesting! And the end result - amazing! What a great video tutorial! Thank you Jim!!!
Thank you very much Sasha! I hope it helps a few folks out. You and Brad have a great day!
Midwest Gardener I have a question, when did you start the whole process? ...ballpark
I started two bales early, and two bales later. I'll go check.
I started the last two bales on May 1st, so they weren't planted until about 3 weeks into May. The other bales were started in April sometime. Probably early April while it was still cold. I remember one of the first two bales had frost on it, and the other didn't, because it was 110 degrees inside.
Midwest Gardener not a big deal... I’m wondering when the best time would be to start something like this in Arizona if I decide to. As you know, my seasons are a bit out of wack 😁
Best straw bale instructional video I've seen.
Do you need to add Phosphorus and potassium later in the season when plants start fruiting?
It doesn't hurt to use some balanced fertilizer later in the season....once or twice.
@@MidwestGardener What would be a good balanced organic fertilizer for the P and K?
@@philbrownred6500 I many times just use some generic granular 10-10-10.
Thank you Jim. I really appreciate this video. Will follow your directions, i have hay bales, not straw, but i dont think it will make a big difference.
You're very welcome! One thing I would mention, is that there might be more chance of the hay bales having persistent herbicide in them. So, if it's possible, you might ask the person who you buy them from about herbicides. I think I might have to do a video on the subject. It's not a huge problem, but it can be very disappointing if it happens. Thanks for the idea :)
Yes that is true and very important to consider when buying hay or straw bales. I dont buy them, my father has plenty, he mows twice a year, has huge meadow, not treated with herbicides or anything.
Awesome!! I wish I had a supply like that. I'm a little jealous :)
It's a compot pile. It's just tied up and can't breath. Bust them loose fertilize water cook.
Thanks for the suggestion. That wouldn't work for me.
Didn't have much luck last yr with the straw bales by end if summer making great mulch will try again
Well I hate to hear that. Do you know whey they didn't work last year? Just wondering. Seems like mine are really breaking down now. Thanks for sharing how yours did.
Such a great idea! I have the perfect spot for about 20 of these. If I season the bales now would they still be viable in the spring? I’m in North Jersey zone 5. Or should I just wait til last frost? Your videos are a wealth of info.
I think I would wait till very early next spring to condition them. Thanks a bunch for the kind words! It's very much appreciated!
This really worked out well for you. If you try it again next year, is there anything you would do different?👍
That's a great question! I will have to give it some thought, but I can't think of much I would do differently right now....except try to figure a way to give support to the plants that need it.
Midwest Gardener I remember you talking about that but yours held up really well and I like the fact that the sides had airflow but I really don't know if that makes a difference. I think it's that trapped feeling thing like with the tomato cages lol.
Lol, yep, no cages :) I did have some plants that started to lean over after a while. I used rebar and strips of old t-shirts to hold them up.
Strawbale gardening has really taken off. I remember seeing one channel talking about it six years ago. Yours are doing well. Would you recommend that vs B2E?
It works pretty well, and it's not all that hard to try, so I think I would say that it's worth a try for anyone. The nice thing about it is that you can try a bale or two, and if you like it you can try more, and if you don't like it, you aren't out much.
I conditioned my bail of straw but no mushroom growth ,it did get up to 130 and has dropped in temp but to rainy and cool yet to plant . I wrapped bail in plastic fencing to hold it together . I wonder if that's ok ?
I'm really now sure how the plastic will work. I've never tried that. It might be a little cool for the mushrooms. If it heated up and then dropped back down, it might be ready. Usually the bales will darken a bit on top when they are ready.
That is very impressive. Do you think I could use bokashi as fertilizer?
Thanks! I'm guessing that there wouldn't be enough nitrogen.
I'm in Central Indiana Zone 5-ish and just purchased 4 bales of straw. I was planning on leaving them out and when they are a bit weathered and mushy in the spring, I would do the additional conditioning for nutrients. What do you think?
That would probably work. I've left a few out all winter before. They didn't have the wild temperature rises that a unweathered bale can have. I hope you enjoy growing in straw bales as much as we have. Our sweet potatoes this year did especially well in straw bales.
@@MidwestGardener thanks for the speedy reply.
@@dorothy9276 You're welcome!
Did you fertilize the tomatoes and peppers after planting? If so, what did you use and how often? They’re such heavy feeders, and I worry they won’t get enough of the P and K.
I used a water soluble fertilizer. I didn't really stick to any schedule, but usually once every 2 or 3 weeks or so. Toward the end of the season though, I pretty much stopped fertilizing them.
Thank you!
@@annhancock4558 You're welcome Ann!
good day Jim !! thanks for sharing this as i have been in to minds in to starting a straw bale garden but between you and CB i'll be stupid not too !!
Thanks Simon! I've enjoyed learning about it this year. It did better than I thought it would. Like if told others, it wouldn't hurt to do one or two, just to see if you like it.
Jim, are you an advocate of bales now after a season? It seems easier and cheaper to construct a tiny raised bed of same size and fill it with Walmart compost and potting mix or better yet, a bigger bed. They're already broken down so it'd be re-usable and cheaper the year after too. Nurseries have bulk "super soils" to fill them with if you really want to go cheap. I'm not knocking bales, but I don't really see the value in them especially with all the work, time, and structures placed around them to make it a working system. It's kind of like creating a raised bed and taking a really long time to compost the organic matter in it (hay) while you grow in them. They kind of seem faddish, but folks keep me interested when I see how popular some find them. I trust your opinion on it so I'm asking. Where's the added value or is it something you're skipping next year?
Well, as of right now, I plan to grow a few again next year....if I can find some that I'm confident don't have persistent herbicides in them. I talked to the guy I bought these from just to make sure. You know, I thought the same thing about the cost factor, but the bale costs $6.00 bucks, and the fertilizer I used wasn't that expensive. I have also been using the grow bags. They take so much soil to fill that it costs way more than $6.00 per grow bag, and even when rejuvenating the used soil, it probably costs more. I really liked the way things grew in the bales also.
Personally, if anyone has any interest in them at all, it would be worth doing just one or two bales just to find out what they think. I really didn't think I would be sold on them when I started it, but I pretty much am now. I know I would feel completely differently if I had to water them by hand though. I've never grown anything in raised beds, so I can't really compare to them.
Maybe throw a single bale at the end of one of your projects outside and see what you think. I would be interested to hear what you think.
The only thing that worries me at all about the bales is the possibility of getting ahold of some with persistent herbicide in them.
Cool, thanks buddy. I may do one or two near the new greenhouse next year.
You're welcome!
Last year before winter i bought 3 bales of straw. I left it out all winter in the elements uncovered. Would i still need to condition the bale now if it has rotted and weathered since winter or could i plant into it now and use some compost in with it? Any help appreciated...
Hi Pat. There are a couple of things that will happen to the bale when it's ready to plant. The top of the bale will start looking a little darker in color. And I think the best indicator that it's ready to plant is when it starts getting some mushrooms growing on it. Mine almost always get mushrooms after they've been conditioned and the weather warms a little. You can give it a try and see what happens. Good luck!
Thanks for the reply.. And i will try and remember to let you know what happens just as it sat all winter.. The top is the dark color but no mushrooms yet but it's still pretty chilly in Missouri. I think I'll try beefsteak tomatoes in them this week. Thanks again Sir
That would be great if you could let us know how it works out. .....thanks. Yes, if it is still chilly there, those mushrooms might show up soon.
@@pattorregrossa9210 You're welcome, and good luck!
That's pretty neat. I am glad you took us through all the steps.
I did want to ask about your popcorn. Did you eat any yet.
Thanks! I haven't eaten any of the popcorn yet. I want to do a video on it, so I think I will harvest some of the glass gem corn to compare before I do one. I might do the harvest this week. Thanks for asking though, that always helps to keep me motivated :)
Are the straw bales only good for one season or multiple seasons?
Mine only last one season.
@@MidwestGardener thanks for the feedback!
@@adaml262 You're welcome!
Its been raining and I didn't do any of the steps. Can I start them now?
Sure. That rain can help.
@@MidwestGardener Thank you! Love your videos. Love this idea!
@@sellersbonus You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
What should I expect to pay for straw bales?
It depends on where you are. Around here they are about 7 bucks a bale now.
That's 1 cup Ammonium Sulfate per bale I assume?
Yes, that is correct.
Or even much better, organic and free solution: you pee on it! HEALTHY human urine has tons of uses in the garden, including as a plant fertilizer (well diluted!) and a composting accelerator! You are welcome.😁💚
Yes, I've heard that works very well. If we didn't have neighbors, I might consider it :)
This is the comment I was looking for!
Wow. I don't think I would be able to sell my customers on the hay bale. Not on that recipe no way.
Forgive me for asking but why so much N or Urea. Why not just a hot lime or put lime in a watering can?
Well, I was using a recipe from a university website. I'm not sure of the exact reason, but I assume that it is to get it past that potential hot stage when it can heat up to 130 degrees or more. If they were planted and then they got real hot, it could fry the plant roots.
It might be worth it to experiment with what you suggested. I've got too many experiments to keep up with right now myself though.
@@MidwestGardener it took a while but I think I figured it out. I like to think on things and what I already know before I look it up or ask. I'm guessing the recipe is too speed up the decomp reaction. Instead of waiting a year or so it's ready in two to three weeks. Makes sense. Still. My customers will probably blow up their garage or burn their lungs hahaha 😂
How do you keep fire ants out?
We don't have any trouble with fire ants.
@@MidwestGardener Ok thanks. Our hay bales get covered up with fire ants and was wondering if anyone knows what to do to kill them so we can make garden beds with them. Thanks for the great video!
Oh, wow, I sure hate to hear that. I don't have any experience with them, so I don't have any good advice. Sorry I couldn't be of any help. Maybe somebody will see this and respond.
@@MidwestGardener Thank you so much!
@@linr7342 You're welcome!
So toadstools not mushrooms!
Whatever they are, I wouldn't eat them.
Midwest Gardener I see others call them mushrooms 2. I just figured they really are toadstools! 🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️?
Good grief thats why i dont compost or fertilize. Gardners go a lifetime trying master composting. Nature drops mulch in thfall.
I have a bird aviary where i mulch with leaves deeply& constantly. Thliquid there of blessed hardpack gravel clay 50 ft. downhill beyond there. I did nothing. Gravity works. Gardening amounts 2a luquid. I manufacture it with mulch &fertilizer.
Also I find this method is persistent lasting years. I also gather potting soil beneath mulch. A tree ssedling in only 1cup of this soil explodes in thforest vs direct seeding for months &months after. Thwhole point too is not 2use or purchase any manufacfured products.
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Thanks for sharing how you do stuff!