But when the seed heads are removed , the plant stalk that's left behind is straw , a hollow tube that has many uses, including animal bedding on farms and mulch in gardens. And if the hay was grown organically—say, to feed certified organic animals, any straw made from that hay would be free of chemicals.
In other words, you have to have organic hay or grain before you can get organic straw. But the main point in any conversation about these topics is to warn people to be careful that they DON'T get hay when they buy 'straw bales'.
Straw and hay are often packaged up identically, and many garden centers—and even farmers who sell their extra bales on the roadside—use the term 'straw' whether the bale in question is straw or hay. And if you use hay—with all those seed heads intact—as a garden mulch, the seeds will sprout and you'll become an unintentional grain farmer. I hadn't yet learned that you have to visually inspect the bales for seed heads, and picked up a batch of hay that was labeled as 'straw'.
The plants that popped up a few weeks after I spread it as mulch taught me two important lessons…. One was to never trust signage. The other was that wheat is sharp. Not a good plant to grab in anger bare-handed. But enough old war stories; let's move on to 'straw bale gardening' itself. It's always a struggle to try and work our clay soil. I read an article about how this problem could be solved by using straw bales instead of my having to schlep bags of manure, peat moss, etc.
What's your opinion? I think it's just another of the 'trends' that garden writers pick up on when they're desperate for something 'new' to write about, and that they don't subject to any critical thought. But I was raised by a homicide detective, and I'm always looking for the hole in the logic.
And in this case, I came up with five right off the bat. And that last one is perhaps my biggest issue emotionally. My approach to gardening—forged in the fires of greats like J. The answer to clay soil is not to grow in pesticide laden straw bales which are really heavy , by the way—so the schlepping factor is not decreased one bit.
Raised beds and real containers are a much less toxic and much more sustainable response to clay soil; fill them with a nice mix of potting soil , screened black topsoil, perlite and compost.
NOT manure or peat moss; those are far from the best soil amendments. Then you're away from the clay, growing in a medium that isn't pre-contaminated with chemicals, drains well in wet years, goes longer between waterings in dry years, and doesn't need to be replaced every year. And one that you can naturally nourish with compost , worm castings and other organic matter instead of salty chemical fertilizers.
Sign up today and be the first to know when a new article is posted and when there are special offers too! Close Shopping Cart. Continue Shopping. Checkout ». Shopping Cart 0 items in cart. Unlike in-ground or raised bed gardening, water draining out of a straw bale is carrying with it some of the nitrogen you applied to feed bacteria growth.
Early in the season, bales need no more than one gallon of water per bale per day to support plant growth. Any more than that can be detrimental to the nutrient level within the bale. As the season progresses and plant roots take up more space within the bale, more water will be necessary, because the bale will just dry out more quickly.
Rather than watering more per dose and potentially washing away nutrients, Joel recommends increasing the frequency of watering instead.
Laying soaker hose over a straw bale garden is an effective way to deliver water evenly, but constant exposure to sunlight breaks down the hose material quickly. Joel recommends drip irrigation as the best option. The irrigation tube is more durable and easier to tuck out of the light. Plus, drip emitters provide better control for providing the right amount of water to each type of plant.
It can provide the frequency the straw bale garden will require without overdoing it to wash away nutrients. Crops like carrots, radishes, and lettuce will be better off if you lay a thin layer of sterile soilless mix over the top of the bale and cover the seeds with a light dusting of the mix. The larger seeds of crops like peas, beans, and squash can be inserted directly into the bale to a depth of around the second knuckle on your finger.
When planting seedlings, create a hole in the bale deep and wide enough to accommodate the roots, and insert the root ball directly into the cavity.
If any of the roots are exposed to the surface, add a little soilless mix to protect them. If you live in a cooler zone, you may want to cover the bale with plastic over a wire trellis to create a sort of tent over the bale. The cover will hold the heat developed by bacterial growth in the bale. Since heat production continues for up to 8 weeks, it can create a comfortable environment for even tender crops to thrive. According to Joel, five bales can provide sufficient crop production in a season to feed one person.
Just keep plant size in mind when deciding what to plant in each of those bales. An indeterminate tomato, for example, will take up a huge amount of space at the height of the growing season. So, better to limit those to one per bale. Pull back or cut a small hole in the bale just large enough to accommodate your seedling.
Become familiar with the mature size indicated on a seed packet or plant tag, and space accordingly. Straw bales are unique in that you can tuck small plants into the sides. Herbs and flowers do really well inserted into those spaces. Joel likes to maximize the use of each bale by strategically planting crops according to the age of the bale. After all, a bale that is 2 years old will be much more decomposed than a new bale. Root crops prefer that environment.
So, Joel plants crops like tomatoes, peppers and eggplant in newly-conditioned bales and plants his root crops into second season bales. After the second season, bales tend to be too decomposed for another crop, but the remaining material makes for a great potting medium for container gardening. Like the fresh bale material, the decomposed byproduct holds moisture well while still providing good drainage.
Aside from being easy to set up, there are several advantages to straw bale gardening. The height of the bale is a big bonus when it comes to accessibility. No problem. All you need to garden in straw bales are pruners and a planting trowel. For determinate and smaller varieties, you could grow two plants per bale. The heat created by bacterial activity means that gardeners in cool zones can start planting sooner. Even warm-season crops do well during cool spring days, because their roots remain warm within the bale.
That means earlier crop production. On the other hand, Joel has found that roots within a bale remain cooler during hot weather. European gardeners are setting up straw bale gardens on their rooftops, and gardeners all over the world have set them up on balconies or small patios.
One New Jersey community garden is built entirely in straw bales situated on a plot of contaminated land. The toxic soil has been covered up, and the bales provide space to grow food without any soil contact. Another big benefit is the reduction in diseases. Many diseases are soil-borne, but the soilless bale will be pathogen-free, which is why Joel recommends using sterile soilless mix for sowing small seeds and covering exposed roots.
However, bear in mind that disease pathogens can infect a bale environment. So if you have issues with a soil-borne disease avoid inadvertently transmitting the pathogens on work gloves or your garden trowel to the plants in your bale garden. He says that they do as long as the bale is conditioned well and decomposing. The bacterial activity within the bale can provide nutrients for plant roots just like the soil food web in our in-ground or raised bed gardens.
Root crops, like carrots and beets, do best in the decomposed material of a 2-year old bale. He feels these issues are far outweighed by the benefits he enjoys. They are definitely not your traditional beauty, but they can be dressed up with flowers planted in the sides, decorative trellis options or other creative adaptations.
It turns out that bale gardening is a great option for providing food to families in third world countries. Some Asian countries burn rice straw off the fields after harvest, but Joel is involved with an organization teaching local farmers to bale the material instead.
Straw bale gardening is making a real difference in many third world countries — providing a food source for families who struggle with challenging growing conditions. Maybe it will be a good option for you to try as well this season.
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