Straw bales can be the perfect medium to start a garden. For the most part, straw bales are readily available and reasonably priced. Buying bales in the fall is a good strategy, because they are usually at the lowest price of the season. As well, leaving them out to overwinter helps prepare them for the spring. Be sure to place bales carefully upon arrival. After a rain, they will be so much heavier and difficult to move. "Spoiled" bales are perfect for planting.
For bales started in the spring follow these simple instructions:
- Place bales end up with the straw up and down. They are taller this way and make for easier planting.
- Arrange the bales as separate units or combine to make a larger planting unit. Keep planting units to about 4 bales wide, this way the center can be reached from any outer point.
- Water the bales to the point of water running out every day for 5 days. If it's particularly hot and or dry, cover with plastic.
- After the initial 5 day soak, continue to soak daily, but add fertilizer. Experts recommend blood meal or fish fertilizer to keep it organic. Add 2 lbs of blood meal the first day and then 1/2 a pound every day thereafter for 5 days. If using fish meal, dissolve 1/4 cup in some water and pour on the bale with more water.
- For spoiled or overwintered bales, begin the soaking with fertilizer.
At some point during this process, the bales will heat up, signaling the straw is breaking down. At the end of 10 days, the bales are ready to plant. It's definitely okay to continue this process for longer than 10 days.
How to plant in a straw bale:
- To start seed, cover the bale with 1/2 inch of fresh compost. Sprinkle seeds, and cover with a light layer of compost.
- For vegetable starts, dig a small hole into the bale with a pointed garden spade or other pointed instrument. Place a little compost in the bottom of the hole, and add the plant start. Cover the base of the starts with a layer of compost.
- Continue to add compost throughout the growing season.
- Fertilize more frequently than usual because the straw bale itself is devoid of nutrients.
Another use for straw bales is to use them as the perimeter of the garden. Place 4 or more straw bales as described above in a square or rectangular shape. Fill the interior with garden soil. Bales can be braced along the outside with rope or twine, but shouldn't have any trouble holding the interior soil. The bales can be used for planting as well, or just as bracing.
When the bales are spent, work them into garden soil in the fall. It is possible to reuse bales for another season or two, depending on conditions.
Cassandra Truax - Cassandra might be considered a jack of all trades. Starting out with a BA in Spanish with a minor in Environmental Studies, she decided ...
