Straw Bale Gardening

Hay or Straw Bale Gardening is a method of gardening in which plants are grown in straw bales, usually wheat or oat straw, rather than in soil. Because it is a mostly soil-less method, it is sometimes considered a form of hydroponic gardening. It is suitable for many types of annuals, and is especially used for vegetable gardening.


Advantages of Straw Bale Gardening
There are many reasons why gardeners turn to hay bale gardens. Probably the most common is poor or difficult soil. A straw bale requires no tilling or mixing of soils to allow for drainage. In this part of South Carolina the soil is mostly very dense red clay that is exceptionally difficult to work and can cause serious drainage issues. Simply growing vegetables in hay bales eliminates these problems. Because the plants are a couple of feet off of the ground, it also makes gardening much easier for the disabled, older gardeners, or just for those who want to avoid back pain. Hay bales are far, far less prone to weeds, and Bale Gardening devotees report fewer pest problems. This means that straw bale gardening makes organic or low-chemical gardening all the easier. A bale garden can be a great solution for that enemy of the gardener, the parking strip (or "hell strip," as many call it). It is also becoming popular in some cityscapes for rooftop and lot gardening.


How to Garden in Straw Bales:


1. Choose your Bales
Most straw bale gardeners recommend wheat straw, but I've heard of success with oat straw as well as mixed grass or alfalfa bales. Do not use pine straw. When choosing your bales you'll want them bound with synthetic twine, which won't rot and allow your planting bed to collapse (if you cannot find synthetic twine, you'll need to use some sort of stakes as support). Try to find older bales that have already begun rotting when you can, though not those that are so far gone as to have lost some of their structure.



Before you start the curing process, place your bales. They will be constantly wet once you start curing, and will be very heavy and difficult to move. Most bale gardeners prefer to have the bales oriented with the straw vertical for better root penetration, but this is a matter of preference


2. Cure your Bales
The curing process will take about ten days, or longer if you are not using chemicals. First, soak the bales and keep them wet for three days. On the fourth day sprinkle the bales lightly with about five ounces of ammonium nitrate. Continue soaking, and on the seventh day add another two and a half ounces of ammonium nitrate. Continue soaking, and on the tenth day add one cup of 13-13-13 or 10-10-10 fertilizer and water in.

To cure without chemicals, you may to keep the bales soaking for around three or four weeks to allow them to start breaking down. When you start to soak them, they will become noticeably warm or even hot. Do not plant until they have cooled down.


3. Plant
Most gardeners will want to use some soil for planting on the bales. A 2 or 3 inch layer of compost or potting soil on top of the bales should be sufficient, or you can cut quart-sized holes in the bales themselves with a keyhole saw and fill those with a mix of cool compost and soil. Many bale gardeners, though, prefer to use very little soil, and plant directly into the bales. To do so, simply split a crack to plant in with a prying instrument of some sort. Keep in mind, though, that without compost on the bales, you will need to use more artificial fertilizers.

Each bale should hold about two plants for most vegetables, such as tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers. More will usually fit well with smaller plants like peppers, greens, or herbs. I don't recommend bale growing with root crops, as the roots will be compressed by the straw and will be difficult to harvest. Very tall crops, such as corn or pole beans, will tip the bale over without some sort of support system. Smaller plants are easier to transplant into bales, so bale growers often transplant somewhat younger than soil gardeners.


4. Grow and Enjoy

Depending on what you're growing and how much fertilizer and compost you use on the bales, you may need to fertilize lightly throughout the growing season. Small amounts of artificial fertilizer should work, though I recommend a compost tea. Keep in mind that, unlike traditional gardening, your plants will be getting next to no nutrients other than what you add to the straw (though overfertilizing is often more dangerous for your plants than underfertilizing is). It is also very important to keep the bales moist throughout the growing season. The bales should retain water surprisingly well, and many gardeners report that they actually use significantly less water with straw bale gardening than they did with traditional methods, but you will certainly need to keep an eye on your plants to make sure that they don't dry out between waterings. One great thing about hay bale gardens is that you will probably not be able to overwater them, as they will allow the excess to drain right out.

You should be able to reuse your wheat straw bales for one year. After that you can compost them, or just break them up where they sit and put new bales over them. This will enrich the soil below and encourage worms to come in and improve it.

Got experience with this method of growing? Got questions? See a way to improve this article? I'd love to hear from you! Please, comment below.




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