An Old Technique is New Again
Straw bale gardening has been around for several hundred years. Once farmers had figured out the utility of compost in growing vegetables and then stumbled across a pile of straw that was heating up because some high nitrogen product was added to it (livestock piss?), it is no surprise that they tried planting produce right in the pile. Today’s bound bales make the process so much neater and easier.
Straw bales are wetted down, have high nitrogen fertilizer added to them to feed the decomposition microbes, and are kept moist over the season. The microbes decompose the straw and the straw provides most of the nutrients plants need to grow. Your rocky soil, a slab of granite outcrop, a gravel pit (or driveway), any of them become a handy garden location.
Straw bales are preferred over hay, because of the large amount of weed seed typically incorporated in hay bales. Straw bales will be much less work. The bales require preconditioning before planting. So you need to acquire your bales a couple of weeks ahead of your planned plant date. Conditioning involves watering the bales daily for three days. You want to add enough water that it runs out the bottom of the bale. The bales will absorb a lot of the water, and retain it, so their weight will increase. Make sure you have them located where they will be staying for the season.
The Straw Bale Gardening Method
The bales should be oriented so that the stalk ends point up and down. That means the twine holding the bales together will be running parallel to the ground. It makes a lot of sense to run the bales in rows, one or two bales wide. This allows you to set strong stakes in the ground (if it’s not too rocky) and run lengths of wire or string from post to post, creating a trellis for support for your vines or tomatoes.
On the fourth day, you start adding high nitrogen fertilizer. Urea is a good choice. It has a ratio of 46-0-0. There is a method to follow. Over the next 6 days, follow this schedule. Day one, add a 1/2 cup of urea to each bale and add water until it is running out the bottom. Soak thoroughly on day two, but no urea. Day three 1/2 cup of urea again and water in. Then no urea on day four, just soak. Repeat this process for the next two day. For the next three days, add 1/4 cup of urea each day and soak thoroughly. On day ten, you should add a cup of granulated, balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer. Keep watering the bales for a few more days until the internal temperature falls to about body temperature. Now you are ready to plant.
This whole process is described in a popular book on the subject that is available on Amazon. You can find out more about the whole process at Straw Bale Gardens. Check out the pics and read his FAQ.
If you would like to download some free PDFs from agricultural extension services, that lay everything out, as well as provide planting and spacing details, try the links below.
Straw Bale Gardening – Clemson University
Straw Bale Gardening – Washington State University
Straw Bale Gardening – New Mexico Junior College
Gardening With Straw Bales – University of California
Straw bale gardening is definitely a solution when gardening soil is at a premium, or non-existent> It also provides you with a raised growing surface, minimizing bending. Because you are above the soil level, you are raised above many pests and your crops should suffer less from insect depredation. A huge bonus is that, at the end of the growing season, you are left with a big pile of composted organic matter which you can dump into a compost bed, spread around as mulch and generally, build up whatever soil you do have.
I’m going to experiment with this technique. The guides above provide direction as to which types of plants are most suited to this medium. You should give them a good read before you start. Try it yourself, then get back to me. You can email me here, just use the contact form, or visit my Facebook page, Survival Harvesting, and shoot me a PM or email.
