16 replies to this topic

[gulfcoastruth]

Hey ya'll...

I have been very interested in this forum and learning alot! Many of the threads go back a few years, and some of the links no longer work, or the page has expired. I was trying to link to info on "hay-bale gardening" and was re-directed back to the Mrs. S homepage. Does anyone have the scoop on hay-bale gardening that you can share?

Thanks alot!

[ma & pa steel]

posting this hear also..

try this .. http://www.no-dig-ve...-gardening.html
and this http://mrssurvival.c...amp;hl=hay bale
it has 2 links that are good I checked them before posting.

No-Stoop Gardening

Hay bale gardening becoming a bit hit http://www.postpaper.com/haybale.htm

Hay Bale Gardening Again! http://www.hvtd.com/?q=node/1957

Edited by ma & pa steel, 02 May 2009 - 01:51 PM.

[gulfcoastruth]

WOW! The jackpot!! Thanks so much, ma & pa!!

[pscathy]

posting this hear also..

try this .. http://www.no-dig-ve...-gardening.html
and this http://mrssurvival.c...amp;hl=hay bale
it has 2 links that are good I checked them before posting.

No-Stoop Gardening

Hay bale gardening becoming a bit hit http://www.postpaper.com/haybale.htm

Hay Bale Gardening Again! http://www.hvtd.com/?q=node/1957

Thank you! I am a friend of Ruth's and interested in this concept. I live in high desert of So California...the gophers have invaded my garden, which is surrounded by hardware cloth that we trenched 15 inches! I'm afraid to plant.....haven't caught him yet...but these bales might be a solution for now. Cathy

[westbrook]

Thank you! I am a friend of Ruth's and interested in this concept. I live in high desert of So California...the gophers have invaded my garden, which is surrounded by hardware cloth that we trenched 15 inches! I'm afraid to plant.....haven't caught him yet...but these bales might be a solution for now. Cathy


cathy, I've sent you a PM.



it needs to be straw bales. it is pretty simple really, stick trowel in, make a hole, fill with soil.. plant.

but first soak the bale with water.

[Crazy4Canning]

I use the hay bale gardening for my potatoes. It's super simple.

[gulfcoastruth]

Oh, that's interesting C4C ! I read that potatoes don't work that well, as the bales are "too crowded" or compact, for them. I will try it next year for sure!

[Crazy4Canning]

Let me clarify - I used a round compost bin, sprinkled straw a few inches deep, tossed in the sulfured potatoes, more straw, potatoes, etc. until I ran out of potatoes. I water, water, water, then as shoots come up, I add straw for 1/2 of each new shoot,then water some more. You can dig down in and see how they're doing.

My dad doesn't think this will work, but the feed store guy does. So, we'll see how it works. I'll take photos and add them to my gallery.

[gulfcoastruth]

Ah hah! I think it should work, since the only problem seems to be that the bales are too compact for the potatoes. Your method sounds like an article I read about it. I remember the layering part. Would love to see pictures!

[Marsha]

Hey ya'll...

I have been very interested in this forum and learning alot! Many of the threads go back a few years, and some of the links no longer work, or the page has expired. I was trying to link to info on "hay-bale gardening" and was re-directed back to the Mrs. S homepage. Does anyone have the scoop on hay-bale gardening that you can share?

Thanks alot!

Hi Gulf Coast Truth!

I tried hay bale gardening this past summer and it worked pretty well for my tomatoes. However, my bales weren't 'seasoned' and it was a little hard trying to make the holes in the bales for the plants. If you can, buy the bales now and leave them outside for the rain and sun to soften them up a bit. Also, they dry out VERY quickly in the summer heat, at least here in south Mississippi. I had to water every day to keep my plants healthy.

Marsha

[gulfcoastruth]

Thanks Missisippi!

I'm going to get hay bales this weekend (September), and hope they are good and ready for next spring.

I also live in the South. When it rains it pours, but when it's sunny everything dries out in a hurry.

I'll keep y'all posted!

Gulf Coast

[Homemaker]

I've had great success growing pumpkins and winter squash on mounds of straw. I just scrape back some of the straw, spread in some compost and plant.
As they grow, the straw is breaking down, and the worms are working the organic matter into the soil. After I harvest, I spread on some cow manure and let it continue rotting over the winter.
When spring comes, I plant potatoes in the rich shallow soil the worms dug for me. I layer on lots of straw as the vines come up. I get a decent crop of potatoes, but not as much as in deeply tilled soil. After that second year of straw covering, the worms have deepened the soil even more. When I dig up the potatoes, I'm giving the soil in that bed it's first real digging. I find the organic matter worked down a good 6 inches or so. I layer on more manure and straw for the winter and come spring it's ready to be planted with anything but root crops. I usually do pole beans and cucumbers.
Each year I've added a new bed to my garden using this method. I keep them all mulched with straw or leaves. My soil is getting very rich and I don't need to use a shovel. I just lightly stir up the top 3 inches when I plant seeds. The only time I take a shovel to it is when I dig the potatoes.

I love the way Ruth Stout thinks. No-till gardening is such a blessing!

By the way, Ruth Stout is my great-great aunt. I have a picture of her feeding her chickens. (Not the same Ruth stout!!)

[Christy]

C4C, how was your potato crop?
Homemaker had a decent crop.

As I'm going to set up the hugelkultur method at the retreat, I'm curious to find out if adding layers of straw to the wood will perfect this method.
That way it'd require just a small amount of earth on top.

[gulfcoastruth]

I've had great success growing pumpkins and winter squash on mounds of straw. I just scrape back some of the straw, spread in some compost and plant.
As they grow, the straw is breaking down, and the worms are working the organic matter into the soil. After I harvest, I spread on some cow manure and let it continue rotting over the winter.
When spring comes, I plant potatoes in the rich shallow soil the worms dug for me. I layer on lots of straw as the vines come up. I get a decent crop of potatoes, but not as much as in deeply tilled soil. After that second year of straw covering, the worms have deepened the soil even more. When I dig up the potatoes, I'm giving the soil in that bed it's first real digging. I find the organic matter worked down a good 6 inches or so. I layer on more manure and straw for the winter and come spring it's ready to be planted with anything but root crops. I usually do pole beans and cucumbers.
Each year I've added a new bed to my garden using this method. I keep them all mulched with straw or leaves. My soil is getting very rich and I don't need to use a shovel. I just lightly stir up the top 3 inches when I plant seeds. The only time I take a shovel to it is when I dig the potatoes.

I love the way Ruth Stout thinks. No-till gardening is such a blessing!

By the way, Ruth Stout is my great-great aunt. I have a picture of her feeding her chickens. (Not the same Ruth stout!!)

This is very encouraging! Thanks, Homemaker! I got some straw bales today and placed them where I want them. There is room for plenty more. I'm wondering though.....

I'm sure the bales are supposed to lay flat (or loose), but I'm thinkin' of having them up on their side to help discourage moles, mice and rabbits. I don't know why it wouldn't work just as well..a little skinnier growing space, but deeper....any thoughts on this?

Gulf Coast

[Homemaker]

I'm sure that mice and moles could still tunnel in from the bottom.

[LindaLou]

This website give step by step instructions on how to prepare you bales which is very important and this guy is the consumate staw bale gardener.

http://www.carolinac...uide/straw.html

We had a straw bale garden 2 years ago. Had lots of success with tomatoes, jalapenos, peppers, cantelope. We found that buying plants from the nursery was better. The seeds I sprouted seemed to be less hardy. We put our bales on visqueen to deter pests although since we have a huge problem with grubs the bales were full of grubs at the end of the season.

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[Philbe]

QUOTE (gulfcoastruth @ May 2 2009, 12:51 PM) Hey ya'll...

I have been very interested in this forum and learning alot! Many of the threads go back a few years, and some of the links no longer work, or the page has expired. I was trying to link to info on "hay-bale gardening" and was re-directed back to the Mrs. S homepage. Does anyone have the scoop on hay-bale gardening that you can share?

Thanks alot!

Hi Gulf Coast Truth!

I tried hay bale gardening this past summer and it worked pretty well for my tomatoes. However, my bales weren't 'seasoned' and it was a little hard trying to make the holes in the bales for the plants. If you can, buy the bales now and leave them outside for the rain and sun to soften them up a bit. Also, they dry out VERY quickly in the summer heat, at least here in south Mississippi. I had to water every day to keep my plants healthy.

Marsha

From Philbe...I found the watering issue to be true also with the MelsMix in our square foot garden (we have four 4x4's). Temps were in 100's and even watering every day didn't keep them well hydrated, so we lost alot of veggies.