Maintenance of garden beds made from straw and hay is easy, keep the bale garden watered during hot dry weather, a little bit of weeding and nature will do the rest. If you normally plant using seeds, then use seeds in your bales as well, but create a seed bed on top of the bales first using about an inch or two of sterile planting mix. Enjoy your organic harvest and please share your straw bale gardening experiences and hay bale gardening tips with the rest of us. Straw bale gardening is simply a different type of container gardening. We tried it this year for ourselves and our 81yearold mothermotherinlaw whos thrilled to have easier access to tending garden plants. Planting tomatoes in a bale of hay may seem like a strange gardening technique, but its actually a very effective and practical way to grow a healthy crop of tomatoes. Consider the pros and cons to determine if straw bale gardening is right for you. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. These classes began his adventures in traveling the world teaching the straw bale gardening method that he pioneered so many years ago. Straw bales from wheat, oats, rye or alfalfa are best hay bales more likely to have weed seed and herbicide residues planting methods flat top create a flat top of growing. Growing plants in a straw bale garden can be further elevated by locating the bales in a raised bed.
Straw bale gardening, is a most informative and detailed book for the avid vegetable gardener. You could consider straw bale gardening a form of composting and gardening simultaneously. I would also love to sign a copy of my book straw bale gardens for you as well. The latest trend is strawbale gardening, growing food in straw. Straw bale gardens teaches gardening in a way that isnt only new but is thoroughly innovative and revolutionary to home gardening. In fact, he isnt hawking any merchandise, other than the book and a self published pamphlet, straw bale gardening. Although the practice of gardening in straw bales dates back to ancient times, i learned of it only a decade ago during a chance encounter with a local straw bale guru, kent rogers. Straw bale gardening is just that, planting your seedlings into bales of straw. Buy the straw bale gardens book 20 by joel karsten straw bale gardening expert author and speaker. And as the insides of the bales decompose, they provide a rich medium for vegetable growth. This technique allows gardeners to create raised bed gardens on.
In fact, he uses hay bales in a simple notill raised garden bed. A bale garden uses hay or straw bales in place of soil. When my publisher asked me to write about strawbale gardening, i tested the techniques in my own gardens and was quite impressed with the results. Its economical, easier on your back, and is great for people with mobility issues. Its a bit like container growing, only the bale of straw becomes the container. The best part of hay bale gardening is how easy it is so if you have a brown thumb or are just looking for a really simple, low maintenance way to start a garden, then hay bale gardening might be for you. Beyond that, plant everything else that you like to eat. Karsten recommends erecting sevenfoottall posts at the end of each row of bales, and running wire between them at intervals of 10 inches from the tops of the bales. This is especially useful if you do not have space for a huge garden, or if you have difficult soil, or gravel, to work with. Hundreds of helpful, stepbystep color photographs illustrate how to arrange, prepare, and successfully grow a straw bale garden. An excellent book to guide a newcomer to straw bale gardening.
Hay bale gardening is a book that will haunt you with this one thought, why didnt i garden with hay bales sooner. Ok i did everything i was supposed to do to prepare the 10 bales of straw i have. The practice has been tested in dry climates like ours. Take your straw bale gardening to the next levelin more places, with new products, and even sometimes skipping the straw entirelywith straw bale gardens complete. In this article, youll find the whys, hows and wherefores. In my garden adventures with hay bale ad straw bale gardening i have tried several different gardening techniques. Hear the incredible story of straw bale gardens by the man who literally wrote the book on this technique, mr. Just letting you know, i will be speaking at the portland build, remodel and landscape show this coming saturday, jan 3rd at 1 p. For gardeners without a plot of tillable land, haybale gardening is a way to garden in a. Divyoull find a bumper crop of vegetable gardening books on the shelves today, but it is a very rare title that actually contains new information. Straw bale gardeners get tips, share ideas, post photos, and more. If youd like you can substitute blood meal for the nitrate. Although the practice of gardening in straw bales dates back to ancient times, i learned of it only a decade ago during a chance encounter with a local strawbale guru, kent rogers.
I have a large raised garden that was overcome by bermuda over the last year, beginning with. Straw bale gardening features a great way to grow vegetables even when space is limited. The main difference is that the container is the straw bale itself and is held together with two or three strings. What hay bale gardening is about insights and information. Sep 21, 2017 planting tomatoes in a bale of hay may seem like a strange gardening technique, but its actually a very effective and practical way to grow a healthy crop of tomatoes. The hidden dangers of straw bale gardening the grow network.
It solves every impediment todays home gardeners face. Feb 01, 2015 take your straw bale gardening to the next levelin more places, with new products, and even sometimes skipping the straw entirelywith straw bale gardens complete. See more ideas about hay bale gardening, straw bale gardening and vegetable garden. This new edition of straw bale gardens complete is the only book you need to get started with the revolutionary gardening method that has taken the world by. When my publisher asked me to write about straw bale gardening, i tested the techniques in my own gardens and was quite impressed with the results. Whatever you call it, its a great way to grow herbs and vegetables. Innovative and practical evidencebased health concepts derived from the real world. Mar 02, 2017 heres a really great book on amazon that shows you tools for hay bale gardening. Benefits of straw bale gardening, hacks and howto gardensall. Learning how to plant straw bale garden beds, on the ground or in a raised bed offers easy access to those who should not bend. As the straw breaks down over the course of the summer, it turns into compost that feeds your plants. Hay bale gardening is a garden solution for busy people, people with limited mobility or limited space.
If youve tried every potion, pill and therapy under the sun and wish there was a medicine that worked without the horrible side effects, this book is for you. I soaked them and put the ammonium nitrate like directed and. Does your garden need wind protection, mulch, or a habitat for earthworms. Explore audibles collection of free sleep and relaxation audio experiences. Gardening with straw bales university of tennessee system. Straw bale gardens i just listened to the author of this book on the radio. I dont know if this ideas fits the concept of straw bale gardening but i thought i would give it a try. Gardeners are always looking to make their vegetable gardens more productive. The reception and enthusiasm for straw bale gardening, introduced in 20, has proved revolutionary in vegetable growing. The bales are the perfect height for me and i grow all the beans, peas, potatoes, and other veggies we want.
Sprinkle each bale with a 12 cup of a high nitrogen fertilizer like ammonium nitrate 3400 or ammonium sulfate per day, and water it well into the bales. Heres an example of what a straw bale garden looks like via authorexpert joel karsten hes got a good book on the topic and he teaches it in seminars as you can see, the basic technique is actually quite simple. Using bales of hay or straw for planting or growing vegetables and other plants is easy to understand, though there can be variations. How to make straw bale gardens organic gardener magazine. A straw bale garden bed starts with a bale of straw.
Filed under article tagged with gardening with a chain saw, growing squash, hay bale gardening, henry homeyer, waterin tomatoes organic gardening not just in the northeast henrys latest book, organic gardening not just in the northeast. Mar 25, 20 straw bale gardening is an old and tested practice. Straw bale gardening comes with the endorsement of horticulture professor and noted garden myth debunker linda chalkerscott. For gardeners without a plot of tillable land, hay bale gardening is a way to garden in a relatively small space. Hay vs straw lee royer, frederick county master gardener i am a huge fan of ruth stout, the mulch queen, whose method, in short was. Growing a straw bale garden grow and make straw bale. See more ideas about hay bale gardening, straw bale gardening and strawbale. Start by arranging the bales in any way you like, side by side to make a block, end to end to create a line, zigzag, circle, whatever takes your fancy.
Setting them up is the hardest part but there are many benefits to this type of garden. Hay bale gardening uses bales of hay in place of soil. Straw bale gardening is an old and tested practice. He says he hates pulling weeds, but he loves fresh veggies. This book is truly a straw bale garden sbg for dummies guide. Add productive garden space and raise your planting bed with straw bale gardening. Straw bale gardening grow more food, in less space, with. Copy and use this gardening channel coupon code 4g8z2hfv31lg to receive a discount on your purchase of the book. Fullyreferenced scientific articles on health, nutrition and a variety of other life changing subjects. Soilless mix, with no potential to harbor disease, insects or weed seeds. Nodig gardens growing vegetables with straw bales by isbn. The straw bale process is for the person who is tired of tilling, trying to.
While i like growing melons and gourds in the bales both are heavy feeder so i created a hay bale straw bale. Looking for an engaging speaker with something new to say. Bales of hay, such as standard 5 pound bales, are laid on their sides so that the twine or wire strands that holds the hay together are roughly parallel to the ground. After the bale has decomposed you get compost you can use elsewhere in the yard. Hay bale square garden technique in my garden adventures with hay bale ad straw bale gardening i have tried several different gardening techniques.
They function essentially as a raised bed each bale is 1416 inches high and a container garden in one. Straw bale gardening is also called bale gardening or mistakenly, hay bale gardening. I can not get down on the ground and get backup and cant stand bent over for more than a few seconds. Hay bale gardening center for excellence in disabilities. And he pioneered a unique solution using straw bales for gardening. Leafy greens love the bales, as do root crops, vines, cucurbits, herbs and even flowers. Urban gardening with straw bale gardens walden labs. Hay bale square garden technique the gardeners rake. A complete guide to growing in bales without soil or weeds by joel karsten. The main thing is be sure the strings around the bale are the side touching the ground. Last year i tried a few offthewall types of gardens, including a straw bale garden. Joel karsten straw bale gardens online event we are excited to announce an onlineonly event on may 11 with joel karsten, a farm boy who grew up tending a soil garden like other gardeners have for centuries, and shook up the gardening world with his first book describing his breakthrough straw bale gardening concept.
He routinely challenges old gardening dogma and pioneers exciting new techniques to grow vegetables in the darndest places. A good nights sleep is essential for keeping our minds and bodies strong. You can also learn more about me, joel karsten, or send questions you might have about straw bale gardening. Its a lot of fun and its a quick way to get a garden going without worrying about improving the soil. Seeds can be planted directly on top of the bale or seedlings can be used. For the location i have chosen, growing inside a double row of hay bales seems like an ideal solution to growing 120 days to maturity crops. Frequently asked questions answered by joel karsten, straw bale gardener expert, author and speaker. Straw and hay bale gardening explained flowerpotman. Strawbale gardening gains popularity northern gardener. Bale gardening is one way to garden if you do not have a lot of soil or space. Have been straw or hay bale gardening for 3 years now and love it i have had 2 back surgeries and have nerve damage from the injury. The hidden dangers of straw bale gardening the grow.
Growing a straw bale garden grow and make straw bale gardening. The bale is first conditioned and then vegetable plants are planted and grown inside the bale. In straw bale solutions, the next book in the straw bale gardening series, you will find over two dozen stories of straw bale gardens that inspire. The science of straw bale gardening with joel karsten. Endalldisease nutrition, cancer, red light therapy and. How to use hay bale gardening to increase your harvest. Mar 20, 2011 for the location i have chosen, growing inside a double row of hay bales seems like an ideal solution to growing 120 days to maturity crops. Hay bale gardening is a book that will haunt you with this one thought, why. Joining us from minnesota, he is a horticultural fanatic. The hay bale garden everything you need to get started.
Garden guides how to grow tomatoes in bales of hay. Heres a really great book on amazon that shows you tools for hay bale gardening. Growing vegetables in straw bales, strawbale gardening. Growing vegetables once you try the straw bale gardening method for growing potatoes, youll never want to use any other method again. Enjoy trying and sharing this revolutionary method and all the crops it will yield. Jul 16, 20 one of the coolest things about straw bale gardening is that it combines the best of container gardening with vertical gardening. All that is needed are a few straw bales, fertilizer, a bit of compost and time to condition, plant and water the garden. In his book youll find the answers to why he no longer uses a rototiller or a composter. The straw bale process is for the person who is tired of tilling, trying to improve soil condition, weeding, constant watering, etc. Creating a straw bale garden by melinda myers horticulturist and gardening expert may 1, 2017. A garden in a bale of the many benefits of straw bale gardening, one of the most popular is the backsaving easier access.
I also use a square bale garden formation for heavy feeding plants, lay out the bales for an interesting garden and have mossed the sides of the bales for a very artistic flower garden. Cut back to 14 cup of fertilizer per bale per day, and continue to water it in well. While i like growing melons and gourds in the bales both are heavy feeder so i created a hay bale straw bale square garden technique to use with these crops. The science of straw bale gardening with joel karsten back.
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