Topic: Growing in straw bales?

[pumkinlover]

i have just looked at the link to Supersprouts method and what a beautiful plot. I only joined recently so did not know of her. i just hope she is looking down from the great allotment in the sky and that who ever has her plot now looks after it just as well!

Anne

[Digeroo]

I thought that one of the ideas of growing on straw bales was that they gave out heat while they are rotting so I thought that you need to keep them dry through the winter and then warm them up when required in the spring.  

I had a good deal of used straw on my site when I started and it rotten down very well indeed.  I do get a bit of grain sprouting but it responds well to a bit of hoeing.

I have however had various beasties taking up home in the straw.  Snake, mice, slug and possibly rats. 

[Robert_Brenchley]

I just went there with no alerts. I use XP.

[Chrispy]

I just went there with no alerts. I use XP.

I've gone there, when I left I got redirected to a porn site and there were plenty of allerts, I also have XP.

[Robert_Brenchley]

They may simply not get through my system. I use Spybot SD, Spywareblaster, Malwarebytes, the free version of Zonealarm, and AVG, once again the free version.

[artichoke]

I would feel privileged if a snake took up residence in my straw bales, like the slow worms in my compost heap. Not so sure about the rats, but I'm not too worried. Yes, I've bought the bales a bit early, but they are well wrapped up in secured tarpaulins until I want to start them off in the spring. I wanted a prompt start to the 6 x 1 metre squashing of my rough grass.

I'm glad Supersprout's ideas are welcome. I still have a strain of her nice fat jerusalem artichokes, and messages from her in my inbox that I don't like to delete.

I hope no-one gets anything from the websites I gave. A porn site???? Well, I can only apologise -  it looks such an interesting and wholesome site.

[artichoke]

http://www.4042.com/4042forums/showthread.php?t=12405

Sorry, one more site. It is so informative and full of pictures and advice I couldn't resist it - but don't look at it if you have any worries....

[terrier]

Artichoke, what COUNTRY are you in, 4043 dot com takes me to Johnston County Classifieds, LOL   ;D

[artichoke]

Sorry about that, but it takes me straight to an excellent blog by a man who has been using straw bales for 6 years, with copious photographs at all stages. I'm in UK. It's well worth persevering if you are interested - I think it's the most useful site of all I've looked at.

Try putting Strawbaleman into google. I find the first reference takes me to p9 of his straw blog.

Admittedly he seems to be living in a hotter climate than us.

[1066]

Artichoke, where did you source your bales from?  I looked before but couldn't find anything reasonable enough.  Thanks.

I get mine for £3 a bale from a big garden centre (on the A21) Blackbrooks - maybe they have one in your area Earlypea?

Artichoke - another thank you for posting Supersprouts post - looking at the pictures I need to use the straw a bit more liberally and thickly, it does seem to supress the weeds and keep the moisture in at the same time  :)

What are you planning to grow in your bales? I was wondering if peppers would be a good idea?

1066  :)

[artichoke]

I am planning squashes and courgettes in some, and a lot of leafy things in others including pak choi and lettuces. I am also going to have a desperate last go at tomatoes (blight year after year) as at least the straw will not be contaminated with blight spores splashing up onto the leaves.

I am not expecting straw bales to be a magic solution to every allotment problem ever, but I do have high hopes of killing at least three birds with one stone...... stifling and weakening rough grass and perennial weeds ready for digging out future conventional beds......growing something at the same time........lots of mulch/compost eventually in order to cover the ground like Supersprout did.

Basically they are just a growing medium deficient in nitrogen, so I am expecting quite a lot of watering and fertilising, but I hope it will be worth it.

Interesting that Blackbrooks charges £3 per bale - I go there too, sometimes, but had not asked about straw.

[Strawnymph]

Hi I'm new

Came specifically to this forum looking for others growing in straw bales.  I'm planning to clear a large area of lawn in my garden.  My bales have been on site for say six weeks I thought the rain would get them going, but of course we've had none until the last two days.  I had almost abandoned my plans for courgettes, small pumpkins & nasturtiums but now I have read about conditioning the bales so now its full steam ahead.

Thanks for the inspiration folks.

How are you getting on now?

Best wishes

SN

[1066]

welcome to A4A Strawnymph  :)
It would be interesting to hear how folk got on with strawbale growing

[artichoke]

I have to report that my bales never did heat up. I exposed them to the weather in February, watered them a lot, put on the prescribed fertiliser (sulphate of ammonia), but nothing happened. Gave up watering in April, just too difficult to keep them wet in the baking heat.

Today I watered them again, hacked out planting holes, filled them with a mixture of earth and manure, and put 12 squash plants (two per bale) of various sorts in them, protected by netting and fleece, as we had a vicious frost here last week. It's early to put out squash/courgette plants but these were getting too mature, and had to be planted. (Yes, I started them off too early....)

The holes were surprisingly difficult to make, but my son solved the problem by attacking the bales with an axe.

I'll put 12 more out tomorrow, and will push lettuce and spinach seedlings into various corners - someone recommended nasturtiums, to make things look pretty.

I'll let you know if the squashes grow, or turn miserable. I'd love to hear from anyone else who is actually doing it.

Tee Gee's advice: http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Growing%20on%20straw/Growing%20on%20straw.htm

[1066]

It sounds like the battle to keep them wet / watered is the hardest thing to sort out.
Will be intersted to hear how your squash get on  ;)  :)

[artichoke]

Brief update: all the bales are planted with squashes and courgettes now, and although I couldn't visit them for 4 days, I went back yesterday and found them looking really well and not at all dried out. I know it is early days, but they have put on visible growth and look greener. The slightly worrying idea that they have to be watered every day is clearly not necessary. (And we certainly have not had any rain).

As Tee Gee writes: "Watering daily is advisable, but unlike traditional growing methods, to miss a watering is not as critical, as the moisture content of the straw is generally sufficient to cover for such an event".

At the moment they are covered with net tunnels and fleece, which may be helping to retain moisture and protects them from the drying wind.

[Digeroo]

I have finally found a source of some bales so now I have also cleared out the car I hope to be able to get two in.    So I am hoping to get them started next week.  I I am interested in your experiences please keep them coming.

I had a pile of straw but the hedgehog has tossed if around somewhat. 

[artichoke]

Another update - hope this is not too many....

Now that my 24 squash/courgettes have been in straw for 11 days, I can still report that they are growing new strong dark green leaves, and although I have visited them only three times to water them, have shown no sign of drying out. In weather like this, I would be watering those in the ground as often as possible, so this is not an extra chore just because they are in straw.

The only problem is some slug damage to a few plants and it may be that 3 or 4 won't survive.

I have not fed them anything yet (apart from the sulphate of ammonia watered in about a month ago), and they are still protected against wind and excess sun by a net tunnel and fleece.

[1066]

not at all, I'm reading this with interest  :)

[artichoke]

Have been away for a couple of weeks  (very very sunny Colonsay) but am now able to update the straw bale experiment  - 12 bales, 24 squash/courgette plants. My squashes are growing away quite well and a few courgettes have formed - waiting for them to grow bigger - but I have to admit that a neighbour's courgettes in the ground are much larger and leafier!

Never mind, before going away I fed and watered mine with seaweed and chicken pellets and hoped they would not die in the continuing drought, and  they  haven't.  My courgettes in the ground on another plot are at about the same stage, so maybe my neighbour is just better at growing them, and the straw is not a factor.

As we all know, the heavens eventually opened in the south east and everything is beautifully watered, so I am looking forward to a growth  spurt.

Just as  a reminder, the reason for using straw bales is not only to find out if it works, but to smother the grass and weeds under the bales (tarpaulin there too) to make a new bed, and to eventually have a huge pile of composted straw for mulching (bales are said to last for 2 years as growing medium).

Anyone else got anything to report about straw bale growing?