We've just got was back from lotty , it was cleaning the runner's off the strawberrys a30ftx10ft bed we had to go for straw, befor we put up the hoops and netting,we got two bals of straw at £3-50p a bal is this cheap ? :)
if that's a full sizew bale then it's a lot cheaper than buying the little ones form pet shops...
Our last one for the chickens was £3.50. Cheaper in bulk ;D.
I have bought a bale for £3. It is twice the amount I need, but the local pet shop wanted £5 for a string bagful which held less than 1/2 what I wanted.
I shall compost the spare.
£30 got me 9 bales this year.... Its not cheap stuff, but we have such a wireworm problem. :(
I'm using the straw instead of drawing up the soil to encourage the plants to form the spuds actually in the straw. The seed potatoes were planted just about three or four inches deep and are now about a couple of feet tall with only the top six inches or so above the straw.
The straw will also help feed the plants, and will add plenty of organic matter to the soil as it breaks down. Its value as a mulch, should summer ever return, is also invaluable, so its not all bad.
I will use one off my bales for my rasps to keep in the moisture if we get enough heat to worry about things drying out ;D
I paid £2.50 per bale this spring for straw. I bought great big load of the stuff and anything and everything is going to get mulched with the stuff. I ain't waisting my time for weeding so I rather stop them growing in first place.
I just came back from lottie and I've been planting squashes..and yes..they got thick mulch with grass clippings and straw and underneath all that they got chicken pellets and another sprinkling on top too..I must get some monster squashes this year... ;) ;D
Where's a sensible place to go looking for straw?
Quote from: chriscross1966 on June 10, 2012, 22:10:19
Where's a sensible place to go looking for straw?
Try your local farmer Chris. You might even get him or her to deliver for the same price if you smile.... You never know....
Quote from: chriscross1966 on June 10, 2012, 22:10:19
Where's a sensible place to go looking for straw?
Try searching for horse feed suppliers. They normally carry it. We pay £3 a bale for small quantities.
I went to google and put in bales of hay and my postcode. I came up with several places and I phoned the nearest which was a country store a few miles way.
I got two bales off our town council's head groundsman for £2.00 and thought it was a bargain but there's a lot of seed in it and the bales are light so the ones from the farm supply at £3.50 might have been worth it after all. The seed....oats is now growing in my strawberry patch :(