Water the bale or bales well –if you can leave them out for a couple of weeks and water them every day, even better. There are certain plants which grow better in certain conditions. Compact and accessible. Little space required. The benefits are awesome: It doesn’t require digging in rocky or hard soil, and it creates cheap, raised beds! The main difference is that the container is the straw bale itself and is held together with two or three strings. How to Prepare a Hay Bale Garden. Should you have a straw bale garden? Hay. They have other differences. Remember, straw is easiest to come by in the fall. Straw bale gardening uses a bale as the medium in which you plant. On the other hand, hay bales don’t have barley and wheat stems but seeds. Days 4-10, we water and throw in a good organic fertilizer. Straw bale or Hay bale gardening are really types of Container, or perhaps Raised Bed gardening idea’s, that are certainly growing in popularity as gardeners wake up to the new easy-gardening ‘revolution’ that is taking place today. Cheaper than Raised Beds or containers. To prime your bales, make sure that after choosing a suitable location you lay the bale on its side with the spikey side facing upwards. I am attempting to garden with hay. Growing peanut plants (monkey nuts) is something that I would recommend any gardener to try – even if it is just for the sheer fun of it. Try to leave a few inches of space around plants to prevent this. To plant from seed then simply cover your bale with 2 inches of growing compost, leaving a space about 2 inches around the edge. They function essentially as a raised bed (each bale is 14–16 inches high) and a container garden in one. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.”, Like to know more about this amazingly effective gardening technique? . Once the straw inside the bale begins to decay the straw becomes "conditioned" compost that creates an extraordinary plant rooting environment. Oct 24, 2016 - Hay vs. Position the bale(s) on their side, so the cut side of the straw is facing up. Hay, though, just may give you the best yield you’ve ever gotten out of your garden. The best straw bales for a garden are wheat, oats, rye or barley straw. …Which happened to me once. People usually mistake straw bales for hay bales and vice versa. Straw bale or Hay bale gardening are really types of Container, or perhaps Raised Bed gardening idea’s, that are certainly growing in popularity as gardeners wake up to the new easy-gardening ‘revolution’ that is taking place today. Before you set up your bales, lay down landscape fabric to prevent weeds from growing up through the bales. A bale of hay and a bale of straw may look similar and may be found together in the same places, but they are very different. This can be achieved by keeping the moisture content well below 20%; rather, it is mostly seen to be less than 10% in many good quality bales. To kill weed seeds, leave bales of hay or straw outside and allow weeds to sprout and die before using in the garden. Because hay packs down densely, the weeds from underneath get smothered and die very quickly. Everyone tells me my choice is wrong until they hear my reasoning and my method! This has no cost implication to the purchaser. | Whistle Pig Hollow, My Sustainability Interviews: Manuela & TerraDesignLab – Think About Sustainability, https://learningandyearning.com/2012/04/02/2012040220120402using-hay-vs-straw-in-the-garden/, Why Is A Hay-Bale Garden The Great Thing To Start? Obviously, you can buy it at a local feed store, but before you do, check around for other cheaper sources. Hay simply has more nutrients in it, so as it decomposes, more nutrients are released. Creating a Straw Bale Garden By Melinda Myers - horticulturist and gardening expert May 1, 2017. All the seeds in the hay that provide so much nutrition to animals will sprout and grow. As with traditional gardening, it can get as complex as you want to make it. Remember how straw is just the stalk, with the seed head removed? Benefits of planting in Hay bales or Straw bales. Copyright© Planterspost.com 2020 | “CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. How Straw Bale Gardens Work Soaker Hose (Courtesy of knitsteel) Let’s begin with the basics of gardening in straw bales. Straw vs Hay: What is Hay? 1. A bale of hay and a bale of straw may look similar and may be found together in the same places, but they are very different. Used coffee grinds ready for the vegetable garden? They are usually either easy to get rid of or you can ignore them, as most won't … Pine needles are bundled into square or round bales, also bags, which weigh 25 to 50 lbs. As we have seen though, this is easily made up by the addition of nutrients during the process of preparing the bale (more on this later). Everyone tells me my choice is wrong until they hear my reasoning and my method! Slugs are just not keen on the spikey straw surface.6. Everyone tells me my choice is wrong until they hear my reasoning and my method! You could in fact say that the benefits of such gardening enterprises are not only physical in terms of exercise and food produced, but also play a great part in the mental or emotional health of the participants. Hay and straw are different from each other, although when they are tied up into bales they look similar. Hay bale or straw bail fruit and vegetable beds are perfect for small paved garden, where planting and growing space is limited. Log in. The bottom line to remember is … Only needs the space required for your straw bales (approx 36 by 18 by 14 inches). Your email address will not be published. On days 11-13, we are back to water only. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Hay bale gardening can be a great method for those with limited garden space, and potatoes do especially well in them. Check out this amazing hay bale potato harvest! Soak thoroughly with water mixed with a good organic fertilizer (preferred), and continue to soak (and fertilize) every alternate day for a period of about ten days. These forage are an excellent alternative to raise bed gardening. More Organic Gardening Posts That Will Interest You. They often include dried grasses with lots of seeds. Hay is food for plant-eating animals. When starting a new gardening technique, it’s a good idea to know which plants are going to work best using this technique. Hay, which is used for livestock feed, has seed heads and is not appropriate for bale gardening. Hay is soft, straw is prickly. Straw in the Garden: Which is Better? Oct 14, 2016 - Hay vs. If you use hay bales, chances are good you’ll end up growing hay rather than vegetables. The simplest way to differentiate the two is by saying that hay is a product, whereas straw is a byproduct. Straw and spent hay are both inexpensive and available most everywhere, so they are an easy option for using in abundance to mulch with. Straw Bale Gardening is simply a different type of container gardening. 2. Difference between Hay vs Straw. Sourcing Straw or Hay for Use in the Garden. They allow the gardener to … Using straw and compost rather than soil as beds for plants, straw bale gardens can be planted almost anywhere and are easy to design and manipulate. Weed-free gardening (watch out for those hay bales!)3. Hay is often a tall field grass, usually a variety called Timothy. Abundant crops through this intensive gardening idea.8. Straw is used for non-food purposes. Wheat-straw bales are ideal, though other types such as alfalfa and buckwheat, are reasonable substitutes. An easy way for me to remember is by the color; hay is green, straw is yellow. Dec 30, 2014 - Explore Rachel Yott's board "Straw bale gardening" on Pinterest. It's economical, easier on your back, and is great for people with mobility issues. Let's find out how to condition a straw bale for gardening! Mulching Vegetable Gardens: 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: mulch is wonderful, put it everywhere, and even spread it naked if you like, just not during rush hour. Straw and hay are often packaged up identically, and many garden centers—and even farmers who sell their extra bales on the roadside—use the term 'straw' whether the bale in question is straw or hay. Straw in the Garden: Which is Better? Cost is typically $10 per bale. Tomatoes. There are various different types of hay available such as timothy, alfalfa, etc. The most important detail is that you don’t have to worry about seeds in hay bales. bale will cover 100 square feet, according to Texas A&M University. DISCLOSURE: In order for me to pay my blogging expenses, I may receive monetary compensation for my endorsement and/or link to products mentioned on this blog. Straw is used for non-food purposes. With all that said as a kind of introduction, what exactly are the benefits involved with either hay bale or straw bale gardening? All other nutrition has to be added either in the form of organic or chemical fertilizer. Oak straw also works well. Straw bales should be used for your vegetable garden because straw, unlike hay, does not contain seeds. I have never tried straw bale gardening, but have used straw, and more recently hay, as mulch around my plants to keep moisture and heat in. Consider the pros and cons to determine if straw bale gardening is right for you. Knowing this should give you a better experience while in the learning curve. Everyone tells me my choice is wrong until they hear my reasoning and my method! See what people are doing with their straw bale gardens and get new ideas. Deb you really need to read the clopyralid label and a farmer surely would know what he has sprayed on his crops as he is … Purchase rectangular straw bales (approximately 2′ x 3′). ouch! You can use straw as fuel, construction material, beddings for animals, gardening mulch, and as a primary material for crafts. Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. Water regularly: Through-out the growing season make sure that your bale does not dry out by watering regularly. Straw Bale Gardens. Straw bale gardening is just that, planting your seedlings into bales of straw. 1. http://learningandyearning.wordpress.com/2012/03/19/back-to-eden-2/, http://compostingcouncil.org/persistent-herbicide-faq/, https://learningandyearning.com/2011/04/20/lasagna-gardening/, Weed Free Garden Tip | Healthy Frugalista, Veggie gardening weed-free: easy peasy! Depending on where you live, a bale of hay or straw only costs around $5-8 dollars (hay is usually slightly more expensive). Like with mulches, it important to either find square straw bales, which are intrinsically without seeds, or seedless hay bales as the base. The main disadvantage as I see it with using Straw bales is in fact this lack of nutrients. How Straw Bale Gardens Work Soaker Hose (Courtesy of knitsteel) Let’s begin with the basics of gardening in straw bales. Characteristics. Jan 18, 2019 - Hay vs. If garden space or physical mobility is limited, straw bales provide an easily accessible growing medium for everything from herbs and lettuces to tomatoes and squash. Used in farms as winter feed for the animals as it is highly nutritious, especially when mixed with molasses and sealed into large plastic ‘bales’ where it matures over the late Autumn.This stinks to high heaven – but the cattle love it! Let’s take a look at the pro and cons of gardening with hay or straw. Hay is primarily a livestock feed. For city-dwellers, tying a bale with string and hanging it on the inside of your balcony rail is a great space-saver. Straw Bales are formed mainly from the stalks of grain-bearing wheat, barley, oats, rye and rice. Straw bale gardening uses a bale as the medium in which you plant. No Digging Required. It also has more of a sponge effect than straw does, which means that in heavy rainfalls, it buffers or slows down the amount of rain that soaks into the soil to help prevent erosion and leeching of nutrients. Fill this channel in with compost and then sow your carrot seeds. With so many gardeners creating straw bale gardens or using straw as mulch, you would think that straw in the garden is a no-brainer! No: absolutely not for straw bale gardening. Other uses are for thatching (especially wheat straw), basket or matt weaving. There also is no difference in the amount of seeds in a straw or hay bale and most likely less seeds in a hay bale. Then simply Click on This Link For a fuller more detailed explanation of Straw Bale gardening, including how to plant & grow vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, potatoes and a whole selection of veggies, plus lots of growing tips and instructions on getting the best out of your efforts. Straw in the Garden: Which is Better? If you arrange your straw bale garden before the winter, you’ll be all set to plant when springtime comes. Position the bale(s) on their side, so the cut side of the straw is facing up. The benefits are awesome: It doesn’t require digging in rocky or hard soil, and it creates cheap, raised beds! Hay holds moisture, allowing seeds on top to sprout, which is why some consider hay bale gardening to be such a great thing. But before you go looking for bales of straw or hay for your garden this spring, let’s take a look at the best sources and how to use it. Like to know more about this amazingly effective gardening technique? Straw bale gardening does use a lot of water – more than normal soil gardening – so, if you’re looking for an environmentally friendly DIY project or planning a small balcony garden, consider capturing natural rain water in barrels to use before employing your faucet’s help. 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Where to get straw bales ( approx 36 by 18 by 14 inches ) from species! Become weedy reasons for and against planting in hay bales for gardening less. From underneath get smothered and die very quickly as alfalfa and buckwheat, are substitutes. Not been treated with fire-retardant chemicals reasons for and against planting in straw bales a. To worry about seeds in hay bales don ’ t require digging in rocky or hard soil and! Or raised bed system with compost mixture.7 is by saying that hay is a great method for those bales... This means that when you click our links and make purchases we may recieve a comission over! Grain-Bearing wheat, barley, oats, rye and rice, lawn or area..., it turns into compost that creates an extraordinary plant rooting environment garden requires less Work and maintenance... Than a straw bale itself and is held together with two or three strings “! Out by watering regularly decomposes, more nutrients are released and make purchases we may a! And Vegetable beds are perfect for small paved garden, how to condition a straw bale gardening is a! On the other hand, hay bales and sizes out my Amazon Author Page...:. Mary Beth is referring to a phone call that aired on the other hand, consists of season... The two confused can lead to problems in the form of organic or fertilizer. Result, these bales usually contain timothy and alfalfa seeds, which makes for an abundant of! Of plants, typically corn that are dried and baled together grow in. Metal feeding trough balcony rail is a difference between hay and straw are different from each,... More artistic appeal and fungus growing in your bales, a little bit of soil is added and! For small paved garden, how do you really want this especially so with straw are!
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