# Easy garden idea



## begreen (Apr 30, 2013)

Got crappy soil. Want some quick results? Bale it.

http://www.resilientcommunities.com/extreme-urban-gardening-straw-bale-gardens/


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## Ehouse (Apr 30, 2013)

Looks like a real work saver, might push me over the edge and into gardening!


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## begreen (Apr 30, 2013)

Give it a shot. I'm going to try a 2 bale version on one of our poorer beds. Instant raised bed, what's not to like?


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## Seasoned Oak (Apr 30, 2013)

SHould be great for potatos.Also if you have clay soil. Did the article say to Pee on the bales?


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## Frozen Canuck (Apr 30, 2013)

We did a variation of this 2 years ago for about 2/3 of our 1 acre garden, removed all topsoil first then laid down a 1' thick straw mat then put soil on top then planted the crops. Results were amazing from a poor brown sandy soil to a rich black soil full of micro life in 1 season, it looked as good as the 20-30 year old manure piles. We used the farm equipment but his is doable on a smaller scale with  a shovel, fork & wheelbarrow. One thing you non farmers have to remember is be very choosey about the straw, get good clean weed free bales when you can, or be prepared to do alot of weeding, reason being that most modern combines push all the separated weed seeds out the back & into the straw. Great for crops that like warm feet as the composting will generate that. Also handy up here to shield against the effects of the first few frosts.


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## laynes69 (May 1, 2013)

I've heard or using hay, but never straw. At 4 to 5 dollars a bale, it would add up quickly. I've grown potatoes using straw by dropping in a shallow furrow then placing 6 to 8" of straw on top. Using straw looks awfully easy compared to standard methods, but cover crops are inexpensive and build soil quality.


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## EatenByLimestone (May 1, 2013)

I put my tomatoes and peppers in 5 gallon buckets this year.  I'm hoping it will be a low volume soil approach compared to a raised bed.  I put in raised beds earlier and am not as happy with them as I thought I would be.  This should make rotation to keep pests away easier also.  

Matt


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## DevilsBrew (May 1, 2013)

On another forum, I have read others using bales for strawberries. 

Matt, what type of tomatoes will you be growing in the containers?


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## semipro (May 1, 2013)

Interesting idea. 
Would keep the rabbits from eating so much.
Might make it even easier for the deer though.

Raised potatoes in a stack of tires once.  You start with one, as the potatoes grow you add another tire and fill it with compost.  At the end of the season you unstack the tires and harvest the taters.


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## Seasoned Oak (May 2, 2013)

semipro said:


> Interesting idea.
> Would keep the rabbits from eating so much.
> Might make it even easier for the deer though.
> 
> Raised potatoes in a stack of tires once. You start with one, as the potatoes grow you add another tire and fill it with compost. At the end of the season you unstack the tires and harvest the taters.


Do they taste like rubber?  I think id rather just  pile compost around them.


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## semipro (May 2, 2013)

Seasoned Oak said:


> Do they taste like rubber? I think id rather just pile compost around them.


No.  Tires are actually chemically very stable.  That's why they persist so long in the environment...like trash bags.  That's why they're recycled into playgrounds and such.


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## Seasoned Oak (May 3, 2013)

semipro said:


> No. Tires are actually chemically very stable. That's why they persist so long in the environment...like trash bags. That's why they're recycled into playgrounds and such.


Was sort of half kidding there ,but still think id rather just keep piling compost around as i get it for free at our local recycle center,sometimes i get a ton or more and just bury the whole garden. I never need any kind of fertilizer when i use it nor pesticide either. Everything grows like crazy in it.


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## bmblank (May 3, 2013)

Seasoned Oak said:


> SHould be great for potatos.Also if you have clay soil. Did the article say to Pee on the bales?


http://www.gizmag.com/luritonnoir-urine-into-fertilizer/27370/
Gotta be kidding me........


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## Doug MacIVER (May 16, 2013)

started straw bales 4 day ago. in the h2o and fertilizer stage. next bone meal and wait for bales to cool. expensive, but hoping increase in production will make the hobby worth while.


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## DevilsBrew (May 16, 2013)

bmblank said:


> http://www.gizmag.com/luritonnoir-urine-into-fertilizer/27370/
> Gotta be kidding me........


 
I can't open the article at the moment but urine as fertilizer is not uncommon.


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## DevilsBrew (May 16, 2013)

LOL. I opened the article. ECO Urinals???


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## Doug MacIVER (May 28, 2013)

all planted, just cukes and summer squash to plant from seed . lost only one spinach plant so far! now we wait.


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## begreen (May 28, 2013)

DevilsBrew said:


> LOL. I opened the article. ECO Urinals???


Great idea.


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## Doug MacIVER (Jun 1, 2013)

wish I could post a pic. week in on this after prep and all but the spinach have taken well. 100 % germination on beans and the cukes and squash all up.so far it's great. planted beans in checker board style per inventor of this method, 33 plant in a bale. a lot for 13 x 36 area? hope i'm still happy in a couple of weeks! thanks to OP


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## Adios Pantalones (Jun 3, 2013)

Straw bale gardens work well. Hay has more seeds and that may cause weed-like issues.

Also consider lasagna gardening- same idea, but no need to buy straw (also no weeding, tilling, etc to start!). You just use compostables (yard waste), compost, or half-finished compost. I construct it and plant right away without waiting- sometimes using small soil pockets.

http://organicgardening.about.com/od/startinganorganicgarden/a/lasagnagarden.htm

Urine is clean, high nitrogen fertilizer. Don't turn you nose up at it (nyuck nyuck). Think about it- everyone is OK with animal crap, but this stuff coming out of your own body is a problem? You going to infect yourself with something that you already have?


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## semipro (Jun 3, 2013)

I pee around my garden.  There's some evidence that suggests it deters deer.   
Can't quite bring myself to actually pee *in* the garden though.


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## Adios Pantalones (Jun 3, 2013)

semipro said:


> I pee around my garden. There's some evidence that suggests it deters deer.
> Can't quite bring myself to actually pee *in* the garden though.


At night... when everyone is asleep... I pee in _*your*_ garden


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## semipro (Jun 3, 2013)

Adios Pantalones said:


> At night... when everyone is asleep... I pee in _*your*_ garden


 
Ah man.  My first real laugh for the day.  Thanks!


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## USMC80 (Jun 3, 2013)

Adios Pantalones said:


> At night... when everyone is asleep... I pee in _*your*_ garden


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## begreen (Jun 3, 2013)




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## Doug MacIVER (Jun 6, 2013)

andrea's gonna pee all over the straw tomorrow and sat. am. great thing about this  type of garden, no puddling.


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## billb3 (Jun 6, 2013)

I tried tomatoes in 15 gallon buckets and couldn't water them consistently enough ( cracks in tomatoes ) and the wind would blow them over. They got 7 feet tall. Tasted pretty good though and had plenty.  My SIL tried some tomatoes hybridized for small size for pots and had pretty good luck with them on the deck. My garden went in late this year in part due to the cold, some of y tomatoes are still purple.


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## Doug MacIVER (Jun 18, 2013)

Doug MacIVER said:


> wish I could post a pic. week in on this after prep and all but the spinach have taken well. 100 % germination on beans and the cukes and squash all up.so far it's great. planted beans in checker board style per inventor of this method, 33 plant in a bale. a lot for 13 x 36 area? hope i'm still happy in a couple of weeks! thanks to OP


 a few weeks later and I feel like a gardener again, everything except the spinach has gone nuts. cherry toms setting fruit like crazy with literally 200+ buds. squashes all ready to bud, bush bean 1'+, jalapeno has set fruit, great so far and it's been cool here.


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## Slow1 (Jun 26, 2013)

Sounds great Doug!  This thread has caught my attention and I wonder if I could get away with starting one now and expect anything this year... seems a bit late given the time from 'fresh' to ready to plant is about a month?

Any thoughts/suggestions?


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## Doug MacIVER (Jun 26, 2013)

Slow1 said:


> Sounds great Doug! This thread has caught my attention and I wonder if I could get away with starting one now and expect anything this year... seems a bit late given the time from 'fresh' to ready to plant is about a month?
> 
> Any thoughts/suggestions?


figure two weeks to condition bales, I planted on day eleven. then plenty time for beans , late peas, brocc. good luck.


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## Doug MacIVER (Sep 27, 2013)

got to say this method was a complete success. we are still taking tomatoes, as we planted late stuff. italian stewed tomato Wednesday, leftover in a tomato soup. sungold cherries going on 4th month of production. second bean planting  ready in about a week. biggest problem pests nothing to do with the straw. oh about 40# of butternut. thanks to bg for the OP.  just update, another pint of cherries , 3plums, and 4 big boys 1:15 pm.


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## semipro (Sep 27, 2013)

I've been eyeing a couple of extra straw bales at work with this method in mind. 
We have a garden with decent soil but I'm thinking I can toss some straw bales around in other places and plant some watermelon, squash or other space-loving plants to conserve the garden space for vertical plants. 
Thanks for the feedback Doug.


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## Doug MacIVER (Oct 7, 2013)

anybody else still pickin. 4 more bigboys, 3 plum. got a butternut struggling to give one more.  a bunch of sun gold cherries. time is a getting short.


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## billb3 (Oct 7, 2013)

I have zucchini  that dried out, then got blight and still came back and is still offering up rewards.
	

		
			
		

		
	





Still picking tomatoes and I've got peppers still growing.
Butternut is mostly picked but there;s still a few stragglers.


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## begreen (Oct 12, 2013)

That's impressive for Mass. You've been blessed with a very mild fall. Colder wetter weather hit early this year, right after Labor Day. We ended up having the wettest Sept. on record. That brought along powerdery mildew and hints of tomato blight. We have lots of green tomatoes ripening in the greenhouse along with one Taxi tomato plant in there that is producing very nicely still. We did manage to harvest a large late crop of green beans and some late eggplants in the past couple weeks. But all that's happy now are the brassicas, chards, kale and lettuce.


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