I think you are asking ME how my plants are - Douglas does not have a straw bale garden! Yes, I had to cover my plants last night - we too got the cold weather in Orlando.
I did get to enjoy fresh tomatoes, green and wax beans as well as romaine lettuce for the holiday meals. I also got to harvest many of the herbs that I grow.
Ken H, I'm sorry my brain is frozen. It is cold. So are you saying that your covered plants are OK? If so, good for you. I covered a few plants but I'm afraid to look under the covers till spring.
I still think this is just awesome...I am really going to try this this year. Bending over to the ground is not up my alley any more. maybe i can stack 2 or 3 to make them reachable?
Ken this is so great. Have grown potatoes like this. Several hay bales piled up as the potatoes heave. Now I would certainally try other veggies. Thanks
Straw bales gardening is becoming more and more popular. It gives you an automatifc raised flower bed, and as it deteriates over time, turns to great compost. I have a whole book about it!
Hi Ken, well spring has sprung here in Georgia. This year we had the winter that never turned into winter (Yay!!) So, I've gathered my strawbales and soil and right out of the gait, I need to ask you a question..
Did you actually do the 11 day conditioning program that the UFL website outlined before you planted? I mean the ammonium sulfate, 8-8-8 and 10-10-10 stuff over an 11 day period? Also did you
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scoop out any straw to make a nest for your soil or does the soil just "sit on top"? This is two questions, I know, I apologize..but I have waited all winter to try this method out and I sure don't want to mess it up for lack of the courage to ask for clarification. I checked the posts on this from u and couldn't see where you have addressed these 2 particular questions before. Hope you are well..Pamela
I used a different method - I did do the watering of the bales, but I used an organic commercial additive (that I use for my compost piles) and added a layer of rich compost / mulch from a mushroom farm nearby - they give it away to anyone with a pick up truck.
I did 'hollow out' holes for the tomato and other plants that had been started before planting, and for my beans and other plants needing 'cover', I just placed the seeds on the straw bale and
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topped with the appropriate amount of soil mixed with my compost and mulch.
I also am in the process of putting a gutter up to catch rainwater in some old water softener tanks I got for free - they were tossing them - and they hold 75 gal each. I have a drip hose that runs along the bales now and the rain water keeps my water bill much smaller - plus no chlorine all over my plants!
So I guess what I'm trying to decide is..do I go buy some of this mystery commercial additive and some rich compost or do I go get this ammonium, 8-8-8 and 10-10-10..I don't know how to go about deciding which is either cheaper or better..right now I just want to get the job done and get to planting..
So far I've added fertilizer and watered them everyday to get them started
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If you have added fertilizer, go to home depot or lowes and get some cow manure, mix with some soil, and use that or compost to cover seeds, or fill in around plants. It will also help keep moisture in the straw bales - hope you got straw and not hay - hay has tons of weeds, straw does not.
Have fun with it - you always have next year if it does not work well - but you should have no trouble.
Farm City is on Atlanta - which is one street East of Division and North off of East Kaley. They are friendly people there - they also have other 'barnyard' supplies that can be used in the yard for mulch and ground covers.
I am getting ready to plant some spring greens and will be trying your ideas out here in my Texas gardens, the straw should also help keep the roots cool in our scorching heat. thanks for sharing your gardening ideas with us
Hi Ken H, appears straw bales are unavailable at Farm City since its near end of season. Is there any place else in Orlando or surrounding area that might have straw bales?
Looks like your straw bales goden have reall taken off! @ Bille - you could always check out local barns to see if they cam tell you where to try. I know that areound this time of year, we satered to bed down the horses w/ wood chips as they help to keep them cooler at night - we often sold some of our left over hay too.
OMG!!! I have learned so much that I will have to revise a few things that are already started. Next year I might try the entire bale gardening. But I see I should not be using pine straw at all. I will easily change that out today as I need pine straw other places. Eliminating the bend sells me on the idea as I am stiff too. But tell me, what do you do with the old straw when starting a new garden??????
Ken thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. It looks like it works really well for you. I think i will give this a try sometime, this year I'm focusing on other things since I just bought this house this year. There is a tiny patio out back and I took out some barberry bushes and have planted some edibles. I had tried small gardens the size of raised beds with some satisfaction at the old house, but I like this idea a lot. Thanks for sharing.
My bale garden does not look as good a yours Ken, but I do have tomatoes, yellow squash, cucumbers, beans and peas growing. I will try to get pictures of what I hope is going to hold everything up so they don't spread out on the ground.
I am planning a new garden for next year (which starts in Sept 2012 for me in Orlando, Florida). I am going to change my watering system a bit, and get additional rain gutters installed so that I can collect more rain water. I think I am going to modify my sprinklers to a low flow drip system, and put the garden zone on a solar powered pump to disperse the rain water I collect - I like the idea of no chlorine being spread on the plants, and the free energy from the sun to make the system
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work. I hope that by using the solar powered pump, the water will only pump when the sun is out - which is when the plants need it. I will keep you all posted.
Ken H, I hope you will tell us what will be in your new garden. I missed making a bale garden this year so I will be watching your postings. Straw bales are hard to find.
I think you are asking ME how my plants are - Douglas does not have a straw bale garden! Yes, I had to cover my plants last night - we too got the cold weather in Orlando.
I did get to enjoy fresh tomatoes, green and wax beans as well as romaine lettuce for the holiday meals. I also got to harvest many of the herbs that I grow.
The ones I didn't cover look very bad but will come back. I can't wait to try the straw bales this year because I want fresh veggies from the USA!
Did you actually do the 11 day conditioning program that the UFL website outlined before you planted? I mean the ammonium sulfate, 8-8-8 and 10-10-10 stuff over an 11 day period? Also did you ...»
I did 'hollow out' holes for the tomato and other plants that had been started before planting, and for my beans and other plants needing 'cover', I just placed the seeds on the straw bale and ...»
I also am in the process of putting a gutter up to catch rainwater in some old water softener tanks I got for free - they were tossing them - and they hold 75 gal each. I have a drip hose that runs along the bales now and the rain water keeps my water bill much smaller - plus no chlorine all over my plants!
So far I've added fertilizer and watered them everyday to get them started ...»
Your rainbarrel idea is ingenious..
Have fun with it - you always have next year if it does not work well - but you should have no trouble.
Check for feed stores in the Orlando area - there used to be one in Apopka, not sure where else.