Would it be a good idea to grow a garden in hay bails?

Shortcake
by Shortcake
Our ground is so hard, rocky and nothing but clay and I don't want to do a lot of work to grow a garden. A friend told me the easiest way was to use hay bails. At this point I'm thinking about doing this with it being the easiest to do.

  9 answers
  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Nov 01, 2017

    If you are talking a flower garden, you could put gravel or mulch and use pots for your plants and put a simple border around the area. You could do a veggie garden with straw bales or build simple raised beds that are deep enough to provide for good root growth.

  • Georgia Emry Georgia Emry on Nov 01, 2017

    I used railroad ties to make a raised garden. Added top soil and it worked. Every year in the fall I cover ground with cardboard and newspapers to keep down the weeds. I also throw coffee grounds, egg shells, and other compost. In the spring, I till it all up. After several years, my vegetables are great. I also plant marigolds around the perimiter to deter pests. It makes my garden look beautiful.

  • Jvs28084172 Jvs28084172 on Nov 01, 2017

    I saw vegetables grown this way at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond VA. Haven't had the location to try it myself, but their's grew very well.

  • Karen V Karen V on Nov 01, 2017

    Sounds like a plan, if you have patience. Try something small first and maybe Google the idea? I personally have not tried it, but I do trust my friends LOL Good Luck!

  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Nov 01, 2017

    Many have....http://www.hometalk.com/search/posts?filter=hay%20bale%20gardening

  • 2dogal 2dogal on Nov 01, 2017

    You can grow things in straw bales, but straw has no nutrients for the plants. You will have to add it (like Miracle-Gro) periodically while the plants are growing. Do not use hay - use straw bales as hay has too many seeds to compete with the plants. Place the bales where you would want a garden. As they decompose, you can till them into the soil along with compost from your compost pile and you will eventually have good soil.

  • Dianacirce70 Dianacirce70 on Nov 01, 2017

    My sister in law does this and loves how it works for her. They lived in a big city, and had a very small grassy section that she didn't want to give up, so she uses hay bales on the cement part of her yard.

  • Shortcake Shortcake on Nov 01, 2017

    Thank you all and they are all great ideas. I'll be back with you all on this and let you know what I've done and get pics. so that you all can see what I've done. Thank you all again. :)

  • Tinyshoes Tinyshoes on Nov 01, 2017

    Many people around here do that with tomatoes but we have not had real good luck with doing it so we go back to regular plowed garden.