Straw Bale Gardening Techniques

Everyone's well acquainted with the use of straw for drinking or sipping liquid in the form of juice, aerated cold drinks and so on. But straws can be more productive than that when used for construction or gardening.

Bunches of straw tightly bound can serve as great hosts for growing plants. However, it is different from hay bale gardening. Gardening through this technique is very helpful for those who have knee problems or do not want to create a mess which comes with soil gardening. All this information was furnished to me by one of my acquaintances, who is a gardening freak! She also told me a few techniques of straw bale gardening.

Straw Bale Gardening Techniques

Method 1
There are variations in this gardening technique, but the basics are the same. To start off, you need to have good, strong straw bales. After you decide the number of bales, place them in the desired spot. Arrange the bales together in rows such that the strings should be on the ground. It resembles the raised bed garden with this formation.

If you have a backyard, then it will be the icing on the cake otherwise, pick any convenient and airy spot. Make sure you keep important things away from the spot as after becoming wet, the place could be a bit messy. For the first three days water the bales twice a day. From day 4 to 7, the bales will heat up and start decomposing. If by any chance the bales sprout, still it's not a problem. Just trim the bales using a scissors or a knife. After the 7th day, place a layer of weed resistant, compost soil on top of the bales. Now plant your seeds or transplants. In case of plants, keep a trowel handy to push the soil enough to keep your plants in the bales. Take care that the strings do not break while doing this. Along with the soil use something like a mild fertilizer or chemical which will complement the growth of the plant and nutrients in the soil.

Method 2
In another method, the initial step is the same. But here in this method, from day 4 to 6, sprinkle a single bale per day with half cup of ammonium nitrate. Then water the bales well. Supersede this from day 7 to 9 by reducing the amount of ammonium to one-fourth cup. Water the bales again. On the 10th day, add a cup of fertilizer per bale and don't forget to water! Once this is over, transfer the plant in the bales by making a wedging in a bale for each plant. For best possible growth, place the plant down to its first leaf and close the crack as much as possible. This specific method is suitable for vegetable gardens and that too for vegetables which grow above the surface.

Keep on watering the bales everyday as it is necessary to keep the bales damp. Another important thing is that it can accommodate as many plants (if not more) when compared to traditional gardening. The best part about this technique is that it keeps the weeds away. Straw bale gardening can definitely 'bail' you out from the feeling that something is amiss in the absence of a proper garden.