Straw bale gardening is rapidly turning into a trend, but it did not grab my attention until I learned that a much-admired vegetable gardener in my neighborhood had taken it up. Not only had she taken it up, she’d had great success with it. Then it came to my attention that a couple other gardeners I know had been straw-bale gardening. Why had these gardeners made the switch? As you’ll see from the interviews summarized below, there were some pretty compelling reasons.
Polly Hawkes
Cathy Caldwell (“GS”): Why did you decide to try straw bale gardening?
Polly Hawkes (“PH”): I was interested in it because of massive garden failures I have had in years past related to viruses and pests. I heard about straw bale gardening on a podcast from “Joe Gardener” (Joe Gardener.com). The premise is that you create basically “sterile” soil in the straw bales when you “condition” them— without the viruses and fungi that linger in regular garden soil for years. Also supposedly, the bugs aren’t as likely to climb up the straw bale and get to the plants.
GS: How did you get started?
PH: After listening to that podcast, I bought the suggested book by Joel Karsten who apparently pioneered the practice. I followed the procedure outlined in the podcast and by Mr. Karsten in his book, Straw Bale Gardens: Breakthrough Method for Growing Vegetables Anywhere, Earlier and with No Weeding.
GS: In a nutshell, what is the procedure and how did it work out?
PH: There is a fair amount of work at the front end — “conditioning” the bales on a daily basis by adding granular fertilizer — I use organic fertilizer — on top of each bale and thoroughly watering it in. But since that process produces heat, I was able to plant earlier and cover the plants if there was a frost warning. The care after planting is minimal but frequent. The bales must be watered every day but with only about a gallon of water per bale.
When we are away, I set up a sprinkler. Although it is not ideal to water from the top because the leaves get wet and may invite fungi and viruses, I had little problem with that. Using the sprinkler on a timer set to go off for about 30 minutes every morning did just fine.
Last year was my first attempt and I had great success with tomatoes, especially the heirloom ones, but not so much with squash. Those squash beetles found their way very quickly and I only got ONE squash that wasn’t damaged by “critters.” This year, I have already harvested my first tomatoes!
I did a bit of research on the “conditioning” process and learned that watering basically turns the straw bale into a compost pile. But the bales need a nutritional boost from nitrogen, which is another reason for the fertilizer. As one expert explained it:
Like any composting process, the ratio of carbon to nitrogen will speed up the natural composting process, allowing beneficial bacteria and fungi to do the work. A straw bale has a large amount of carbon already in it, so nitrogen will need to be added to get the composting started. Rapid composting is preferable so that the bale is still intact and acts as a natural container. This usually can be accomplished in just a few weeks.
My research indicated that the conditioning process takes about two to three weeks. All that watering can lead to the growth of mushrooms, which could be poisonous, so they should NOT be eaten. Another word of caution: the heat created by conditioning can be pretty intense, so unless you want to fry your transplants or seeds, you have to allow a few days of cooling before planting. Newbies should follow one of the detailed day-by-day schedules found in the Sources section below.
Rebecca Trexler
Rebecca has had excellent tomato harvests with her straw bales, and is trying peppers and bush beans this year. For the conditioning process, Rebecca uses organic fertilizer, and plants seeds or transplants into a bit of her own homemade compost. When I learned this, I did a bit of research and found that while it’s possible to place the plants into the conditioned straw bale, most gardeners surround the plant with a bit of potting soil or compost. A sterilized medium is recommended by one expert, but most do not make this specification. Use of a potting medium is also recommended for gardeners who wish to start seeds in the top of the bale.
GS: How are your straw bale gardens doing?
RT: Everything is looking great so far—tomatoes are bushy and have flowers, and the peppers and beans are looking strong and healthy. The bad thing this year is that the bales are full of volunteer tomato seeds so I won’t know until later if these are seeds I planted or just random sprouts from my compost! Next year I’ll put a potting mix layer on top of the bales to start my seeds and then add compost once things are growing.
The cucumbers I put in from seeds are still really small so we’ll see how they work. As you can see, all the bales look like a bunch of chia pets! In the past, they’ve sprouted a few green straw shoots but never this bad. Oh well, I pull as much as I can and put it around the edges for a kind of mulch!
New this year: I stole an idea from the podcaster Joe Gardener, who makes tomato cages out of cattle panels. Instead of cages, I have two panels on either side of my line of bales with posts to keep them up. They are really sturdy and I can easily get my hand through them. I’m also hoping they will keep the deer from eating the tomatoes since I don’t have any fencing to keep them out.
GS: You seem to have learned a lot from your experiences so far. What recommendations would you give a gardener just starting out with straw bale gardening?
RT: I’d say just give it a try. I had success the first year and learned from that, particularly about what worked in my yard to keep them on mostly level ground and with easy access for watering.
Dabney Farmer
Dabney has been growing a wide variety of vegetables in straw bales for several years. I had been observing the development of her enchanting “fairy garden” in the front yard, but only recently learned that she was a vegetable gardener, too.
GS: What are you growing in your bales?
DF: Tomatoes, peppers, beans, and pumpkins.
I noticed that the pumpkins — and some other plants, too — were growing out of the sides of some of Dabney’s bales, and Dabney explained that this enabled the vines to “run” along the ground. My research indicated that some gardeners plant the sides of bales with flowers or herbs, but this was a first!
GS: Do you get new bales each spring?
DF: Yes, but it’s important to get straw, not hay.
Straw Bales, NOT Hay Bales. Dabney’s comment led to some research explaining this important distinction. There are a couple important differences between hay and straw bales. First, hay is grown from pasture grass and may have viable seeds that sprout into grass weeds in your bale; that’s not nearly as likely with straw, which is the byproduct of grain production. Second, a hay bale is more likely to contain herbicide residues, which can damage your crop. Hay farmers are more likely to spray their fields with a herbicide; it’s against agricultural regulations for grain farmers to use persistent chemicals, though that’s not a guarantee. However, nurseries and garden centers often carry straw bales, and they have usually made certain their supplier’s bales are pesticide-free.
GS: What advice would you give to gardeners who are just trying straw bale gardening for the first time?
DF: Don’t place your bales on a deck because the water will damage it. Be sure they get a lot of sun.
These three straw bale gardeners infected me with their enthusiasm, and I expect you’ll have the same reaction. A straw bale can function as a type of raised bed as well as a growing medium. And it makes vegetable gardening possible — and more successful — in problem soils.
SOURCES:
Straw Bale Gardens Complete: Breakthrough Method for Growing Vegetables Anywhere, Earlier and with No Weeding (Joel Karsten, Cool Springs Press; 2nd edition, 2019)
“Using Cereal Straw Bales in Home Gardens,”Washington State Ext, (downloadable free online) (Linda Chalker-Scott, Associate Professor in Horticulture, Washington State University)
“Gardening in Straw Bales: An Easy & Inexpensive Solution to Make Growing Food More Accessible for All,” Joe Gardener Podcast No. 148, joegardener.com/podcast ( Joe L’amp’l)
“Straw Bale Gardening,” York/Poquoson Master Gardeners/VA Tech.edu
“Straw Bale Gardening,” Washington State University/Benton County Extension (2013)
“Straw Bale Gardening,” Clemson.edu/Home & Garden Information Center
