Anyone ever gardened this way? Straw bale gardening

Yes, it is an interesting idea. The bales would certainly hold in moisture and allow for quick root growth. And it's a lot easier than prepping existing soil...amending, tilling, amending again. The ultimate "raised bed"!

I know, though, that straw bales tend to be full of weed seeds so I'd be more likely to plant transplants into them versus starting seeds in them. I also know that straw tends to attract critters (mice et. al.) which could be a problem around young transplants. If you decide to do this, please let us know your experiences.

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OK since ya asked so nicely T. Very Happy

Here ya go.

Takes 1-10 days to prepare your bales:

Days 1-3: Water bales thoroughly & keep them wet.
Days 4-6: Sprinkle the bales with 1/2 cup ammonium nitrate (32-0-0) per bale per day & water well. I found it at our local feed & seed in a 50lbs bag for less than $10. Larger garden supply stores (not Lowe's!) should be able to lead you in the right direction.
Days 7-9: Cut back to 1/4 cup A.N. per bales per day & continue to water it well.
Day 10: No more A. N. , but do add 1 cup 10-10-10 fertilizer per bale per day & water them well
Day 11: Transplant your plants into the bales. I use a spatula to make a crack in the bale for each plant. Place the plant down to the first leaf & close the crack together as best you can.

I use wheat straw for this, but you can also use oat straw; pine straw will not work. Wheat is denser & seems to hold water better than the oat which is great for our dry, but humid summers here; you'll have to decide for your own climate which is better. Look for bales that are tightly bound & bound with synthetic twine cause it holds up better through the season. You can place aproximately 3 broccoli/bale, 3 cauli/bale, 2 pumpkin/bale, 2 tomatoes/bale putting the tomato cage around it like usual. There are just a few ideas for the amount of plants per bale.

You cannot over water these! Excess will just run out the straw. Because of this, watering needs to be done 2x per day--they need to stay moist & not get dried out between watering's. Some people sprinkle them with the 10-10-10 fertilizer about once/wk. But you don't want to over fertilize. The bales may start sprouting, but scissors easily takes care of that, if it bothers you. Something else is that you don't not need to do ANYTHING for pests---the pests completely leave your veggies alone!

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