Our old hay man used to run the conditioner right behind the mower. Conditioner ran all the cut material thru itself, left cut material in rows behind. A conditioner will crimp (bend) or cut the stems of grass or plants like Alfalfa, to allow cut material to dry quicker. He found the conditioner to reduce his drying time by a great deal. He also raked hay quickly after cutting, using one of those fluffer machines, to have very airy, tall windrows. He would turn the windrows the next morning after cutting, when the dew was off. They would usually finish drying that day, so he could bale by late in the 2nd day. We were quite amazed at how much time he saved in drying hay, using the conditioner and that fluffer machine. Hay was loose, very open to drying breezes, in those airy windrows. He usually had the dairy quality Alfalfa, leafy, very thick, really beautiful hay, I could have eaten it myself!! Still dried very quickly in the tall windrows, after being conditioned. We would buy his first cutting, had mixed grass in that early part of the season. The later cutting hay was way too rich for the horses. He was very professional about it, cut when hay was ready, took good care of his fields with fertilizers, used good seeds. I really was a believer in his methods, from cutting to bales in the barn, was the shortest time I have ever seen. No leaf loss on plants, good color, good weight in bales. Bales were REALLY dry inside, never any mold problems in bales we purchased. He did look rather odd with those machines hooked together, dragging along behind tractor as he cut the stuff he was going to bale. Other folks copied his methods, as time proved how well they worked. I never knew him to lose any hay to rain. His speed at baling it, prevented his crop losses. I know he always sold out all the hay he put up.

I copied this from an article in a small rural newspaper while travelling. Not all new gardeners can count on cultivated soil for their plants. Some may be burdened by limited space or rocky ground. As a result, whether a new gardener or a veggie veteran, bale gardening may be the way to go. Growing vegetables in bales really works because bales provide the two things seeds need to grow. "For seeds to germinate, all you need is heat and moisture," said John Sims of the Farmer's Cooperative. In 2005, The Post published an article on bale gardening, and it has been one of the most frequently read articles at The Post Online. Tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, green beans, melons and a host of other plants grow well in bales. The Farmer's Cooperative, Southern States, and Danny's Builder Supply in Centre all carry wheat straw bales. To plant a hay bale garden, first, around 10 days before planting seeds, place the bales in a sunny location. Soak them with water for three days. On the fourth day, apply 5 oz. of fertilizer, followed by a couple more days of watering. On the seventh day, apply 2.5 oz more fertilizer, followed by a couple more days of watering. On the 10th day, apply a cup fertilizer and lightly water into the hay bale. On the 11th day, plant seeds by applying a three-inch layer of top soil or potting mix to serve as a bed. Each bale can hold two tomato plants, four pepper plants, six to eight cucumbers, three yellow squash or 12-15 bean seeds. Bales can typically be used for two or three seasons.

Tracy, I never feed OK alfalfa hay. The blister bugs are TERRIBLE here in Garvin County. I used to live in Murray County and they weren't nearly as bad there, nor were any bugs for that matter. The county extension agent here said it's because so many thousands of acres here are farmed, and when you have that many crops growing, you'll have an abundance of bugs. Ugh! I always get my alfalfa from Kansas or Nebraska. Such a shame that we grow beautiful alfalfa here, but the risk of blister bugs is so bad I would never risk feeding it to my horses. The blister beetles will actually climb up the walls of the barn and get into my horse buckets!! Nearly every day I will capture a couple of blister bugs near my horses feeding area and have to carry them out to the pasture and kill them. They even get in the dogs' and cat's food bowls and eat their feed. They have also eaten most of my hostas to the ground. They LOVE hostas! Pat, I have tried to feed my old mare alfalfa pellets mixed with her Purina Senior to fatten her up, but she won't eat the alfalfa pellets. The Purina Senior is a complete food, but I still try to feed her as much hay as she'll eat. My gelding is a fat boy and he'll eat anything. :) The guy I am planning on buying the hay from is supposed to start cutting again today. Hopefully I can pick up some hay early next week. If his hay doesn't pan out, I will go to Shawnee Feed to check out their hay. Thank you both for all your help! Dawna

catwhisperer2009 Actually the interview is in three segments and I linked only the first one. The other two can be accessed by running your cursor over the thumbnails just under the clip when it's finished. I had totally forgotten, but apparently she was such a free spirit she gardened in the nude, as she recounts in the third clip. Additionally, she says she helped Carrie Nation chop up saloons with axes. She was also fiercely independent and did not believe that anyone had a right to tell others what to do about anything, herself about gardening included. Well, maybe with the exception of chopping up saloons... She just wrote and talked about what she did herself.