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California Gardening

Update on Straw Bale Garden

8 years ago

I thought I would post a picture so you could see how the straw bale garden is going. I have two tomato plants in one and then peppers and strawberries in the other. So far it seems to be going pretty good. Plants look really good. I've given them compost tea several weeks ago and then some fish emulsion last weekend.

Ignore my poor attempt at building a bamboo trellis.

Karin

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Comments (8)

tim45z10
8 years ago
In this case no such thing as a poor attempt. Looks good to me.

You build it, if it works fine, if not, modify it and keep going.

The plants look good too.
akarinz
Original Author
8 years ago
I had trouble getting the lashing on securely. It's harder than it looks.
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Update: I found a source listed in another thread. Sorry for asking an already answered question. Island Farm Inc 417 2nd Avenue West, Seattle, WA 98119
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With you on that bro. I only maintain a compost pile to hot compost meats/bones/etc. (you know... what many call "uncompostable"- LOL) I clean out my rabbit boxes (litter trained rabbits) and throw manure, spent hay, and urine soaked wood pellets (now sawdust) right onto beds. When I went to put my garden to bed for the winter- it was 6"+ deep in pure worm castings. I more or less failed at indoor worm bins, but they sure found my garden. I have since piled it up with maybe 40 bags of other people's discarded leaves, my other scraps, and garden refuse. The worms may even do well over the winter with this insulation.
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There are a lot of hay seeds in the straw bails. My snap peas are up with another planting to break surface. My first planting failed. the big picture of straw bail garden on my rooftop. hay seed sprouts Kale in the soil between the straw bails and the rooftop's guard rail. second planting of snap peas. I bielive that the straw should have been set up late august and allowed to season over the end of summer, fall and winter before planting this spring. 6b Steve
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gyr_falcon
8 years ago
Thanks for the update. Your plants look happy. That would be one advantage to using a new bale every season. I grow my tomatoes in pots, due to the soil being lousy for vegetable growing. But I have to rotate the soil from container to container to keep from planting tomatoes in last year's mix.
User
8 years ago
How smart you are! Thank you for the update.
BarbJP 15-16/9B CA Bay Area
8 years ago
Very cool idea! You bamboo trellis looks great!
Humsi
8 years ago
Looks terrific, keep the updates coming, please!
tim45z10
8 years ago
Next time. Drill a small hole and put in a screw long enough to rest the cross beams while you tie it.
akarinz
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks for the input tim45z10. I am going to have to put some more cross beams as the tomatoes get larger. I will use your technique. Do you have any particular twine/rope you recommend and also which kind of knot. I noticed there were two kind of bamboo lashing knots.

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