Straw Bale Garden

In a previous post I mentioned our straw bale garden here at Farmington Gardens  --  I want to spend a little more time explaining just what it is and how to do it.  I learned about this unusual version of a raised bed when I assisted Rose Marie Nichols McGee** (from Nichols Garden Nursery) in creating an edible garden display at one of the garden shows a few years ago.

• Bales:  Wheat straw bales have the fewest seeds, and have no perennial seeds.  Set bales in place, with straws vertical, not horizontal.   Soak the bales thoroughly (they will get very heavy, so be sure they are where you want them).  They will heat up inside, but will cool down in about 5-7 days.  Then they are ready to plant.
• Preparation of bales:  Rough up the top surface with a hand fork.  Place a 3" layer of compost along the top - this is the bed you will use for planting.   Try to work a little compost down inside.
• Planting:  According to Dr. N.L. Mansour, from Oregon State University, all of these will do well:  tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and greens.  Rose Marie has had success with: peas, salad greens, squash, and Swiss chard.  Root crops should probably be avoided, because there will not be adequate room inside the bale for large roots.   Small transplants or seeds will work best - use a trowel to pull back the compost, and create a small pocket inside the bale.  Add a bit more compost into the hole if you think it needs it.  Water well after planting.
• Watering:  Rose Marie recommends a drip system.  It will be important to maintain regular watering during the summer months.
• Fertilizing:  Here Rose Marie recommends supplementing with natural fertilizers for healthy plant development - liquid seaweed, fish emulsion, and/or compost tea.

Those are the basics.  Come out and visit our straw bale garden to see how its going here.  I must admit, it is a bit of an experiment, but that is one of the fun aspects of gardening, the trying of new things.  One problem:  I am finding that a bit of the compost is washing off the bale whenever we water;  in the picture you will see a sprinkling of compost on the ground below the bale.  I'm trying to problem-solve that; we need sides on the bale to hold the compost in place. Today I harvested all the remaining Oregon sugar pod peas - about 1/2 pound - and pulled up the vines.  In their place I put down some fresh compost, and planted some black-seeded Simpson lettuces and some Spargo spinach starts.  Spargo is a new variety to me, but it is supposed to be a high-yielding, slow-bolting variety - sounds perfect for summer!  We have a few traypacks remaining on our tables, so give it a try. ** A side note:  Rose Marie, co-author of The Bountiful Container, will be here August 2nd for a class on eating seasonally from the garden.  August is the perfect time to start transitioning to your fall garden, so that you can eat from your own garden through the winter.  Rose Marie will have lots of helpful ideas as well as plenty of recipe suggestions, I would imagine.  So save a bit of space in your garden where you can tuck in some fall crops!  http://www.farmingtongardens.com/blog/straw-bale-gardening