Strawbale gardening....Its workin.... - Page 6

ChuckBartok · June 12, 2008

I should soak them well again and re-plant.
What else would you suggest beside Tomatoes?

What all do YOU plant in the bales?

kelleyville · June 13, 2008

Chuck,
I had some wilting due to what I can only say was nitrogen burn. I soaked the bales morning and night for a few days to correct this and foliar fed my tomato plants. When I replanted I was careful to put some of the dirt my plants were growing in and make a mini planter to start the plant in, I also wanted to ensure enough moisture stayed with the tomatoes and left a cap of the potting soil on top. I only had a problem with three plants out of 8 though and one actually made it, I have replanted two others in place of the dead ones.

Bate- As for the blood meal, If I use it in the future I will watch what runs out of the bales. Day 10 and a few days after that the water was dark bloody reddish brown-like iodine, I think I should have waited until it looked more like tea! Of course not everyone stands out watering bales in flip flops watching the water from her bales run over her bare feet hehehe Give it a good soak for a few days and don't forget to give it an all purpose fertilizer, I did not and maybe the all purpose neutralizes some of the nitrogen?

Yes you need the blood meal to go deep into the bale, try using a pitchfork or bbq fork to poke it in there or just push around with your hand as you water. A lot of mine would not go down and stayed on top for a long time!

Updated pics on my blog! You can now see the 'mater plants!

http://kelleyville-kelleyville.blogspot.com/

GIZZARDFARM · June 13, 2008

I grow squash,cucs,peppers as well as maters in mine. I think the "bloody liquid" is just decomposing straw mine still does that and i used nitrate...I think next year im going to put my bales out in february and let them break down naturally...have ya'll been seeing alot of mushrooms/ mine in the mornings look like a hair brush and after the sun hits em they dry up.....not a problem just an observation.....Gene

bate181 · June 13, 2008

good advice kelly. your plants look really good

kelleyville · June 13, 2008

Gene,
I been getting a ton of mushrooms! At first I was afraid they would hurt the tomatoes and was trying to pull them all out, but then, I noticed they died when it got hot or the sun hit them! Good fertilizer maybe?

My decomposing straw has a nice tea color to the water now, not as bad as that first week LOL I also have a really green patch of grass where that water runs off but it is spongy underneath where the water never really goes anywhere! Feels kind of neat and squishy

Thanks bate! I hope they (my tomatoes) just continue to get bigger now! I also hope I am finished with bad plants and replacing them! I only have a couple extras left that of the varieties in the bale! And I must say losing two plants due to the bales was nothing to what the heat did to seedlings and then what the murdering grasshoppers did to others

GIZZARDFARM · June 13, 2008

Nice plants Kelley they are lookin great....I took new pics today and will add them to the blog tommorrow..I got 15 squash today from the bales....peppers coming on strong and maters have nearly doubled in size this week they are beginning to take off..I have noticed that after the ten days and then the planting the plants dont really take off for two or three weeks then katie bar the door....rained here today and that really makes em look good....Gene

ChuckBartok · June 13, 2008

Hello experts,

Stuck my hand into the bales, still plenty Hot in there.

Was going to put some squash plants in.

What Think all of you?

GIZZARDFARM · June 14, 2008

Yes i think squash would be fine...Also ya'll Ive updated my blog

www.gizzardfarm.blogspot.com

Gene

bate181 · June 14, 2008

anyone elses bales getting a ton of those gnat flys? im thinking the blood meal is attracting them

kelleyville · June 15, 2008

Gene,
Wow your squash is huge! I envy your beautiful brown dirt! I have that nasty clay that if you can dig in it at all plowing gives you maybe four inches of loose sandy stuff and then you hit this hard pan bottom and break shovels hehehe!

My tomatoes did nothing for about the first two weeks, well some of them needed to do nothing to recuperate, but last week everything greened up and started making new leaves and flowers and we got some rain too! Three days in a row we got a lovely downpour!

Bate-I got so many bugs of so many varieties it is not funny! But so far nothing bothering the bales. There are spiders in my bales I know because a couple of them scared the crap out of me! So maybe the spiders in my bales are eating all the gnats?!

I was going to get more bales this weekend, but our truck broke...amazing how many friends disappear when you need a ride somewhere!

Kelley

GIZZARDFARM · June 15, 2008

No more Knats than usual really...With the all the rain mosiquitos and what i call "noseeums" tiny biting annoying bugs. I have three large caves on my farm and needless to say the bats are getting fat....I think next year I going to wait another week after the initial 10 day treatment to plant....Gene

kelleyville · June 18, 2008

Gene do you get the bat whats it called-guano? and use it for fertilizer?

Medbury Gardens · June 18, 2008

After reading about you people growing in hay bales,why? if you are paying that much for a bale, does it make economic at the end day?

GIZZARDFARM · June 18, 2008

Yes Kelley i do use bat dung it is the best fertilize ive ever used bar none.....I get my bales from friend and neighbor who has a large farming operation..This year ive planted 30 bales and he spread 1 ton of lime and 150 lbs potash on my garden plus cut it once for a hundred dollars so yes it to me is cost efficient.. although i realize that some folks would have to pay 6 or 7 dollars a bale which is steep...But one must also factor in no tilling...no weeding...no bug problems... and while sitting on a five gallon bucket one can work on ones plants in a comfortable position...I love it and will continue to use this method as i am still learning by trial and error....Any new pics Kelley???? I have harvested nearly 20 lbs of yellow and zuccani..sorry for spelling...squash in three days by far the best harvest of any 6 plants ive ever had..sold them for 1.00 lb cool twenty bucks... I still have squash in three different stages also i look for a steady supply for several months....Be seein ya'll Gizzard.....

kelleyville · June 18, 2008

The bales are cheaper too for me than all the different bags of peat humus, topsoil, peat moss, manure, sand etc I need to mix with my hard nasty clay, and that doesn't include fertilizers! The bales on average also are not taking as much water as a plant in the ground would, at least not after the initial soaking!

Straw bales are only $4 each at Lowes and Home Depot here, and there are other places if you have a truck to get them for even less from the farmer direct so it is definitely cheaper than dirt!

Gene, I hope to have more bales and more tilled area next year myself and be able to market my tomatoes and veges! People are tired of worrying where their food is coming from and are turning to organic or locally grown produce!

Gene, no new pics yet, I have a housefull of kids this week. Not sure where they put the batteries hehehe I will take new pics this week, was hoping to show a baby mater....flowers are coming now though and the plants are so green and getting fuller every day! They are so much prettier and healthier looking than the ones I have in big pots!

Kelley

Kelley

June 12, 2008	#76
ChuckBartok Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: Northern California Posts: 83	Thanks Giz.... I should soak them well again and re-plant. What else would you suggest beside Tomatoes? What all do YOU plant in the bales?

June 13, 2008	#77
kelleyville Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Covington, GA 30016 7b? Posts: 321	Chuck, I had some wilting due to what I can only say was nitrogen burn. I soaked the bales morning and night for a few days to correct this and foliar fed my tomato plants. When I replanted I was careful to put some of the dirt my plants were growing in and make a mini planter to start the plant in, I also wanted to ensure enough moisture stayed with the tomatoes and left a cap of the potting soil on top. I only had a problem with three plants out of 8 though and one actually made it, I have replanted two others in place of the dead ones. Bate- As for the blood meal, If I use it in the future I will watch what runs out of the bales. Day 10 and a few days after that the water was dark bloody reddish brown-like iodine, I think I should have waited until it looked more like tea! Of course not everyone stands out watering bales in flip flops watching the water from her bales run over her bare feet hehehe Give it a good soak for a few days and don't forget to give it an all purpose fertilizer, I did not and maybe the all purpose neutralizes some of the nitrogen? Yes you need the blood meal to go deep into the bale, try using a pitchfork or bbq fork to poke it in there or just push around with your hand as you water. A lot of mine would not go down and stayed on top for a long time! Updated pics on my blog! You can now see the 'mater plants! http://kelleyville-kelleyville.blogspot.com/ Last edited by kelleyville; June 13, 2008 at 03:02 PM. Reason: finish sentence!

June 13, 2008	#82
ChuckBartok Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: Northern California Posts: 83	??Still too hot? Hello experts, Stuck my hand into the bales, still plenty Hot in there. Was going to put some squash plants in. What Think all of you?

June 13, 2008	#78
GIZZARDFARM Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: COMFORT TENNESSEE Posts: 300	I grow squash,cucs,peppers as well as maters in mine. I think the "bloody liquid" is just decomposing straw mine still does that and i used nitrate...I think next year im going to put my bales out in february and let them break down naturally...have ya'll been seeing alot of mushrooms/ mine in the mornings look like a hair brush and after the sun hits em they dry up.....not a problem just an observation.....Gene

June 13, 2008	#79
bate181 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Southern California Posts: 74	good advice kelly. your plants look really good

June 14, 2008	#83
GIZZARDFARM Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: COMFORT TENNESSEE Posts: 300	Yes i think squash would be fine...Also ya'll Ive updated my blog www.gizzardfarm.blogspot.com Gene

June 15, 2008	#85
kelleyville Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Covington, GA 30016 7b? Posts: 321	Gene, Wow your squash is huge! I envy your beautiful brown dirt! I have that nasty clay that if you can dig in it at all plowing gives you maybe four inches of loose sandy stuff and then you hit this hard pan bottom and break shovels hehehe! My tomatoes did nothing for about the first two weeks, well some of them needed to do nothing to recuperate, but last week everything greened up and started making new leaves and flowers and we got some rain too! Three days in a row we got a lovely downpour! Bate-I got so many bugs of so many varieties it is not funny! But so far nothing bothering the bales. There are spiders in my bales I know because a couple of them scared the crap out of me! So maybe the spiders in my bales are eating all the gnats?! I was going to get more bales this weekend, but our truck broke...amazing how many friends disappear when you need a ride somewhere! Kelley

June 18, 2008	#87
kelleyville Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Covington, GA 30016 7b? Posts: 321	Gene do you get the bat whats it called-guano? and use it for fertilizer?

June 18, 2008	#88
Medbury Gardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Medbury, New Zealand Posts: 1,881	After reading about you people growing in hay bales,why? if you are paying that much for a bale, does it make economic at the end day?