Strawbale gardening....Its workin.... - Page 10

kelleyville · July 12, 2008

Hey fellow straw bale gardeners! I finally decided my second set of four bales were ready and finally decided what to plant in them. I planted six more types of parthenocarpic squash, three tomatillos, and peppers. The peppers went in the bale I said looked freshest, and a good thing I still have too many seedlings because they burn up within a day!

The tomatillos in the older bale are doing great though! In fact I broke one of them putting it in, it wilted immediately and the next morning I had a very perky plant! The squash was all seeded directly! I put the bales side by side this time intead of in a row, could not see four inches of anything on top of them but did open a new bag of lowes brand compost and manure and spread over the top of two bales and seeded in it! So far so good!

I will keep putting the almost dead not grwoing seedlings into the first bale until they stop dying, then I have some larger seedlings I want in there!

Seems like everyday I find a new baby mater on one of the bale plants! The pineapple had tomatoes on it while the ones in pots and in the ground do not! One possible problem though, two of my bales are really rotted and shrinking rapidly! I have had to put pieces of wood shoved up against them on the front and then stake that in to hold them up a little longer! I have promised myself as long as the plants in them make one tomatoe that gets to ripen I will be happy enough to use bales again next year!

How does your bales grow?

Kelley

bate181 · July 12, 2008

my bale plants are doing really well. 7 of my 8 plants have survived and are growing. green giant was the only one to die

kelleyville · July 12, 2008

Bate, I lost my last green giant last week. It was small and never grew after I planted it. Just kept seemingly getting smaller! I unearthed it and found termites! The larger tomatoes I have sat out in holes I guess were big enough to make it through a termite onslaught! I did not know termites ate tomato roots! I need to find more seed for Green Giant, my Green Cherokees never made it to transplant time either !

Have you any pics of your bales to share!? Glad they are doing well!

Kelley

kelleyville · July 17, 2008

A few pics updated on my blog! The zucchini seeded in the bales is doing great! Much better than the ones i have in dirt!
http://kelleyville-kelleyville.blogspot.com/

ChuckBartok · August 3, 2008

What do think about trying some bush beans now in a couple empty but cured bales?

We have first first mid November.

Here is latest report on Tomato Patch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqqGq4eczxk

Also started Veggie Recipe Newsletter, sign up and lets have FUN
If anyone wants to share far out Veggie recipes I post and give credit

Chuck's Garden Recipes

kelleyville · August 3, 2008

I don't know bout anyone else, but I would say go for it! I would think you could push the limit on how many you put in and they will be up and at 'em faster than in ground, at least my squash was!

TZ-OH6 · August 10, 2008

Anybody else having trouble with wilt (fusarium?) in their bales? I have two plants in two separate bales affected. The second plant in both bales is unaffected so far.

GIZZARDFARM · August 13, 2008

Hey ya'll sorry for my absence...I have been covered at work as well as harvest. Saturday I sold 300 lbs of tomatoes,43 lbs of squash, 5 buschels okra, and 3 bu of beans. part of the tomatoes and all of the squash were from my bales. I need to update my blog so yall can see. I hope everyone has had the success ive had with these bales I have never had a better crop of squash,peppers and Tomatoes as from the bales this year. I have learned many things by trial and error and im sure next year will be even better. Ill post some pics and be back soon...Gene

ChuckBartok · August 29, 2008

Just started some Fall Bush beans in my failed early season Straw Bales.

Watch on Visit 6 Garden Behind the Barn

Also posted Week 18 Tomatoes for Health and Wealth

kelleyville · August 30, 2008

I am definitely going to be doing bales next year! Wow Gene that is awesome! Next year I will plant tomatoes that I know what they are in bales! and have proper trellis! Gene did you prune yours or let them bush? What kind of tomatoes did you grow and how many in each bale? Did you fertilize? I don't think I foliar fed enough but got a good crop, just small tomatos but I think that is because the variety was small. My bale plants have the least amount of disease of all my plants! Squash is full of stink bugs though ;( Kelley

GIZZARDFARM · September 3, 2008

Kelly my bale squash are likewise full of stink bugs not sure why but ive never had that problem though...they dont seem to affect my squash but i have noticed light splotches on some tomatoes and a neighbor farmer said they were stink bug bites..they appear not as a hole or anything but like the bug sucked all the juice and color from a tiny spot... my tomatoes are on their way out now still getting plenty to eat though...i sold a grand total of 1,360 lbs of tomatoes canned 87 quarts and have eaten a truckload...by far the best tomato crop ive ever had....i also grew three kbx in a large bag of potting soil they have produced enough tomatoes to supply my buddies each a tomato for several months for breakfast about 3 or 4 a day...my peppers and squash in the bales far exceeded the production of the ones in the ground.....In my bales i grew KBX (new to me this year)(now one of my favorite), cherokee purple, aunt ginnys purple, brandywine,golith,parks whoppers, pink girl and boxcar willie(two to a bale) after planting i used a commercial slow release triple 17 and twice a month i use miricle grow.....

ChuckBartok · September 3, 2008

How many plants did you set out?
Curious as to why they are "going Out"?
Were they Determinate varieties?

GIZZARDFARM · September 5, 2008

I planted 300 plants most of them being goliath and parks whoppers....when i say going out i mean i dont have the volume to market but still have plenty to eat and should get about 30 quarts put up....also i have been infested with morning glories and indiago weed and i lose some tomatoes but this year and last i try to mow before they seed....Gene

ChuckBartok · September 5, 2008

Gene and everyone,

I just posted interesting Tomato Research finding.

Special also given to Gene.

Please Comment if you have time and follow links.

It is fun

Growing Tomatoes for Health and Wealth

Thanks again for your acceptance and friendship.

kelleyville · October 6, 2008

Gene, I grew KB not in bale, would love to try KBX did you save seeds? KBX seems to be the big best for a lot of people this year! Am planning next years garden already, right now planning the raised beds, and am going to reused my half barrels as they did quite well! Last on my list is filling in with bales! That means double the planting space and half the work! I need a good way to water when I cant be home though!
Kelley

August 3, 2008	#140
ChuckBartok Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: Northern California Posts: 83	Thought I would stop by... What do think about trying some bush beans now in a couple empty but cured bales? We have first first mid November. Here is latest report on Tomato Patch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqqGq4eczxk Also started Veggie Recipe Newsletter, sign up and lets have FUN If anyone wants to share far out Veggie recipes I post and give credit Chuck's Garden Recipes

August 29, 2008	#144
ChuckBartok Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: Northern California Posts: 83	Hi Friends.... Just started some Fall Bush beans in my failed early season Straw Bales. Watch on Visit 6 Garden Behind the Barn Also posted Week 18 Tomatoes for Health and Wealth

September 3, 2008	#147
ChuckBartok Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: Northern California Posts: 83	Fantastic Crop... How many plants did you set out? Curious as to why they are "going Out"? Were they Determinate varieties?

September 5, 2008	#149
ChuckBartok Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: Northern California Posts: 83	Hi everyone, Check out new Tomato Blog post..... Gene and everyone, I just posted interesting Tomato Research finding. Special also given to Gene. Please Comment if you have time and follow links. It is fun Growing Tomatoes for Health and Wealth Thanks again for your acceptance and friendship.

July 12, 2008	#136
kelleyville Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Covington, GA 30016 7b? Posts: 321	Hey fellow straw bale gardeners! I finally decided my second set of four bales were ready and finally decided what to plant in them. I planted six more types of parthenocarpic squash, three tomatillos, and peppers. The peppers went in the bale I said looked freshest, and a good thing I still have too many seedlings because they burn up within a day! The tomatillos in the older bale are doing great though! In fact I broke one of them putting it in, it wilted immediately and the next morning I had a very perky plant! The squash was all seeded directly! I put the bales side by side this time intead of in a row, could not see four inches of anything on top of them but did open a new bag of lowes brand compost and manure and spread over the top of two bales and seeded in it! So far so good! I will keep putting the almost dead not grwoing seedlings into the first bale until they stop dying, then I have some larger seedlings I want in there! Seems like everyday I find a new baby mater on one of the bale plants! The pineapple had tomatoes on it while the ones in pots and in the ground do not! One possible problem though, two of my bales are really rotted and shrinking rapidly! I have had to put pieces of wood shoved up against them on the front and then stake that in to hold them up a little longer! I have promised myself as long as the plants in them make one tomatoe that gets to ripen I will be happy enough to use bales again next year! How does your bales grow? Kelley

July 12, 2008	#137
bate181 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Southern California Posts: 74	my bale plants are doing really well. 7 of my 8 plants have survived and are growing. green giant was the only one to die

July 12, 2008	#138
kelleyville Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Covington, GA 30016 7b? Posts: 321	Bate, I lost my last green giant last week. It was small and never grew after I planted it. Just kept seemingly getting smaller! I unearthed it and found termites! The larger tomatoes I have sat out in holes I guess were big enough to make it through a termite onslaught! I did not know termites ate tomato roots! I need to find more seed for Green Giant, my Green Cherokees never made it to transplant time either ! Have you any pics of your bales to share!? Glad they are doing well! Kelley

July 17, 2008	#139
kelleyville Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Covington, GA 30016 7b? Posts: 321	A few pics updated on my blog! The zucchini seeded in the bales is doing great! Much better than the ones i have in dirt! http://kelleyville-kelleyville.blogspot.com/

August 3, 2008	#141
kelleyville Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Covington, GA 30016 7b? Posts: 321	I don't know bout anyone else, but I would say go for it! I would think you could push the limit on how many you put in and they will be up and at 'em faster than in ground, at least my squash was!

August 10, 2008	#142
TZ-OH6 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Mid-Ohio Posts: 847	Anybody else having trouble with wilt (fusarium?) in their bales? I have two plants in two separate bales affected. The second plant in both bales is unaffected so far.

August 13, 2008	#143
GIZZARDFARM Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: COMFORT TENNESSEE Posts: 300	Hey ya'll sorry for my absence...I have been covered at work as well as harvest. Saturday I sold 300 lbs of tomatoes,43 lbs of squash, 5 buschels okra, and 3 bu of beans. part of the tomatoes and all of the squash were from my bales. I need to update my blog so yall can see. I hope everyone has had the success ive had with these bales I have never had a better crop of squash,peppers and Tomatoes as from the bales this year. I have learned many things by trial and error and im sure next year will be even better. Ill post some pics and be back soon...Gene

August 30, 2008	#145
kelleyville Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Covington, GA 30016 7b? Posts: 321	I am definitely going to be doing bales next year! Wow Gene that is awesome! Next year I will plant tomatoes that I know what they are in bales! and have proper trellis! Gene did you prune yours or let them bush? What kind of tomatoes did you grow and how many in each bale? Did you fertilize? I don't think I foliar fed enough but got a good crop, just small tomatos but I think that is because the variety was small. My bale plants have the least amount of disease of all my plants! Squash is full of stink bugs though ;( Kelley

September 3, 2008	#146
GIZZARDFARM Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: COMFORT TENNESSEE Posts: 300	Kelly my bale squash are likewise full of stink bugs not sure why but ive never had that problem though...they dont seem to affect my squash but i have noticed light splotches on some tomatoes and a neighbor farmer said they were stink bug bites..they appear not as a hole or anything but like the bug sucked all the juice and color from a tiny spot... my tomatoes are on their way out now still getting plenty to eat though...i sold a grand total of 1,360 lbs of tomatoes canned 87 quarts and have eaten a truckload...by far the best tomato crop ive ever had....i also grew three kbx in a large bag of potting soil they have produced enough tomatoes to supply my buddies each a tomato for several months for breakfast about 3 or 4 a day...my peppers and squash in the bales far exceeded the production of the ones in the ground.....In my bales i grew KBX (new to me this year)(now one of my favorite), cherokee purple, aunt ginnys purple, brandywine,golith,parks whoppers, pink girl and boxcar willie(two to a bale) after planting i used a commercial slow release triple 17 and twice a month i use miricle grow.....

September 5, 2008	#148
GIZZARDFARM Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: COMFORT TENNESSEE Posts: 300	I planted 300 plants most of them being goliath and parks whoppers....when i say going out i mean i dont have the volume to market but still have plenty to eat and should get about 30 quarts put up....also i have been infested with morning glories and indiago weed and i lose some tomatoes but this year and last i try to mow before they seed....Gene

October 6, 2008	#150
kelleyville Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Covington, GA 30016 7b? Posts: 321	Gene, I grew KB not in bale, would love to try KBX did you save seeds? KBX seems to be the big best for a lot of people this year! Am planning next years garden already, right now planning the raised beds, and am going to reused my half barrels as they did quite well! Last on my list is filling in with bales! That means double the planting space and half the work! I need a good way to water when I cant be home though! Kelley