Straw bale gardening sharon morrisey consumer horticulture agent milwaukee county uwextension. When the straw inside the bales begins to decompose, the straw becomes conditioned and ready for planting, according to joels website. Download pdf straw bale gardens complete book full free. In 2015 the book was revised see photo to address some of the questions the author received from readers. I would swear that a bad bale of straw i bought last year, killed off several batches of my seedlings. Straw bale gardening is easy, affordable and fun for kids. Straw bale gardening is a great way to extend your growing season, create a garden in areas with lessthanideal soil, and make tasks like planting and weeding less laborintensive. You can toss the dice like i did and purchase straw bales from your local garden center, but its best to source them direct from the farm.
Ive seen some really pretty and clever methods of straw bale gardening. Use one or umpteen bales as you need and in any pattern. Straw bale gardening is an easy way to setup your own veggie garden, by using the decomposing straw bales as the foundation for your garden. A pdf file for viewing on pcs and a mobi file for ereaders. In his book straw bale gardens, joel karsten explains that straw bales function as another type of container gardening, except the container is the outside crust of the bale itself. Straw bale gardening is just that, planting your seedlings into bales of straw. Joel karsten perfected the methods of straw bale gardening during more than 20 years and has written many excellent books about the subject. Adapted from joel karsten, author of straw bale gardens complete. Click here to get the 6 week greenhouse howto pdf emailed to you right away.
Here you will find all that you need to know about this great method. Growing plants in straw bales has become popular over the past several years. How to condition and plant a straw bale garden when it comes to thrifty. An indepth guide to straw bale gardening for beginners. Hello and welcome to my straw bale gardening website. Straw bale gardening, is a most informative and detailed book for the avid vegetable gardener. Its been a great experiment and ive thoroughly enjoyed the process. Already a member of straw bale garden club, but cant find your email with the pdf instructions for the 6 week greenhouse.
Youll find a bumper crop of vegetable gardening books on the shelves today, but it is a very rare title that actually. Esclaves read rescurce buch fur permaculture free ebooks from kali yi on. Gardening with straw bales alan windham professor, plant pathology what is straw bale gardening. Joel, a farmboy, grew up tending a soil garden, like other gardeners have for centuries, until he shook up the gardening world with his new concepts and book. To quote one delighted visitor at the 2019 minnesota state fair after she walked through our straw bale gardens 6 week greenhouse display. I started a straw bale garden to follow along with you. Straw bale gardening ultimate 5chapter beginners guide. Straw bale gardens have taken off over the last decade or so. Straw bale gardening grow more food, in less space, with. We tried it this year for ourselves and our 81yearold mothermotherinlaw whos thrilled to have easier access to tending garden plants. Looking for an engaging speaker with something new to say. Gardening with straw bales university of tennessee system. We covered how to condition a straw bale for gardening, and the plants seem to enjoy their straw bale garden. Straw is more common and generally cheaper and has less.
The straw bale gardens method, was pioneered by karsten over twenty years ago, and continues to grow in popularity all around the world. Books written by ellen ecker ogden include the complete kitchen garden. In this first chapter, youll learn about the benefits of a straw bale garden. There are quite a lot that works well, but a few to avoid, and some to leave for when you are more experienced with straw bale gardening. The breakthrough method for growing vegetables anywhere, earlier and with no weeding. Well you do not have to have soil, so that means you can use this method on. Heres the method that has made karsten the goto guru for straw bale gardening. If you are hoping to find enough space to grow even a tomato plant or two, building a garden with straw bales creates a whole new range of possibilities. You can purchase this book from the mother earth news store. Straw bale gardening demonstration 2017 sacramento mgs.
This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. A garden in a bale of the many benefits of straw bale gardening, one of the most popular is the backsaving easier access. To sign up for a straw bale gardening class or to order a guide to straw bale gardening. The straw bales are not a permanent fixture in your garden. A variety of crops can be grown in bales, including tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, melons, and herbs.
Beginners guide to straw bale gardening gardening with straw bales is the answer to any organic gardeners prayers. Click download or read online button to get straw bale gardens complete pdf book now. This booklet is a guide to growing a successful straw bale garden written by the pioneer of this method of gardening. Straw bale gardens complete contains all of the original information that has set the gardening world on fire. Get your hands on a copy of the comprehensive guide to growing in straw bales, my book titled straw bale gardens which is filled with specific details on the entire process, garnered from my 22 years of research on this amazing method called straw bale gardening. Learn to grow a straw bale garden, roseville, minnesota. Step by step of creating a straw bale garden straw bale. When it comes to thrifty, versatile ways to garden, its hard to beat gardening using a bale of straw.
There is no need to rotate crops, since each season you start with new hay bales. It solves every impediment todays home gardeners face. Container gardening without the container advantages of straw bales height 2 foot raised bed no digging, cultivation soil type doesnt matter inexpensive raised bed used bales can be used as mulch, compost mobile at least. The straw bale process is for the person who is tired of tilling, trying to improve soil condition, weeding, constant watering, etc. I have 4 bales with the end of the straw pointing up and 2 bales with the sides of the straw at the top. Straw bale gardens complete pdf download ebook pdf, epub. Heres why you should be adding straw bales to your garden. Dozens of helpful stepbystep, color photography illustrates how to arrange and prepare. In forest glen, girl scout annie aguirre and other members of troop 20804 used straw bales to plant an organic vegetable garden in the back of a community church. It was bought from the local farm store, and i never thought to ask about what was sprayed on it. How to condition and plant a bale of straw for gardening. This excerpt is taken from the introduction of straw bale gardens.
Its economical, easier on your back, and is great for people with mobility issues. If weve positioned the straw bale garden atop a potential garden space, then weve hopefully put it on a weed barrier of cardboard or newspaper, snuffing out weed problems early on. Its easy, follow our step by step resources and be a gardener in no time. As the straw breaks down over the course of the summer, it turns into compost that feeds your plants. If youre an urban gardener, you may have thought of straw bale gardening. These are controlled normally through sprays, baits, or other appropriate methods. Poor soil no space for a garden in full sun site no containers or soil to buy just a cheap source of straw bales. A complete guide to growing in bales without soil or weeds by joel karsten. If youre looking for an easier way to garden, you need to learn about the ruth stout gardening method.
I noticed in the picture for this post that the straw at the top of your bales has the sides of the straw showing, as opposed to the ends of the straw pointing up. You can find it at your local library or bookstore. In this first chapter, youll learn about the benefits of a straw bale garden and what youll need to create your own. Straw bale gardening is simply a different type of container gardening. Generally, it is recommended to replace straw bales at the end of the growing season. Because straw bale gardening is raised, its easy to work with, so make sure you allow for handy access. Straw bale garden straw bales allow you to set up a garden anywhere, even on hardscapeadding valuable greenspace to your urban habitat. They function essentially as a raised bed each bale is 1416 inches high and a container garden in one. We do a lot of gardening and grow a lot of our own food, but straw bale gardening was completely new to me. The bale is first conditioned and then vegetable plants are planted and grown inside the bale.
We did our first straw bale gardening demonstration in 20 based on the book straw bale gardens joel karsten, 20, cool springs press. The main difference is that the container is the straw bale itself and is held together with two or three strings. A straw bale garden bed starts with a bale of straw. Download straw bale gardens pdf book pdfbooks divyoull find a bumper crop of vegetable gardening books on the shelves today, but it is a very. Garden mulch straw does it have to be organic to be safe. It seems almost unbelievable, but i promise you it gets results.
Organic soilfree potting media will help hold nutrients and water more efficiently for faster growth. Straw bale gardening explains the many advantages of growing an entire garden in straw bales. Straw bale gardening tips green bay botanical garden. Gardening is more popular than ever and now you can grow all types of vegetables in any location. Easily accessible to those who battle to reach normal garden beds, this type of gardening can be very effective and useful. Hay bales create an environment similar to gardening hills in soil. Straw bale gardens complete available for download and read online in other formats. Straw bale gardening is also called bale gardening or mistakenly, hay bale gardening. Although the practice of gardening in straw bales dates back to ancient times, i learned of it only a decade ago during a chance encounter with a local straw bale guru, kent rogers.
Straw bale gardens teaches gardening in a way that isnt only new but is thoroughly innovative and revolutionary to home gardening. This book is a complete guide to joels method, detailing the entire process of growing a straw bale garden. Once the straw inside the bale begins to decay the straw becomes conditioned compost that creates an extraordinary plant rooting environment. Whatever you call it, its a great way to grow herbs and vegetables.
If you are keen to start your own straw bale garden, you will want to know which vegetables work best with this unique gardening technique. Garden mulch straw does it have to be organic to be. When my publisher asked me to write about straw bale gardening, i tested the techniques in my own gardens and was quite impressed with the results. The best straw bales for a garden are wheat, oats, rye or barley straw. Pdf straw bale gardens complete download full pdf book. If your soil is so poor that amending, or enhancing, it with compost, fertilizers, or leaf mold makes you exhausted just thinking about it, then using straw bales for planting may be the perfect solution. His books contain all the ins and outs on how to setup, condition and care for straw bales helping you to grow almost any plant in them. In this article, youll find the whys, hows and wherefores. Growing vegetables in straw bales, strawbale gardening. How to condition a straw bale for gardening outdoor happens. The pests present in a straw bale garden will tend to be of the winged variety. The hidden dangers of straw bale gardening the grow.